Youth advising can be one of the most rewarding, if sometimes demanding, roles you can fill as a religious leader. It may also be one of the most essential roles you could play in a youth’s life. Healthy relationships with adults help youth build the resilience they need to face life’s toughest challenges.

We’re here to help you form healthy relationships and share leadership with youth (PDF), create a safe(r) youth program and provide appropriate pastoral care and interventions when your teens are in need. Our resources can help you create an inclusive youth ministry, bring thoughtful, skilled communication to planning, leading, and facilitating in a youth ministry context and function well on a team. You’ll also find major models and contents of youth programming and ways to develop your self-knowledge and presence as you companion youth on the spiritual journey.

Get the Basics

Youth advisors are adults aged 25 and older who are part of their congregation’s ministry to and with youth. You could be a religious education teacher, a youth program coordinator, an Our Whole Lives teacher, a Coming of Age mentor or a Bridging mentor.

Make sure you have a copy of Youth Ministry Advising: A Complete Guide , your go-to resource that answers questions like “how do we start a youth ministry program?”, “how do we keep our teens safe?” and “how do I get support as an advisor?”

Further your Knowledge and Skills

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) offers extensive leadership development through LeaderLab, UU Institute and the Sparks Program throughout the year on various topics related to youth ministry and advising.

Keep Youth Ministry Safe

Growing, healthy teens depend on adults to maintain a safe environment. Become familiar with your congregation’s Safe Congregations policy which will outline what you need to do to ensure the safety of the youth you work with. Familiarize yourself with the Youth Safety Guidelines. Know your obligation as a mandatory reporter and have a conversation with your religious educator or minister about your role in pastoral care for youth.

Co-create a covenant with your youth group so people understand and can practice how they aspire to be together. Ask your religious educator or minister for your congregation’s behavioral guidelines and code of ethics to ensure all participants follow rules and understand consequences. (As an example, the UUA uses a code of ethics (PDF) for their events.)

Support Youth Faith and Leadership Formation

We think our youth are our present, not just our future. We value youth leadership in all spheres of our movement. Work with your religious educator or minister to choose programatic elements that fit your group and take them where they want to go with our Curriculum Library.