Join Rick as he dives into the fifth episode of a new series IN HIS IMAGE. Today we’ll be exploring how Trust is central to the Kingdom of God, and is at the core of Jesus’ “operating system.” A proverb reminds us: We gain trust in drops, but we lose it in buckets.…
The van-ride home from a retreat or trip alternates between chaos and peace as kids relive highlights from the week. The caffeine is finally wearing off, and the exhaustion is setting in. If you’re like me, when I pull the van into the church parking lot I have two emotions sweep over me: relief that we made it home, and a kind of sadness that the experience is over.…
During our Pandemic Apocalypse, we’ve competed in the “decathlon” of emotional workouts. Uncertainty, fear, and disorientation are powerful, and a steady stream of bad news is like getting emotionally water-boarded. We feel more needy than ever, and therefore more vulnerable than ever… Jesus wants us to find Home in Him, a relationship that invites our vulnerability, and gives us a safe place to be needy… Join Rick as he launches a new series called IN HIS IMAGE—together, explore why Jesus loved neediness so much, and how and why He made Himself vulnerable to need… LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE NOW Have you joined the Pigs?…
Join Rick as he dives into the fourth episode of a new series IN HIS IMAGE. Jesus said a lot of hard things—things that sound impossible, actually. But none harder than this: “Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! …
What if my little youth ministry ship was permanently stuck in a swirling vortex? Here are three “diagnostic” questions that I vowed to use as filters. Even though I had a decade of ministry under my belt, I was exhausted after months of trying to build a new youth ministry from the ground up.…
Supplies for this Youth Bible Study You’ll need copies of Acts 2:41-47, large poster-sized sheets of paper, and markers. If you do the follow-up experience, you’ll need to plan for it. Form teams of three or four, and ask teams to make plans for their own “exclusive club” from scratch.…
In this week’s Whiteboard Wednesday experiment, we upend the way we frame our relationship with Jesus—from a serious slog through principles and disciplines to an adventure on the playground. Here’s how you can help your teenagers re-imagine their life as a disciple in the childlike way that Jesus, over and over, urged us to embrace.…
Season 2, Episode 011: How to Apply a Filter to the Bible As a youth worker or volunteer, one of the most powerful things you can do for your teenagers is get them excited about reading the Bible. This week, Rick randomly chose a Scripture passage and together with his sidekick Becky (now nicknamed B-Hodge) applied an “Oprah” filter as they unpacked it.…
We have a global warming problem, but some struggle to acknowledge its source and implications. Meanwhile, we have a “global freezing” problem in the youth ministry world, and some in the church are struggling to acknowledge its source and implications. The “freeze” is driven by a church in decline (a 20 percentage-point decline since 1999)—stagnant youth ministry salaries and shrinking career possibilities are the results… So, it’s been four years since we asked youth pastors all over the U.S.…
Hey parents, Thank you for the way you’ve reached out and supported what we’re trying to do to stay connected with your students and families during this season. As a parent of teenagers, I understand the responsibility you feel to take care of your family… I’m so thankful for those of you who’ve reached out to me (and I know many others) checking on us, offering to help, and supporting us.…
