John Maxwell has said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership”. And while I’m not sure that everything rises and falls on leadership, I think it is true when it comes to youth ministry small groups. The adults you entrust to lead your small groups will make or break your efforts.…
We all want every kid in our community to feel welcome to make our youth ministry their home. Our doors are open and all are welcome. The love of Jesus extends to every teen. If we can reach even one more teen and introduce them to the love of Jesus, we sure want to.…
I love my job. I’m the “Family Guy” at New Life Christian Church in Northern Virginia. I oversee the children and youth ministries with direct involvement with the youth program. I’m also a father of four beautiful young girls. Growing up as a member of a four-boy family, I never had the experience of growing up with girls.…
We all know youth workers who have lost credibility with their students. We often pass judgment on them and know personally what we would have done differently. However, what makes a youth worker credible in a teenager’s eyes may be different from what a youth worker thinks will make them credible. …
As a parent, you will find yourself wearing multiple hats, playing a variety of roles in the life of your child(ren). I’d like to list a few of the more prominent hats you will wear as you raise your kids. This list is both linear, in that there is a sort of progression through these roles as your children grow, and completely non-linear in that you will also find yourself constantly jumping between roles, wearing multiple hats at one time, etc.…
I believe that sharing Christ is our number one responsibility as a believer. When we give our lives to Christ we are commanded to share the good news with others. Now, I know that there are a lot of tools and resources out there on how to share your faith.…
How did the world come to be? You either have a quick response to this question, or find yourself a bit more pensive and contemplative about that questions these days. Students also seem to be stuck between what they’re hearing at church and what they’re finding at school or online.…
Through my years of serving youth ministry, I have been very blessed to have support from my students’ parents. Although there have been some ups and downs, I wouldn’t have been able to operate the ministry without their prayers, compassion, fundraisers, and representation.…
In 1997, I (Tasha) had the opportunity to join a sports mission team going to China. I spent an amazing 14 days playing basketball and talking about Jesus with athletes and coaches of the college teams in and around Beijing, China.…
In a setting which relies heavily on spoken and written words the Asperger’s child is at a disadvantage. With a growing awareness of Asperger’s and its nuances youth ministries need to adjust some of their practices to make it more accessible to those who have traits of or a diagnosis of the disorder.…
