My pastor, Rick Warren, always says, “You don’t learn from people’s strengths, you learn from their weaknesses.” If that’s true, then I have a wealth of knowledge! But seriously, I’ve been doing youth ministry for a while now, and throughout my years in ministry, I’ve tried to be intentional about learning from my mistakes.…
He stared right through me. I said his name over and over, but he just didn’t’ have the strength to look me in the eye or respond. If he stopped staring at the wall or dared to break the silence, then time would begin to move and he would be forced to figure out how to live life without her.…
Junior highers are my people. For most of ministry career I’ve had the privilege (did I really just say junior high ministry is a PRIVILEGE?) of focusing exclusively on this age group, and even as my role has changed this wonderful little tribe has remained the closest to my heart!…
Today’s teenagers are glued to their tech devices. They have tablets, laptops, and especially cell phones that suck them in and demand their full energy and attention, often to the exclusion of other important things in life—including sleeping, live interaction with family members and peers, and schoolwork.…
When it comes to students living out their faith in Christ, we can be super influential in how they go about it. I would say in an attempt to help students see the seriousness of living for Christ, I believe sometimes we use our influence and scare the crap out of them.…
The fall is here and small groups are upon us. So for the next two shows we will be talking about small groups. This week we answer the question, “What will attract students to join a small group?” Remember, click the button and subscribe to our channel for more youth ministry videos.…
“If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!” I’m not sure who first coined that infamous saying, but it is somehow simultaneously genius and defeatist. Pragmatically speaking, it makes sense. Why fight against the inevitable? But few things seem as depressing as giving up and giving in when we know there’s a better way!…
Pizza is as much a part of youth ministry as the Bible and a smelly van. We love pizza as much as the next guy/girl, but we all reach a certain limit. As New Orleanians, food is a big deal to us.…
I woke up with an anxious knot in my stomach. I had no idea where it had come from or why it had decided to take up residence in my gut. Laying in bed, I started to go through a mental checklist of reasons it could be there.…
We love summer! No more alarm clocks, bonfires, and planned spontaneity! And if you’re a youth worker, we’re guessing you probably love it too. Our summer youth calendar is jam-packed with cool stuff like camp, mission trips, and summer activities all designed to help our students grow in their trust in Jesus.…
