Here is a quick video of Huberto, our first youth ministry graduate in Latin America, teaching a class of students Biblical philosophy of youth ministry.

It’s always great to see first generation students teaching others.

Brent Carl, the Vice President of Training Operations for YMI, recently wrote on his blog,

I recently returned from an extensive teaching, preaching and training trip to Ukraine, which is a place that I have become very familiar with over the last few years.

It’s a place that I always enjoy returning to, and a place that connects with me, and impacts me in different ways every time without fail!

My latest trip to Ukraine was just as amazing as the other times, but as I reflect on some of the reasons why, I keep thinking about a theme that kept recurring in my mind as I was there.

The theme that I kept popping up everywhere I went was a question…”In whom does my hope lie?”

Read the rest of this article at ninetyseventhree.com.

Bill Bright defines a movement as “the collective activity of committed, multiplying disciples as they band together and trust God for an impact greater than their own individual ministries.”

Youth Ministry International is part of a worldwide movement. In the last few years we have seen an increased interest in Global Youth Ministry. We have had requests to train in various countries, and we have seen God do great things in the young people of the countries where we are working.

According to our Comprehensive Ministry Effectiveness Report, which gives us a quantitative look at the ministry, YMI has been involved with over 1700 local churches throughout the world, impacting more than 131,500 young people.*

There are more than 200 students currently enrolled in the Centers for Youth Ministry representing 10 countries, and these students are both being impacted and impacting others.

Of course, numbers aren’t always the best way to review a ministry. Testimonies from students, observing their ministries, and seeing the lives of the young people who are growing as disciples of Christ also give us a description of the impact that is being made.

There is something happening worldwide in youth ministry training. Imagine what is going to happen in the future as we trust God to continue the work He has started.

Maybe you should join in with the movement. Feel free to contact us if you want more information about how you can be involved in training youth workers internationally.

* as of November 2008

Mike Manna, director of YMI’s EurAsia ministry, recently sent in this report about youth ministry training in Ukraine:

At the end of January, we hosted our first Youth Ministry Alumni Advisory Council meeting. This was a huge dream of mine. I am not sure what our youth ministry graduates would say they enjoyed most in our 2 days together — maybe the bowling (most of them had never bowled before) or the 3D IMAX theater movie (first time for everyone) or the video conference call with Youth Ministry International’s director, Randy Smith.

If you look at our photos online (click here), you will see our group in 3D glasses to watch the “International Space Station” movie. There were a lot of parallels between the Russian and America cooperation in the space station movie and our partnership in Ukraine to train youth pastors at the seminary.

But our purpose to gather was much more than just for fellowship. I am continuing the process of “passing the baton” to my Ukrainian students.

Here are some of the leadership development steps we have been part of in the past 7 years:

1. Establish the National Center of Youth Minstry in Ukraine (2002)
2. First year of Bachelors-level youth ministry courses translated and taught (2004)
3. Four-year Bachelors Degree in Youth Ministry translated and taught (2007)
4. First Ukrainian students graduate with Bachelors degree in Youth Ministry (2007)
5. First Ukrainian satellite school of Youth Ministry begins (2007)
6. First Ukrainian with Youth Ministry Bachelors Degree co-teaches class at Kyiv Theological Seminary (2008) – click here to see the video
7. First Ukrainian Youth Ministry Advisory Council Meeting (2009)

We are not sure of the timing of our future steps. We are learning as we go, but we are excited for the progress. I do know that 3 of our graduates will co-teach classes with me this year in Kiev. I also know that next year Vasya Ostriy will be teaching one of our classes next year alone, since he has recently received his Masters Degree.

We are so thankful for your part in these dreams being fulfilled. Youth pastors are getting trained and teenagers are coming to Christ. Your prayers and financial support are making this possible.

Sylvester Onyango was in the States for three weeks, and in those three weeks he maintained a whirlwind schedule, of connecting, encouraging, sharing and basically shining a spotlight on what God is doing in the lives of young people through, the ministries of the Youth Pastors who are being trained in Kenya.

Sylvester arrived in Louisville, KY and embarked on a series of speaking engagements that took him into Indiana and Kentucky for the first two weeks.

He spoke to youth groups, church leaders, college students, parents and people who are asking “what can I do to assist the vital ministry of training trainers in youth ministry?” To say the least…he was strategically busy!

With every story he told, picture he showed and testimony of God’s grace he delivered, people young and old were moved…moved to prayerfully connect with Kenya in a way that will enable his ministry of youth leader multiplication to continue to go to new heights!

You can read more about Sylvester’s visit to the United States at Brent Carl’s blog. Check it out here: ninetyseventhree.blogspot.com.

Here is a series of posts by Dennis Poulette, YMI’s director of training for Latin America.

• Why Global Youth Ministry is Important
• What’s a Global Youth Worker?
• Benefits of Being a Global Youth Worker
• How to be a Global Youth Worker

Here’s a quick video of the sophomore class at the National Center for Youth Ministry at Kyiv Theological Seminary singing “You are Great!” at the Manna family apartment.

Mike Manna is accompanying on the guitar.

The International Center for Youth Ministry at Boyce College is recognizing our friend Dave Adams and his 10 years of service as Director of the Center for Youth Ministry there.

Sylvester, the director of our East African youth ministry training, is there as well.

Matt Willmington recently posted an article on his blog about our friend Dave Adams. In it, he says:

Since 1978 Dave has developed and taught youth and family ministry courses at Liberty University, Lexington Baptist College and Southern Seminary. He has developed ministry training centers in Africa, Malaysia, Mexico, and Ukraine. His former students serve in all fifty states and five continents. This week he celebrates 10 years of leading the International Center for Youth Ministry at Southern Seminary and 30 years of recruiting, training, placing, and networking in youth ministry higher education and local church leadership.

But it is Dave’s personal investment in my life that I want to applaud.

You can read the rest at Matt’s blog Ezra Seven Ten.

Congratulations, Dave. We look forward to many more years serving together with you.

This interview with one of our 13 Master’s level graduates in Latin America. The thirteen students, who graduated in June of 2008, are now training others in three different Seminaries in their country, and they have their eyes on training others in other countries as well.

Brent Carl, YMI’s Vice President of Training Operations, has written a series of articles on youth ministry and the lessons he has learned throughout his time as a youth worker.

He recently asked the readers of his blog to highlight some of the best articles that he’s written, and here are the top 10 lessons learned about youth ministry that they voted on from his blog:

1. Do You Trust Me?
2. Gifts
3. No AC, No FM, and No Regrets
4. Feelings or Truth?
5. Kingdom Mentality
6. Plans
7. Got Faith?
8. I’ve Failed
9. Worst Ever?
10. Excuses, Excuses

There’s a bunch more on his site, so be sure to head over there (ninetyseventhree.blogspot.com) to see what’s up with Brent and his family.