In a counseling class I took in college, students were placed into groups to work on a project. I don’t remember the topic we tackled, but I sure remember the people. They were awful! I can laugh about it now, but that experience was tough.…
I’d love to say I’ve never judged a parent or a family situation throughout my years in youth ministry. It would be great to claim I’ve always listened, been a strong advocate, and formed opinions based only on facts. Saying those things wouldn’t make them true, however.…
(thank God I’m) in over my head For this study, you’ll need Bibles, water balloons, and a baby pool. Overview: Jesus and Peter have an excellent adventure on the water in Matthew 14:22-33. Teenagers will learn that when Jesus says, “Come,” he’s inviting us on an adventure with him, to go places where only he can take us.…
I recently stopped in a specialty shop to buy a birthday present. The owner was British, and we started chatting about the differences between America and his homeland. “Americans are really busy,” he said. “Everyone has so much to accomplish all the time.…
His name was Andy, and some weeks he was the only teenager who showed up for my youth group. It was a small church. And when things were good, the youth group might have 15 kids show up. But things suddenly became not-so-good as our senior pastor and congregation battled over whether or not he should resign. …
Are the kids in your youth group the first to grow up in a “post-Christian” world? The research says they are… Post-Christian describes a cultural dynamic marked by the absence of Christianity as the foundation—or hub—of the broader society. One writer also refers to this time in history as the “post-truth” era. …
“Your face is why filters were invented.” “Are you Jabba the gutt?” “I never date sluts like you.” Ahh, just another day spent strolling through the mean streets of the comments section. But the craziest part about these comments is, if new research is correct, some of these jabs were posted by teens…about themselves.…
We all know how to maintain a health lifestyle—it’s common knowledge. Eat right. Sleep right. Exercise right. Sabbath right. So then why am I eating another slice of pizza on the go? Or going to bed later than my family? Or vowing to exercise “tomorrow?”…
With New Year’s resolutions, I’m always shooting for the moon—I go for big, Batman-sized resolutions. But this year things are going to be different. Big, bold resolutions seems like a recipe for failure. Don’t get me wrong, Batman gets big things done, but this year my strategies will be Robin-sized.…
