National Study of Youth and Religion
National Study of Youth and Religion National Study of Youth and Religion National Study of Youth and Religion  
Research Study
News
Publications
Resources
Events
Contact Us

Youth Ministry Centers, Programs, and Organizations

. Institute for Youth Ministry (Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ)
An international center dedicated to strengthening the theological task of ministry with young people. Established in 1995, the Institute collaborates with seminaries, church leaders, congregations, communities, and adolescents to promote the strategic importance and practice of youth ministry; initiates and integrates research related to the church's mission with young people; offers degree and non?degree theological education, including doctoral and master's level study; and develops leaders in their ministry with youth through continuing education, curriculum resources, and networks with colleagues.
. Theological Programs for High School Youth (The Fund for Theological Education, Atlanta, GA)
A program to engage young people in substantive theological inquiry and education and to recruit talented young adults into the ministry through the coordination of youth initiatives at forty-eight accredited seminaries in the United States and Canada.
. Center for Youth and Family Ministry (Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA)
Working alongside frontline leaders, Fuller's Center for Youth and Family Ministry (CYFM) provides resources and training for youth and family workers that are accessible, practical and grounded in research.
. National Network of Youth Ministries
Links youth workers for encouragement, spiritual growth, and sharing resources in order to expose teenagers to the Christian gospel, establish those who respond in a local church, and disciple them to help reach others. Is a common ground for youth workers from many backgrounds and ministry styles.
. Resources for Youth in Formation (Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN)
A project developing resources for Christian youth, including a forthcoming book on Christian practices for youth, titled A Way of Life in the World.
. The Jewish Institute for Youth and Family
Its mission to develop programs and materials teaching Jewish values to youth, devoted specifically to developing programs for families with children at the crucial stage of adolescence and young adulthood, when youths form their adult identities.
. Youth Theological Initiative (Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA)
A program based at the Candler School of Theology, Emory University, whose goal is to reconceive the way youth are viewed within society and within the church. The centerpiece of YTI is a four week summer academy for rising seniors in high school which explores Christian theology and public issues. The primary mission of the summer academy is to provide an innovative program in Christian theological education for seventeen?year?olds. The goal is to create a cadre of public theologians for the church and society and to ignite the vocational imagination of young people to contribute to the up?building of society for the common good. The hope is that participants will fall in love with theology as a life long pursuit.
. Youth Discipleship Project (Claremont, CA)
Offers three contexts for exploring alternate approaches to youth ministry: First, Youth Discipleship Community-youth and adults live together for a month, as they practice and nurture Christian discipleship. Second, Church Partnerships-year long partnerships established with churches and agencies in which youth leaders work together to identify and develop significant approaches for ministry with youth, exploring pedagogical experiments and resources appropriate to their particular contexts. Third, a Research Team-scholarly reflection on the textures of contemporary adolescent life, analyzing current directions in youth ministry, and generating creative approaches.
. The Youth & Family Institute (Bloomington, MN)
Offers new visions and models for ministry with children, youth and their families, trains volunteers and professionals in children's, youth and family ministry, provides consultation and resources to individuals, families and congregations of Christian faith.
. The National Peer Ministry Center (Bloomington, MN)
A division of the Youth & Family Institute, Peer Ministers develop communication skills that allow them to reach out beyond themselves to effectively help those around them. During the year adults gather at various sites around the country to be trained as facilitators for Peer Ministry groups. Other training events are scheduled as requested by churches, camps, communities, colleges and other groups.
. Association for Women in Youth Ministry (122 W. Franklin Ave., Suite 510, Minneapolis, MN 55454; E-mail: [email protected])
A professional network to support women in youth ministry through networking, resource development and distribution, speaker's bureau, bimonthly newsletter, discounts to selected conferences and events, and free advertising in its newsletter.
. Link Institute for Youth (Huntington College, Huntington, IN)
Huntington College's institute dedicated to training Christian youth ministers.
. YouthBuilders (formerly known as the National Institute of Youth Ministry) (San Clemente, CA)
YouthBuilders is a non-profit, non-denominational Christian organization focused on training youth workers, educating parents, and guiding youth.
. One to One. (Philadelphia, PA)
Offers training and resources for developing youth mentoring programs in churches, especially in urban settings. The objectives of these long-term, one-to-one relationships are to promote positive youth development, prevent alcohol and drug abuse, provide support for abuse / neglect victims, and prevent child abuse and neglect. One-On-One is an affiliate of Partners Mentoring Association.
. Rock the World Youth Mission Alliance (Ambridge, PA)
Dedicated to evangelism, discipleship, and leadership development among youth. Includes direct youth ministries with students training for adults working with young people and training with college students. Its theological base is Anglican.
. The Youth Ministry and Spirituality Project (San Francisco Theological Seminary)
For eight years, the YMSP gathered together churches and youth ministers from across North America to explore contemplative prayer, discernment, spiritual direction, covenant community, spiritual practice and Sabbath-living as a way of re-sourcing ministries with youth. This site brings together a number of documents, articles, and practices from the eight years of research and experimentation in the YMSP.
. Youth Ministry Educators Forum (Deerfield, IL)
A meeting for professors of youth ministry at the evangelical North American Professors in Christian Education conference each fall.
. SonLife Ministries (Elburn, IL)
Partners with the Moody Bible Institute to trains students and youth workers.
. Youth Specialties, Inc. (El Cajon, CA)
Youth Specialties has been the pioneer entrepreneurial youth ministry organization in the U.S., responsible for training youth leaders in more than 70,000 organizations worldwide. Offers skills-based resources and training and media resources, available both regionally and nationally.
. The Alban Institute (Bethesda, MD)
Gathers, generates, and provides practical knowledge for church congregations across denominational lines through publications and services, some of which relate to youth ministry in congregations.
. The National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry is a network of 170 diocesan youth ministry offices and 49 youth-serving organizations. The NFCYM provides vision, leadership, resources, and services to foster comprehensive youth ministry in the Catholic Church. The NFCYM also sponsors youth and adult conferences, leadership training programs, consultations, research, and networking opportunities.
. The Center for Youth Ministry Studies (Chicago, IL)
A unique partnership of North Park University, North Park Theological Seminary, and the Department of Christian Formation of the Evangelical Covenant Church. The Center's purpose is to develop and equip men and women who minister to youth, and their families, churches, and communities.

>>back to top

National Study of Youth and Religion


The National Study of Youth and Religion, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc., is under the direction of Dr. Christian Smith, Professor of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame, and Dr. Lisa Pearce, Assistant Professor of Sociology at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.