“Everyone is ministering to students of divorced families. No one is doing it well.” –Doug Fields When I first heard that statement it struck a chord in me. At first I thought, “Wow that was pretty bold.” The very next moment though I began to think, “But what if he’s right?”…
Summer is a great season for youth workers. For some, things slow down a bit and you finally get some breathing room while for others, it’s packed with tons of extra events and activities. So whether you are swinging in a hammock a little more often this summer or staying late getting ready for tomorrow’s youth event, there are a few things you can do that will “Up” your summer.…
A lot of times when we think of student leaders, we think of the students who are the elite of our ministry. And that is completely false. Student leaders are just students who are committed to serving a cause greater than themselves.…
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.…
Should you stay, or should you go? This is the question we pondered together in Part One. Where are you at with it today? It’s easy to get overwhelmed by circumstances. Even as I write this, I am fatigued by some things happening in my own circle – and yet I hear off in another room the song “Mighty to Save” playing.…
Hey YM Nation, I am Estevao Yu, and it is my honor to write my first blog post for awesome youth workers. Thank you for serving with all your heart in the youth ministry because YOU MATTER to the students. Every year, I struggle to bring the right balance of local and overseas missions for my students to serve during the summer.…
I’ve worked with a lot of interns over 30 years. Internships are critical, because they allow people to experience and engage with the environment and responsibilities of the area they are considering vocationally. I handle internships differently than most people I know, but that’s not to say my way is correct.…
It’s the kind of telephone call no youth leader ever wants to receive. One of our teenagers just attempted suicide—twice in one hour. So where am I in the midst of this trauma? Right by the young man’s side in the hospital, giving the kind of encouragement and hope every youth leader would want to give?…
From the moment I stepped through the door of “ministry” my view on the “holidays” changed. Thanksgiving became navigating phone calls of both those wanting to drop off an extra Turkey, mixed with getting them to the families who needed them.…
In the past week I have had different youth ask me these questions: What do I say when my parent’s tell me I’m never going to do anything with my life? I think I’m gay, and my parent’s told me they don’t want me to be.…
