On a Friday night in 1998, after watching a comedy with friends at a movie theatre, my brother came home, kissed my mom goodnight, went into his room, and hung himself. We don’t know the exact reasons why Brandon took his life, but we know he wrestled with depression on a daily basis.…
When I first started in youth ministry, I was ready to take on the world. I was fresh out seminary, newly married (am still), and felt like I could do great works. The youth group that I started in with was a jr.…
This happens more often than not in ministry and we can justify it by claiming we are doing “God’s work” or “Kingdom work.” But too often those we love most sit home while we “run the race set before us.” Christians are divorcing at a rate comparable to non-Christians and I think neglect is one of the bigger offenders.…
My brain never stops. My mind is constantly racing with thoughts about creating something new, improving something old, or eating something sugary. I can’t help myself. I should probably consider meds. The toughest part of managing a distracted brain is resisting the temptation to shift from being a creative to a critic.…
” ‘Christians divorce at roughly the same rate as the world!’ It’s one of the most quoted stats by Christian leaders today. And it’s perhaps one of the most inaccurate.” – Glenn Stanton Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard a pastor, youth pastor, Sunday school teacher, or any Christian for that matter, say that the divorce rate for Christians is the same as the divorce rate for non-Christians?…
It’s summer—the time of year when most of us ministry workaholics finally take a vacation. And while vacations are supposed to be times of relaxation, rest, and rejuvenation, they can often become just the opposite. Especially if you have kids! During our nine years of marriage we’ve experienced some awesome vacations, and plenty of hellish ones, too.…
As youth workers, we typically cringe at the thought of tradition. We think it’s part of some residual trauma leftover from trying to do relevant youth ministry while church members chant angrily, “We’ve never done it that way before.” Too often the need to protect tradition has become an enormous barrier in youth ministry.…
As most people who have been around me for any length of time at all know, I am Daddy to two precious kids; my three year old daughter, Abbye Grace, and my one year old son, Ainsley. If you didn’t know that, now you do; and oh by the way, let me pull out my phone and show you the latest picture or video.…
Last month, my wife and I attended some seminars by my friend Christopher Yuan. Along with his parents, Christopher shared his struggles with homosexuality, drug addiction, HIV, and Christianity. If you have never heard him speak before, do so. One of the seminars was done by Yuan’s parents, and focused on helping parents renew their minds towards their gay children.…
I have one final thought for you. First, we asked the question: Should I stay or should I go? Next, we pondered a couple check marks that remind us what’s most important. In a moment, I’m going to post some wisdom from the trenches.…
