The administrative work in ministry is hard for me. Diving into the details always stresses me out. That’s why, at the beginning of every school year, I make sure I’m making six critical connections before we launch. These are conversations that help everyone, including me, know where we’re going, and why.…
We all know that a cockroach is hard to kill… After the atomic-bomb blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II, the military reported that the only living things to survive the blast zone were these disgusting little pests.…
Who are you “supposed” to call today? Which teenager “should” you hang out with this week? How many of your own family’s activities do you “need” to show up for this month? Look, we’re all busy—it doesn’t matter whether we’re full-time, part-time, or a volunteer.…
In this week’s Whiteboard Wednesday experiment, we show how to unlock the truth about Jesus, and the truth about the Bible, using “The Oprah Question” and “Reading Filters” as tools. Our pursuit of the Bible’s truths can be transformational for teenagers when we help them slow way down, or really speed up, when they read.…
I (Tasha) am a counselor, and I have been working with men battling internet pornography addiction for over a decade. The pornography problem is an epidemic in the Christian community. • Promise Keepers did a study and found that 53% of their participants had viewed pornography in the last week.…
INSTRUCTIONS: Spark conversations about biblical truth by discussing the “News Nugget” below. Bring it up in conversation, as a discussion-starter at the beginning of your gathering, as a small-group discussion-starter, or as part of a Bible study. Add any additional information and new developments.…
Some days, I could care less. Other days, I couldn’t care more. It doesn’t matter what the topic is… there are days when my feelings get bullied by my logic, and other days when my emotions want to rule my life.…
Are small groups part of your student ministry? Are they working? The traditional small group model may be the last sacred cow of today’s church. Statistically, we know that young people are now the largest, most irreligious generation ever on the rise.…
Three things you’ll never hear me say in the spring: 1) Everyone’s camp balances are paid in full! 2) I spent way too much time with my small group leaders this semester. 3) I wish these 8th graders would hurry up and transition to high school.…
*Read PART 1 here!* Left to their own devices, children with Asperger’s Disorder will often go through life like a train on a track: one way, straight ahead, never varying, and avoiding the unexpected. It is hard to live a life of faith without the flexibility to take-risk, something that is difficult for an Apsie.…
