Youth Ministry
Youth Worker Seminar Recordings
During Spring 2022 Ohio Conference offered a series of online seminars for youth workers. Recordings of several of these workshops are available below. If you would like to view a recording of any other of the youth worker seminars, please contact Coordinator of Volunteers Alysa Short at alysashort@gmail.com.
Youth Bible Study Resources
Mennonite Church USA Youth Bible Studies
A collection of 117 Bible studies written by college students for use by high school youth groups is one of several new features of Mennonite Church USA’s revamped youth leaders Web page. Between 2004 and 2009, Michele Hershberger, a Bible and Ministry faculty member at Hesston (Kan.) College, engaged students in her Christian Education and Intro to Youth Ministry classes in writing the Bible studies. Hershberger, colleague Carol Duerksen, and students from LCC International University in Klaipeda, Lithuania, where Hershberger taught in 2009, also contributed to the collection. Users of the site can also submit their own Bible studies for consideration for the collection via a link on the Bible studies page.
Other features of the revamped web page include information about peace curriculum resources for youth groups; lists of conference youth ministry websites, Mennonite colleges and service opportunities; Scriptures/resources pertaining to selected social justice issues; a blog; and a link to a Facebook group for those who work with youth.
Youth Ministry Resource Person – Randy Keeler
During the 2014-15 academic year Dr. Randy Keeler, associate professor of religion at Bluffton University, spent his sabbatical serving as a youth ministry resource to the Ohio Conference. He has written several articles detailing different aspects of his work with the Conference which are available for download.
The Practice of Baptism in the Ohio Conference of Mennonite Church USA
Anabaptist Youth Ministry Revisited
Congregations interested in working with Randy Keeler may contact him at keelerr@bluffton.edu, (419) 302-4666 (cell) or (419) 358-1932 (home).
Randy Keeler has developed an annotated bibliography of youth ministry resources for leaders of Mennonite churches. If you are interested in this bibliography, please contact him at the above email address or phone numbers.