We are living in a connection driven world. Every day it seems technology is advancing to help us better stay in touch with those we love. The upside of this is that those high school reunions are way less awkward now that we can deal with all the drama before we ever get there.…
I get to hang around a lot of different students from a variety of places because of the nature of what I “do.” They come from varying ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, and from parents who go to church and others who don’t.…
Ahhh summer. In ministry it’s filled with camps, trips and exhaustion. In the world of my children it’s filled with more flexibility, days at the beach, and of course camps. School starts for us in a week or so. …
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.…
After walking into the room full of teenagers, I was immediately overwhelmed by the chaos. Teenagers were chasing each other around the room, items were being flung in the air, and the noise was deafening. Before I even had a chance to assess the situation, a fight broke out.…
For the third week in a row, I watched a junior higher struggle to complete the conditioning course before track practice. I don’t know why I hadn’t noticed before, but his clothes were three times too big. The baggy wardrobe was slowing him down.…
We will soon be celebrating the most beloved and hated holiday in all of tween and teen-dom: Valentine’s Day. During adolescence, it seems to become THE DAY when your friends, crushes, and relationships prove their love for you. Middle schools don’t mandate cards and candy for everyone.…
I’d love to say I’ve never judged a parent or a family situation throughout my years in youth ministry. It would be great to claim I’ve always listened, been a strong advocate, and formed opinions based only on facts. Saying those things wouldn’t make them true, however.…
Today someone from my daughter’s school came out to our house and planted a sign in our yard celebrating her as a 2020 graduate. She’s just finished her senior year of high school, and after a lot of hard work she’ll graduate as valedictorian of her class.…
Imagine your ministry isn’t going very well. (For some of you, this may not take much effort.) Maybe students are abandoning ship, heading to a flashier program down the street. Maybe youth night has been a train-wreck lately. Maybe kids aren’t inviting friends, no matter what you try.…
