As much as we hate to admit it, we haven’t won all of our battles over our years in ministry. We’ve come to believe what they say (“You can’t win all your battles”) is true. Reality mandates that there will be battles throughout the course of your ministry.…
I know what you’re thinking…it couldn’t get worse than “Whip My Hair” right? But little did you and I know that close on the heels of Willow Smith’s karate hair thrashing nightmare was the horror known as Rebecca Black’s “Friday.” In classic train wreck fashion, you simply can’t look away when you watch the video.…
Core Scripture: Proverbs 4:23, Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (KJV) Today’s youth have so much more to contend with than when I was growing up. My objective is to help youth understand that (1) God loves them and (2) they can trust God and they can have hope in him.…
Cliques are a reality for our students in their schools and community. Unfortunately, it is often a reality they face at church too. Cliques are the enemy of healthy community and ultimately the enemy of students hearing God’s best for them.…
For both of us, Monday is our Sabbath. It is the one day of the week we’re sure to leave reserved for family and rest. We never schedule youth ministry events, programs, or meetings. Monday is a refuge from the outside world.…
For both of us, Monday is our Sabbath. Doug has modeled this for years, and I (Matt) have managed to practice the same discipline. Monday is the one day of the week we’re sure to leave reserved for family and rest after a busy and people-filled Monday.…
According to the Apostle Paul, the church is like a body. This body has many different parts, each part is different, and yet all the body parts are interdependent. Every part of the body is unique, but no body part operates in isolation of the entire body.…
Student ministry is a special place. Not like Church Lady special, but really special—an opportunity for God to use you to change lives for eternity. But we all need some help, so be sure you’re well versed in how to respond to ministry situations by packing these phrases away in your toolbox.…
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about some of the elements required in developing student leaders. A few of the mental prompts that have got me reflecting on student leaders have come from: 1. Spending a lot of time recently with my youth pastor (Jim Burns) who developed me into a teenage leader 30+ years ago.…
As we wrote yesterday, you have to work hard to build a great team. Here are a few more ideas for you to consider applying within your ministry: KEEP YOUR MEETING AGENDAS MINIMAL It is important to have an agenda for your leadership meetings.…
