Radically Real

Product Review: Interlinc: A Great Youth Ministry Resource

Disclaimer: I’ve been a writer for Interlinc for nearly a decade, so I guess you could say I am biased in this review. That being said, I became a writer for them after using the resource for quite some time. I am very enthusiastic about this resource and it exemplifies the AMOK philosophy, the resource itself ministers through the arts (Christian rock,music/videos) and the folks behind the resource minister to the artists themselves.
••••••••••••••••••••••••
Every year around this time of year, I make a trip to Nashville, Tennessee to visit with Allen Weed and his staff at interlinc and my fellow writers from around the US. It’s always a great time as we seek to create a resource that will assist youth workers in reachingthe hearts and minds of their students.

It’s something we’re all passionate about. All the writers and most of the staff work with youth on some level in the context of our local churches. We all realize the power and impact music has on the lives of our students. Interlinc has made massive strides in linking Christian music artists and local churches to create a tool that serves them both.

How it works:
Interlinc’s main resource is called Youth Leaders Only. It is a subscription based service, with subscribers receiving four boxes of CDs a year (ranging from 9 to 15 CDs depending on the subscription level). Also included in the box are posters, stickers, a DVD and a variety of other items. This alone is worth the price of the subscription (starting at $319 a year), but I haven’t even touched on the best value of the resource. Enclosed in each box is a magazine style book that contains a youth-oriented Bible study based on one of the songs on each CD and DVD in the box. These studies are written by youth workers for youth workers and include a leader’s guide, student guide, a warm up activity and pretty much everything a youth leader would need to run the session. The book also includes youth ministry articles based around the theme of the box (themes have included, camp, missions, middle school ministry, etc.) as well as “heart of the artist” interviews, chord charts, a thematic listing for all the songs in the box, and a section called re-Tuned which gives study ideas for the hottest songs from the secular charts. It’s a very useful resource but there’s more.

Subscribers also receive a free resource called the MVL (Music Video Loop). This is a quarterly DVD resource containing music videos from the hottest Christian music artists and a companion book containing a lesson based on each music video. The MVL also contains Information on upcoming events and projects, artist interviews as well as short drop-in videos from the artists for your multimedia presentations. The MVL is actually my favorite resource to use with students because it combines a visual element with the music and the teaching.

Interlinc’s web site is a great place to check out the artists and keep up with the latest in Christian music and youth culture. They are in the process of expanding the usefulness and capability of their website and including a members only section where members will be able to download past Bible studies to build series, etc. They also have a very nice ezine that really keeps a youth leader up-to-date.

For those on a lower budget, they are producing a resource called YLO Access, with a compilation CD containing all the songs used in the YLO Music Resource Book studies, the YLO Music Resource Book, a DVD, posters and access to the upcoming members only section of the website, all for 99.95 a year. This is a great resource especially for the small church and volunteer youth leaders with low budgets and little time to prepare a complete lesson.

They also have other great products available like their graduation gift CD called Congradulations, which includes great songs, interractive media, and a booklet filled with great information. Subscribers may also purchase a worship music resource called Spin 360, which contains recordings of the latest worship songs with and without lyrics as well as the power point slides for the lyrics, chord charts, etc. It is a great resource for churches without musicians or churches trying to get their music ministry “off the ground.”

When I started using Interlinc’s reources, my church did not have the budget for this resource, so my wife and I purchased it out of pocket and it was worth it. In the years since, Interlinc has expanded the functionality of YLO. Right now they are hard at work addressing the changes facing the music industry and how those changes will effect youth ministry in the future.

Interlinc is doing more than selling a resource, they meet with artists and record company executives on a regular basis and truly serve as a liaison between the church and the music industry. They are actively involved in the lives of the artists their resource promotes and they are passionate about the strength and well-being of youth ministry in the local church Not only do you get a lot of bang for your buck, but you get to support a ministry you can feel good about. For more information about Interlinc go to http://www.interlinc-online.com