Youth ministries are supposed to be communities where teens discover and embrace the love of Jesus, discover his purpose for their lives, and experience being part of the family of God. When toxic volunteers, parents, or congregation members enter this equation, we move away from the positive outcomes we strive to provide for teens.…
Did you know that as you age your ears keep growing? Yep, one day we’ll all enjoy some big beautiful ears. But it is important that our listening skills grow with our ears. Recent events might tempt all of us to talk more than we listen.…
Today our hearts and prayers are with the city of Charleston and the members of Emanuel. The horrific shootings that have occurred in our communities, remind us that we live in uncertain times. Yes, we should pray for the people involved, and we should also seriously think through the safety of our students and ministry.…
I love when driving from here to there means I get to geek out on snippets of NPR! There’s always something super interesting. Like the story of a girl who took it upon herself to fix an aged piece of art hanging in her local cathedral.…
[Disclaimer: In no way, shape, or form am I aiming to disrespect moms of our youth ministry kids with this post. But for real, I’m just say’n.] There’s these moms… Sorry I’m late! No, no, I don’t think you are. You’re always waiting for this mom.…
The journey to inclusion is the road less traveled. It’s a road I didn’t even see until I had my own wrestling match with God. I’d been traveling a safe youth ministry road. This safe road led me to teens who were like me, where I challenged students and didn’t allow them to challenge me.…
Once a year we reflect and focus on the journey and resurrection of Christ. This week is an exciting week in the life of the church. We look forward to higher attendance, the annual Easter egg hunt, and the larger than average offering.…
Jesus announced to his hometown that he was their long-awaited messiah. The people were excited and proud. That was until Jesus announced he was also messiah to the Gentiles. The Jews, having no desire to associate with Gentiles, were outraged.…
In 1983, I was 7 years old. My second grade teacher at Mira Mesa Christian School asked a question that made my little heart race. “Would any of you like to invite Jesus into your life today?” My mind quickly went to the amazing stories I’d heard about Jesus.…
Good Morning America: “Uh Bob, uh, tell us your impressions of Baby Steps.” Bob: “Mash potatoes and gravy, Marie. I couldn’t be happier about Baby Steps. I was a terrible disaster and now, because of Baby Steps, I’m on TV in front of millions of people.…
