By Jeffrey Wallace In early March I had one of the most intense ministry experiences of my life. The leaders of the Simply Youth Ministry Conference (SYMC), the same people who put this magazine together, asked me to help mediate a panel discussion at the conference, called “Ministering to Homosexual and ‘Bi-Curious’ Teenagers.”…
Editor’s Note:In the decade since Craig Gross launched a ministry to people impacted by pornography—those who are addicted, those who produce it, and those who are “performers”—he has fueled a national conversation about the devastating impact of a “victimless” sexual activity.…
We’ve all heard the jokes and stereotypes about the problem kids in church—their parents are pastors and elders—so whenever I meet a pastor’s kid I actually want to be around, I ask their perspective on growing up in the church. Last year was the first time I became my daughter’s youth pastor.…
Serendipity is defined as the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. Reading this article and finding out all who complete it receive $1,000 would be serendipitous. That won’t happen, but it sure would be great.…
It’s rare for a first-person shooter to be rated T for Teen. So Brink burst onto the scene with some big anticipation. But it wasn’t just the rating. Brink uses a technology called Smooth Movement Across Random Terrain (SMART), that allows characters to leap up and over obstacles.…
Thor (PG-13) Thor is an interesting choice for Marvel to lead off their summer blockbuster season. In the next few months we’ll also see films about the Green Lantern and Captain America, but the comic book Thor isn’t that well known outside of the geek crowd.…
We will finish up the week with three more ideas to help your ministry maximize the momentum created by student baptisms: ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DEAL OF THE MONTH: $25 for $25 – Get a $25 Group Magazine Subscription & YOU ALSO Get a $25 gift card to SimplyYouthMinistry.com…
It’s inevitable. A parent pulls the pin and throws that grenade right into the middle of your office. Actually, it’s probably a bonus if it’s thrown into your office and not in the middle of the hallway of the educational wing or the church foyer.…
I attended a workshop led by Craig McNair Wilson several years ago. Conference attendees and I were greeted by a sign at the door that instructed us to put away our pens or pencils and pick up a crayon for taking notes.…
CARE FOR THE CHILDREN OF THE CRITICS If your critic is a parent in your ministry, please don’t judge their kids for their parents’ actions. That’s not fair for the teenager. It won’t do you any good, and it definitely won’t help the student.…
