Julie’s a 10-year youth ministry vet. That means she’s sailed her ministry ship into the doldrums over and over. The doldrums, as it turns out, is a real thing—it’s the name sailors have given to the Intertropical Convergence Zone, where the northeast and southeast trade winds converge into a stifling calm.…
When we asked young adults all over the United States to describe Jesus, their most popular description is that Jesus was a “nice guy.” When we consider Jesus’ encounters, we are either forgetting or maybe never really knowing Jesus. What would it look like to stop imagining and start remembering Jesus? …
You know that feeling when your workday is complete? It’s time to relax, hang with friends, or just grab some “me” time. My day was over, and I wanted to go home and unwind. The Spirit had other plans for me… But as I drove home, I felt a burden to go visit Amy, a teenager in our ministry who was living in a crisis-pregnancy care center.…
At the end of every show and magazine issue, Oprah asked this question to her guests, “What’s one thing you know for sure?” Using this simple practice, what would it look like to ask this question about Jesus in our Bible studies and our lives?…
“I…Am…Not…a…Loooooserrr!” It’s one of my favorite lines from Disney’s underrated 2000 movie The Kid, starring a Bruce Willis so young he still has hair. In the film, Willis’ arrogant and successful Russ Duritz has a mystical encounter with his pudgy, awkward 8-year old self. …
When a child comes to a mud puddle, they jump right in and splash around, while an adult either jumps over or goes around the mud puddle. Why do adults react this way? Jesus said you won’t understand or appreciate the kingdom of God unless you become like little children.…
Kendra’s parents are waiting for longtime youth pastor Ralph Paige in his office—when he walks in the door, his church admin gives Ralph that “buckle up” look… It’s not going to be an easy conversation. Ralph welcomes “drop-in” conversations, but when most parents have a concern to bring up, they catch him in the hallway or call for an appointment.…
Not long ago I got off the phone with a “profoundly unhappy” mom whose daughter is a regular in our youth ministry. She launched into a long, emotional tirade about our ministry’s openness to “those kids”—teenagers who don’t yet love or follow Jesus. …
In our culture, curiosity isn’t always viewed as a good thing. After all, it’s “what killed the cat.” So why then does Jesus seemingly encourage curiosity rather than simply accepting what we’re told, especially when it comes to some of life’s most hard-to-answer questions?…
Socrates said: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Likewise, our unexamined study-prep rituals can lead to teaching that isn’t worth delivering. The back-to-school season gives us a good excuse to revisit them. That’s what Ralph Paige, a veteran youth pastor, does every year.…
 The Beeline Practices: Remembering, Not Imagining){kind=link}
 The Beeline Practices: Asking “The Oprah Question”){kind=link}
 The Beeline Practices: Wallowing in Mud Puddles){kind=link}
 The Beeline Practices: Curiosity Rescued the Cat){kind=link}
