Join Rick for the first episode of the series—“THE WAYS OF JESUS.” There was a miraculous birth that preceded the miraculous birth of Jesus—John the Baptist. He was born of an elderly couple, chosen to “prepare the way” for Jesus by calling the Jews to repentance.…
Messes, I have made them in ministry. I have made incorrect choices that would make you break into a cold sweat and hives. I have made mistakes, and some big ones along the way. I have not thought out plans, and paid the price.…
Regardless of the size of your group, every healthy youth ministry has a healthy volunteer staff. Many new youth leaders start out with lots of energy and lots of ideas, but not a lot of confidence when it comes to inviting others to help out.…
**Disclaimer: The following has nothing to do with my current employment or my current feelings toward it. This is simply a piece designed to help those who are struggling in their work and ministry contexts as I know there are times we all question why we are doing what we are doing.**…
Are the kids in your youth group the first to grow up in a “post-Christian” world? The research says they are… Post-Christian describes a cultural dynamic marked by the absence of Christianity as the foundation—or hub—of the broader society. One writer also refers to this time in history as the “post-truth” era. …
Join Rick for the final episode in the series—“JESUS IN THE REAL WORLD.” By mapping our responses to moral decision-making situations we can create a “moral map” for how human beings make right/wrong choices. But what about Jesus’ moral map? We discover that map in His “Sermon on the Mount.”…
Spiritual habits are the guardrails and health indicators for our journey with Jesus. They’re not spiritual hoops to jump through—they’re pathways for me to connect with the King. And in my life, spiritual habits have fueled my relationship with Jesus and generally made my life better.…
Every week, Sidney and I talk about the things a mentor talks to a mentee about. Sometimes it’s via text, sometimes it’s over a salted caramel macchiato—either way, we’re committed to spending time checking in. I ask her questions about school, family, and friendships.…
“We count people because people count.” That mantra was our church’s lifeline. Nothing happened without counting, and without a count, something might as well not have happened. During my seven years as youth director there, that statement echoed at every Thursday-morning staff meeting.…
Max’s four years in our ministry haven’t been pain-free. He often causes trouble around church and has been sent home from several camps. Max has tried to “be better,” but it never really sticks. We’ve tried everything. I’d love to tell of Max’s life transformation, but right now that isn’t the reality.…
 THE WAYS OF JESUS: The Turnaround){kind=link}
 JESUS IN THE REAL WORLD: Moral Compass #2){kind=link}
