Youth Theology Network

YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD

Between navigating high school, being begged to clean their room and exercising their driver’s license, students are asking big questions like, “What is God’s Will for my life?” For those who are considering ministry, you are in a unique position to guide them through this stage.

However, ministry doesn’t always take place in a church. It could look like teaching in the classroom, engaging in the community, or leading a social justice movement. And when you want to help students answer their questions, but aren’t sure how, we can help. The Youth Theology Network (YTN) is your champion and partner for vocational discernment resources.

EQUIPPING YOU FOR FAITHFUL WORK

Right now, you might be trying to define or build your first program, struggling to attract high school students, lacking the resources to expand your dream program or feeling alone and isolated. We have the resources you need to succeed. It’s our desire to help you build the best program available so that you can serve students who want to live out their faith and impact generations to come.

CONNECT WITH LIKE-MINDED PEERS NATIONWIDE

With over 100 ecumenical partners across the United States, YTN is comprised of colleges, universities, seminaries and schools of theology that are passionate about helping high school students discern their call to ministry in a safe and supportive environment. Whether you are helping high school students to discern God's call for their life or you are a high school student click below to find a program near you.

Stories of Impact

Rebeca Dominguez

Winfield, KS

One of the main changes I noticed after The Summit was that I was more confident about my future and about my identity. I didn’t have everything in my life figured out, but I had the confidence that God would be helping me and guiding me. I also saw myself as a beloved daughter of God, which made me feel more confident about myself and less worried about what other people thought about me. In a way, I felt free, which I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Eric Johnson

St. Peter, MN

Beyond a love for learning, the Academy taught me how to think critically about issues within my faith, knowing that wherever reason took me, I would have a family that supported me. It is because of this that I am now a philosophy major at Gustavus; learning to think for myself about big issues has led to such fulfillment that I hope to always pursue it.

Kristi Phillips

Santa Barbara, CA

Trailhead helped expand my understanding in a lot of areas. The program deepened my appreciation for art, created in me an awareness of the kind of social issues facing America, challenged my perspective on human suffering and enriched my understanding of hope. It helped me realize how much I still have to learn about the world, but in a way that made me feel excited rather than overwhelmed by all that I didn't know.

Aaron Doell

Winfield, KS

I can undeniably say that I am not only better equipped for my future, but also more confident in it. I have a better relationship with God now than I ever have before in my life, and I am thrilled for not only the next steps in my faith life, but in my life's journey as a whole.

Reverend Elizabeth Pollard

Atlanta, GA

As a youth pastor, I have never encountered a Christian education curriculum like it. The program encourages students to love themselves fully and deeply. Its impact is invaluable.