Before I launch into my confession-vomit, a few qualifiers… I love my church… I’d attend even if I didn’t work there (I know not every church staff member can say that with a straight face). I love and respect my pastor and my boss—my bullet-point confessions are not a veiled critique.…
As a member of today’s culture, you’ve inherited practices, beliefs, values, and purposes that shape what your everyday life looks like. Over time, this bundle of influences creates what’s normal and comfortable for you. But how does your normal compare to what’s normal in the kingdom of God?…
Summer is winding down. The students in your youth ministry are sadly putting away their beach towels and dusting off their school backpacks; they are about to trade their long days on the couch watching Netflix with long days behind their desks.…
When I talk about identity, sexuality, and the gloriousness of God’s grace, I continually go back to two passages of scripture: Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 6:11, and John’s words in 1 John 3:1-3. To me, these passages highlight a lot about the ground we stand upon, God’s love, our new identity, and the freedom offered through Christ.…
(Here’s the 2nd installment from Brent Lacy from his new book, Rural Youth Ministry. Enjoy! – Stephanie) Article 2) The Value of your Community in Rural Youth Ministry You won’t be very long in your new place of Rural Youth Ministry before you hear some form of the following statement – “you’re just a transplant; what do you know? 
Join Rick for the eighth episode in the series—“JESUS-PEOPLE.” Even though Jesus makes the heart and essence of children a major theme of His teaching and His everyday life, His relationship with children has largely been ignored. The heart of children and the questions of children and the dependence of children and the habit patterns of children are the key to living into the Kingdom of God… In this episode we explore why Jesus elevated children as an example to us, and how we can live as children in the real world… NOW AVAILABLE: Jesus-Centered Daily: See.…
Even though you’re still knee-deep in post-holiday exhaustion, resist the temptation to put caring for teenagers on the back burner. Remember what this time of year represents for them: the halfway mark of the school year. Students are stressed out, overwhelmed, and tired of studying.…
The eyes of our students have shifted from camps and mission trips to the daily grind. If you are one of the lucky few who get to start post-Labor Day, that first day of school is looming right on the horizon.…
Our high school ministry is in the middle of what has become the highlight of their youth group calendar every year. We call it “You Own The Weekend (YOTW)”, a six-week “series” in which the students from six different local high schools run the entire weekend service.…
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.…
