The Use of New Technology in Youth Ministry

This post is a part of the Youth Connections, articles on youth ministry that we send out to GYMN graduates every other month.

Technology is bringing about new social, political, and business orders. It is affecting how governments, organizations and people interact.¹

And it is probably already affecting the dynamics of your youth ministry. For young people are the most likely group to make use of new technologies.

Take cell phones: although people of all ages use cell phones, young people are much more likely to use the text messaging and other data services on their mobile phones than their elders. One reason being that younger users are more willing to adopt to new forms of communication and technology in general. What has this to do with our youth ministry? If we are able to harness technology in our ministry, it will be one way of meeting young people where they are.

Also, we would be able to enhance the way we minister. Video and computer presentation programs help to convey a message to the youth in ways impossible before.  Cell phones, E-mails and communication software make it easy and cost-effective to talk and coordinate over long distances.  And the Internet has an excess of useful information for youth ministry.

Indeed there are already a multitude of tech tools already available that we may be overwhelmed in choosing what to use amongst a multitude of options. Therefore, even before we integrate new technology into our ministry we must already have a picture of what we want to do and where we want to go in our ministry.

Here are some ways that youth ministries have made use of new technology for its purposes:

New Pages: Who We Were and Are

Some updates to the site, I’ve added a History page, so you know a bit of the background story of GYMN, and have revised the About page, making it more comprehensive.

Also: GYMN Africa has a blog!

Word of Hope Training

For the past four Saturdays (June 6, 13, 20 & 27, 2009) at 1 past noon to 7 in the evening, four GYMN trainers (I, Ethel, Eric and Aboy) have been teaching the Level 1 material to leaders of “Youth Alive” the youth department of Word of Hope here in Quezon City, Philippines. Here’s a glimpse into the event:

Links 7

Readings from the world of youth ministry.

What would Jesus do on spring break? – ‘undercover’ guy goes evangelizing …and he’s not a Christian, which makes Greg Stier ask the question: “Does Street Evangelism Work?”

Blooming where you’re planted is also good advice for us here in the Philippines – When Bigger Isn’t Better (therebelution.com)

Matt Cleaver ponders “Do We Really Need To Study Youth Culture?”

Smalltownyouthpastor.com shares some thoughts on guys in the youth group – Youth Ministry Male Mentorship

Center for Parent/Youth Understanding offers a free issue of their journal Engage (I love the article on parenting) – Summer 2009 Issue

And for us utilizing the internet for ministry: Mark Ostreicher’s last post – The End of YSMarko and Greg Stier’s thoughts on this-  The Seduction of the Web in Ministry (see also comments section for great discussions).

Poster Redux

Check out the varied ways that GYMN seminars have been announced in print through the years. What poster appeals to you the most?

Camarines Norte Training

A month ago, May 9, just a week after our Boracay anniversary I found myself on a bus coming from Manila on an 8-hour trip toward Labo, Camarines Norte, a place me and my companions had never been to before. Finding yourself in far-out places is one thing that comes with being involved with GYMN.

Four of us came from Metro Manila, me, Rey Dorimon, Bennette Pena and Ronnie Astrologo, chairman of the National Youth Commission who was instrumental in coordinating this training. We were invited to Labo by E.R. Villagomez who heads the CANICEF youth department in Camarines Norte.

And then there were the 26 representatives of different churches across the region who spent three days in the intensive seminar that is our Level 1 training.

Bench’s Happy Day!

Bench blows the cake.

The games begin courtesy of our emcees, Jeff and Abby.

Net shares her testimony.

Happy Birthday, Bench! We had a great time!