On a recent visit with my family I had the chance to catch up with my nephew who is a small group leader in youth ministry and is also a second year college student studying Church Ministry. I wanted to know what this college sophomore would say to me about his experience as a small group leader and youth ministry volunteer.…
It’s the most emotionally intense, violent, and curse-ridden film of the Marvel cinematic universe so far… and everyone’s buying a ticket to see it. Avengers: Infinity War goes places other superhero films don’t. Embedded among the snarky jabs and insider humor, the film explores provocative questions about faith.…
As a youth worker, it’s essential to build a foundation of people who are eager to invest in the lives of our teenagers. Typically, that means other ministry staffers, adult volunteers, parents, and even college students. One group we often overlook is senior adults.…
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. Lying in bed, I started to go through a mental checklist of reasons it could be there.…
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!…
In this week’s Whiteboard Wednesday experiment, we take a hard look at our “cultural diet” and consider what wise, Jesus-centered standards we can use for both our own life and for our ministry. The Old Testament urges God’s people to be holy—to set themselves apart from an “unclean” culture.…
The young man had given his life to Jesus, but for some reason we didn’t see him after that—until I went to get some pizza. It wasn’t on purpose, either. I was eating out with my family and happened to see him behind the counter.…
I had an interesting conversation not too long ago with a fellow youth worker who was feeling overwhelmed. Our conversation kind of centered around this statement, “The world is getting crazier and crazier, and it almost seems like what we’re doing isn’t working.”…
(EDITOR’S NOTE: I led this conversation with Jeffrey Wallace and Brent Crowe several years ago, but it’s more pertinent now than ever. Racial tensions, like embers in a forest, have been whipped into a flames by controversial (and deadly) confrontations between white police officers and young black men.…
American teenagers are amusing themselves to death.[1] They regularly avoid “depthy” things in favor of mindless media consumption (just like the adults in their life). In fairness, teenagers—particularly high schoolers—are under more pressure now than in any other time in recent history.…
