Most people, and understandably so, spend a good portion of their time trying to avoid making mistakes. A mistake on the playing field might cost you the game. A mistake with your bank account can cost you some points on your credit score.…
Our number one mission in youth ministry is to share the love of Jesus with our students. We can talk about the love of Jesus or we can demonstrate the love of Jesus. We can tell them they are loved but unless we demonstrate love to them our words really are just words.…
The other day a youth pastor friend asked me a question that pinpoints a major shift that’s changing his ministry landscape: “How do I get my kids to care about worship? Nothing seems to be working.” My friend isn’t alone. The “worship problem” is quickly spreading, and deepening, in youth ministry.…
(EDITOR’s NOTE: This post by Aaron Crumbey was written several years ago, in the wake of a string of brutal police encounters with African-Americans, setting off yet another crisis. What Aaron wrote then is still profound now.) I’ve been thinking about writing this post for weeks.…
The trip was doomed from the start, and it was my fault. Mike and Matt were twins who barely got along. Ryan was an introvert who wanted to play it safe all week. Lena was home-schooled, and this was her first overnighter trip away.…
Every day, news reports about tragedies, wars, and other shocking developments shake us to the core. Politics are increasingly volatile, violence seems rampant, cultural norms are tough to figure out, and even our faith systems appear to be fraying at the seams.…
by Kelli and David Trujillo Jesus: Who Do You Say I Am? – The Meaning of Allegiance Editor’s Note: This is the third of a yearlong series of Bible studies that will help your teenagers answer Jesus’ profound question in Luke 9:18-20—”Who do you say I am?”…
An old wedding tradition has been mostly forgotten. Brides used to incorporate the following items into their wedding day: something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. Believe it or not, this can be a fun way to help you plan the first few months of the new ministry year!…
Imagine your ministry isn’t going very well. (For some of you, this may not take much effort.) Maybe students are abandoning ship, heading to a flashier program down the street. Maybe youth night has been a train-wreck lately. Maybe kids aren’t inviting friends, no matter what you try.…
Medical malpractice is decided by a jury of peers, and in this series of posts I’ve acted as a jury of…one. I’m biased, of course, in my perspective—because I’ve been immersed in the youth ministry world for 30 years. So I have a “seasoned bias.”…
