Today’s teenagers are glued to their tech devices. They have tablets, laptops, and especially cell phones that suck them in and demand their full energy and attention, often to the exclusion of other important things in life—including sleeping, live interaction with family members and peers, and schoolwork.…
This has been an unusually busy season for my family. We all have them, there are those times when we feel the full weight of 24 hours in a day, five to eight of which are wasted in sleeping. If I could just harness the ability to never sleep, then I might get everything done.…
Join Rick for the first episode of Season 8, continuing the series—“THE WAYS OF JESUS.” Our understanding of death, and our fear of it, colors our life. It plays in the background, like a haunting film score to our life narrative.…
Serving in youth ministry is both rewarding and challenging. As a leader, you’re a catalyst for helping teenagers grow as disciples of Jesus, a ...
In the often-chaotic cloud that is everyday youth ministry, one goal always rises to the surface—growing disciples who follow Jesus with an all-...
Fortnite, 13 Reasons Why, Snapchat… The shifting currents of culture all play a role in shaping the teenagers you serve, and give you unique opp...
Today’s teenagers are glued to their tech devices. They have tablets, laptops, and especially cell phones that suck them in and demand their full energy and attention, often to the exclusion of other important things in life—including sleeping, live interaction with family members and peers, and schoolwork.…
Ministry to “special needs” kids is a big, big topic in the world of children’s ministry. If your ministry focus is grade-school kids, you can find dozens of books, workshops, magazine articles, and digital resources to help you come alongside the developmentally disabled.…
We sat down in a close circle, exhaled and focused as we opened the Bible. As each page was read, they became more and more involved. Word after word, they sat drinking in the richness of the sacred texts of God.…
“Hey welcome to the ministry! What’s your name?” “Bob” “Cool. Nice to meet you, Bob. So what grade are you in? What school?” “Woodbridge. 9th grade.” “Awesome. Glad you’re here.” (mutually awkward nods and smiles) -awkward pause- “Aight! Well, let me introduce you to Jim.…
Today’s teenagers are glued to their tech devices. They have tablets, laptops, and especially cell phones that suck them in and demand their full energy and attention, often to the exclusion of other important things in life—including sleeping, live interaction with family members and peers, and schoolwork.…
These youth group activities provide ideas for service during the Thanksgiving season and a fun way for your group to gather the food for a Thanksgiving meal. In Matthew 10:8 Jesus said, “Freely you have received; freely give.” Our lives may not always be everything we hope them to be, but the vast majority of Americans are richly blessed.…
Recently I was in a meeting of the youth ministry minds where this question was asked: “How often does your group, your youth or your church think of missions?” The answers ranged from weekly to monthly to an honest, “never.” It was a great question that I felt was poised around “opportunities” to “go and serve” both locally and abroad.…
How can you help teens fall in love when they’ve known about God their whole life? Here’s one leader’s experience! I was born on the front pew of a church during a Sunday night worship service. Before I could say momma, I said Jesus.…
An old wedding tradition has been mostly forgotten. Brides used to incorporate the following items into their wedding day: something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. Believe it or not, this can be a fun way to help you plan the first few months of the new ministry year!…
 THE WAYS OF JESUS: Life Over Death){kind=link}