This weekend someone asked a common question about where to find media resources – slides, videos, etc.  For those desiring to add creativity through media to their worship or teaching, finding the media can be time-consuming.  Below are a few links that can help with this task:

Free Resources

Creation Swap – slides and photo backgrounds, some free and some pay to use

Youth Ministry Geek – not exactly free resources, but a blog with links to deals, youtube videos that can be used to teach, and a guide to everything tech for youth ministry.

Livechurch.tv Open Resources – sermon/lesson series with all support media

Wingclips – A library of movie clips indexed by topic, scripture, and movie title.  Lower resolution use is free.

Muddy River Media – A mission group dedicated to providing media content for churches.

Mayang Textures – Looking for generic backgrounds.  This site is filled with textures you can download for free.

StuffICanUse.com – Free resources – video intros, sermon samples, slides – from Southeast Christian Church youth ministries.

Pay Resources

Worship House Media – not cheap but good quality video, song tracks, backgrounds, etc.

skitguys.com – Comedy and drama sketches, often with powerful messages, for $12-$20.

BluefishTV – lots of content/illustration videos, including a whole section for youth ministry.

worshipvue.com – Variety of media, including stills and song backgrounds.

Igniter Media – same format as Worship House Media.

sermonspice.com – Large collection of sermon illustration videos, with other media for sale as well.

Church Media Net – Costs about $40.00 a year.  Lots of media shared, though it can be tough to sift through it all.

Digital Stache – Paid media and games from the tech team at Southeast Christian Church.

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Have resources you find helpful?  Add a comment and share!

How do you help teenagers engage the world with the Gospel and their faith?

My 5 year old, Noah, after a prayer last Sunday at church for those who continue to be effected by the oil spill in the gulf, asked why God would let an oil spill happen.  I was hoping to engage such questions when he was like 9 or 10, but it looks like I need to be ready now.  Somehow his question reminded me of a chapter in the book Starting Right in Youth Ministry, where Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean writes, “Theology is rampant among teenagers.”  Whether we engage the conversation from a Christian perspective or not, young people are aware today of what is happening in the world and talking about it at school and among friends.  So are you ready to join the conversation and engage the Gospel in speaking to events in the world today?

There are lots of resources out there, and perhaps you have some you can add to the conversation, but below are two that provide weekly resources:

Faithlink: This weekly resource from the UMC is designed for adults but can be easily adapted for conversations with youth.

LinC: This weekly youth curriculum cost $8 per week and provides a lesson that examines the latest music, movies, news, and current events through a biblical lens.

Faith Lens: This free blog from the ELCA provides a weekly Bible study that engages youth and young adults in connecting world events with the Bible, faith, and everyday life.

Feel free to pass along other resources you use!

Peace and blessings,

Brian

PS  If you have a good answer for Noah about God and the oil spill, let me know.

There are more and more books for youth ministry leaders looking to introduce spiritual disciplines and practices in their ministry, including some excellent new ones.  While this is good news, I still highly recommend Deepening Youth Spirituality by Walt Marcum.  It has a variety of exercises in a variety of disciplines, some active and some contemplative, designed to help youth experience the Biblical story and connect to the awe and wonder of God.  (And, as an added benefit, it’s on sale at Cokesbury for less than $10.)  It’s a great book to have on your shelf, and the guided meditations provide a great model for writing your own meditations as you help youth experience other Bible stories.