Attention all youth leaders: we’re already a few weeks into the new year! That said, do you have the best apps for student ministry that will help you become the leader God calls you to be in 2021? If your answer is, “ugh…not yet,” we’ve got you covered! Here are 5 apps that will help you effectively engage with teens and help them develop bold faith in Christ:
Canva
By using this app (on iOS or Android) you can freely and easily create the visuals you need for youth events and announcements. This app also gives you access to hundreds of stock photos, meaning that creating eye-catching social media posts has never been easier!
Trello
If you need structure and are drawn to visuals, use Trello’s card system to organise your projects. You can include checklists and due-dates in each card. Trello is available here…and make sure you share it with your staff and volunteers as it’s a great tool for collaboration which we on the Voke team use ourselves!
Discord
The Discord app (available on iOS or Android) began as an app for gamers but can easily become your new hub for student ministry. It allows you to have conversations with your volunteers around topics you care about and upcoming events. You can also use Discord for online social events. For example, if you want to gather your youth together to play an online game they love, you can play in your browser while simultaneously video chatting with the group on the app. Discord then becomes the sweet spot between your youth ministry’s planning and social needs!
Jesus Film Project
Now it’s time to consider christian apps for youth leaders; apps that will help you disciple your students. News flash: in 2021, you’ll be discipling students from all over the globe! Indeed, millennials and Gen Z are the most ethnically diverse generations in the history of this country. Have you ever stopped and asked how this impacts the way your youth ministry creates conversation and community where everyone feels welcomed? Perhaps a first step is recognising the diversity found in languages! It’s likely that some of your teens speak a language other than english. By downloading the Jesus Film Project app here, you can introduce students to spiritual videos in the language they prefer. Use it to get free, unlimited access to hundreds of movies, miniseries and short films that will help your students discover who Jesus is in their own language!
Voke App
Teens need to know that it’s okay to doubt. This may sound counter-intuitive when you want youth to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. But research on discipling Millenials and Gen Z indicates that exploring doubt is key to forming one’s religious identity. That said, sharing the Voke app with your students gives them the opportunity to explore doubts in a healthy way. The Voke app does this by providing video-series called the Faith Adventure. These Adventures address core questions about faith like, Is Jesus real?; Did Jesus defeat death?; What’s Jesus Got to do with me?; and more. There are plenty of apps for student ministry but the Faith Adventure has genuinely helped students make the decision to love and follow Christ. Download this app (on Android or iOS) and check out this page to learn how you can invite students to go on the Faith Adventure!
Which of these free apps for student ministry will you begin using today? We pray these recommendations help you move powerfully into 2021 as you continue the great work you’re doing for God and this generation!
