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News & Research

News & Research

Youth Ministry Arenas Survey

YMI is conducting research on youth ministry practices. We are asking youth leaders to share what they are doing in three arenas: discipleship of teenagers, engagement with parents, and connecting teenagers to the congregation. You can take the survey at ymarenas.com

How Gneration Z Differes from Generation Y

The numbers are just coming in from studies of younger teens, who are part of Generation Z (also know as "Homelanders," these kids follow Generation Y). They are part of a population who grew up post-911, where terrorism is part of the landscape, a sour economy is all they remember, and uncertainty defines our mindsets.

Why Generation Z is less Christian than ever--and why that's good news

Gen–the generation following the millennials–is the least Christian generation to date, according to a new Barna study - 34 percent of Gen Z's religious affiliation is either atheist, agnostic, or none. In fact, teens 13-18 years old are twice as likely as adults to say they are atheist. And just three in five 13- to 18-year-olds say they are some kind of Christian (59 percent).

Will Generation Z Know the Bible?

It was 1971 when I was a young teen like my grandson. Back then, we wrote our assignments in cursive, went home to houses that cost about $25,000 to build. Our parents paid 35 cents for a gallon of gas, while they earned about $10 thousand per year. No kid imagined having an iPhone. 

The's another change since then. More Americans have no religious identity—many have no need for God.

Five Ways NOT to Lead a Small Group

Leading a small group Bible study is an important responsibility. Whether you lead a group on Sunday morning in your church or you meet at a local coffee shop or home, it's easy to think leading a group isn't that hard. In reality, there are a lot of dynamics that come into play when facilitating a small group. And while you might see a lot of blogs or instructions on "how to lead and effective small group," I want to take a slightly different approach on five ways you should NOT lead a small group. Whether you identify with these or not, you've probably experienced these kinds of leadership at one time or another. (Or it might be a good time to look in the mirror ans see if you're guilty of these!)

10 Traits of Generation Z

What do you need to know about the kids in Generation Z? Here are some of the most important things.

1. They're everywhere. Gen Z—those born between 1996 and 2014—makes up 24.3 percent of the U.S. population, according to U.S. Census estimates for 2016. That's more than millennials (22.1 percent), more than Gen X (19 percent), and more than baby boomers (22.9 percent). By 2020, The Washington Post says, Z's will have about $3 trillion in purchasing power.

Get Ready Youth Group Leaders: Teens Twice as Likely to Identify as Atheist of LGBT

Imagine Generation Z–the 70 million kids born between 1999 and 2015–and you probably picture them staring at their devices. A bunch of app-savvy, tech-addicted teens who never knew a time before smartphones.

Top 40 Youth Ministry Blogs and Websites to Follow in 2018

The Best Youth Ministry blogs from thousands of top Youth Ministry blogs in our index using search and social metrics. Data will be refreshed once a week.

Investors to Apple: Fight iPhone Addiction Among Kids

Two heavyweight investors say Apple should do more to combat iPhone addiction among young people. 

The investors pointed to a number of studies highlighting the detrimental effects of smartphone addiction. They include being less attentive in class, insufficient sleep and a higher risk of depression and suicide.

The Great Divide Between Generation Z and Millennials

Every generation can be described by narratives. Those narratives make up the way a generation thinks and acts,as adolescents and adults. For instance, while all Baby Boomers didn't smoke pot, enjoy free sex, participate in protests and love rock and roll, those components were integrated into the narrative of the youth population in the 1960s. It was a time of expanding self-confidence for youth. Generation X grew up after those Boomers, during the time of the birth control pill, the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal and rising divorce rates, hence embodying a more jaded paradigm as they entered adulthood. It was a time of skepticism and cynicism. You get the idea.

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