I vividly remember opening presents at the dining room table on what must’ve been my 15th birthday. Mom proudly handed me a special gift she’d selected. From the shape and size, I could tell it was a record, which I’d add to my pile of new cassette tapes, to be used in my bright yellow Walkman.…
An exasperated small-group leader stopped me to chat. One of my best leaders, he was dedicated and prepared. He just wanted a quick fix to get his small group back on track. “I’ve never experienced anything like this,” he admitted. “One guy is totally disruptive every week, and nothing I try works.…
Today’s young people have always been virtually connected to the answers of the universe—or so they think. Kids are so used to having unlimited access to information that they see no excuse for not knowing something—even when it comes to their faith.…
Have you noticed that many family devotionals for the Advent season focus on younger children? Those of us with junior highers, high schoolers, or kids of various ages at home don’t always know how to make the most of this time of year.…
Early one afternoon, I walked to throw something out in a back room, when I spotted him outside next to my bike. A large gentleman in his 50’s was doing something, and it hit me immediately, “He is taking my bike!”…
Recently at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference, I was challenged by many thoughts and exchanges. It’s funny how you can listen to a speaker or sit in a workshop and there is that one thing that worms it’s way into your heart.…
The world is a restless place these days. In the last few weeks we have experienced everything from unrest and tragedy in the world to a new app-based game. If anyone is like me, it isn’t even that we don’t know what to say.…
I talked to a fellow youth worker this morning who made the comment, “I feel like I am so behind already in planning the coming school year.” Although it’s only July, before we know it students will be home from vacation and back in school. …
If you could be a fly on the wall at my house at dinner time you would probably bust a gut. I live with three teens ages 14, 15 & 16 as you might remember, and the evenings when our schedule allows us to all eat at one table at the same time resembles something between a game show, reality television drama, and any typical youth group.…
In the last two months, it has seemed like everywhere I’ve turned students have been bringing up the topic of sex. This is not the conversation I expected to have at the end of the school year as we look to summer, graduations, camps, trips and vacations.…
