Background/stats:

  • 22 years old
  • 196cm, 91kg, bodyfat: 12.8%, lifts: unknown at this point
  • Reading: Sidebar, NMMNG, BMB, WMHGTC, 25% WISNIFG
  • Finances: 15K (AUD) per year, finish BA (History, International Studies and Marketing) end of this year
  • Spiritual: Staunch Christian, daily Bible/prayer

I'm a youth minister at my old (all-boys) high-school and have been given quite a bit of freedom in what I want to do. This is in part due to my supervisors (heads of the religious department) and the broader school community being open to faith as a topic in general, as Catholics (even if nominal) tend to be.

One of the major roles is to plan and run what are essentially days where classes have time to personally reflect, hang with mates and connect with God. We have the junior years (12-14 year olds) coming up and I was thinking of introducing some real apologetics type stuff.

RZIM have some great resources as does Alpha course. I've also been listening to Why Men Hate Going to Church by Murrow, and have gotten some great tips from there more generally.

But I was wondering if any of the guys here have any experience in a similar schooling/youth environment presenting authentic Christianity to young men?

Another part of my job is to run a student leaders group made up of senior years who aren't school captains (16-18yo). I see this as a great opportunity to introduce some of the more meaty Biblical masculinity kind of teaching.

So I would appreciate any advice in how to slowly introduce young fellas to that too. Any stories of good/bad Christian youth pastors also welcome.

Cheers