I’ve been in youth ministry a pretty long time… Since back when handing out tickets to pizza parties was a thing. I remember a long-ago encounter that changed my outlook on ministry forever. I had spent the day creating our youth group’s four-page newsletter using three font wheels, two ink colors, and one very fancy typewriter.…
Eugene Peterson is a lyrical writer, scholar, and skilled linguist whose day job for most of his life was pastoring a small church. In 1990, Peterson agreed to begin work on a Bible version that translated the ancient languages into something more vibrant for contemporary readers.…
There’s a universal longing at the heart of every young girl’s soul, and it is, of course, to join the mythic society of pony-owners. Even The Simpsons’ Lisa pines for a pony—so much so that a disgraced and desperate Homer buys her Princess, a pony-gift of appeasement after he ruins her talent-show performance.…
Hey, Youth Ministry Nation! Is it just us, or does it feel as if Lady Liberty has morphed into Negative Nancy? Whenever a person thinks, neurons connect and form patterns. So if your mind focuses on what’s wrong, it will rewire itself to repeat those negative thoughts in similar situations.…
Gratitude gets wonky when we sit down at our Thanksgiving banquet table and look side to side, doesn’t it? Look to your right, and there’s your neighbor who went to school for fewer years than you, works fewer hours than you, and makes twice as much money.…
In the News Greenville, S.C.—Due to numerous sightings and threats by people dressed as scary clowns, many towns and school districts have banned clown costumes this Halloween. The creepy-clown craze, which appears every few years, re-emerged in August with reports of clowns luring children into the woods.…
EDITOR’S NOTE: Michael Novelli was a full-time youth pastor for 13 years before he launched his own ministry called Echo (echothestory.com), helping both young people and adults learn through the art of “Storying,” an experiential and dialogical approach to growing deep in relationship with God.…
In the News Shanghai, China—Hundreds of “love tents” pop up every fall on Chinese university campuses, and the residents are parents, not students. Parents—and often extended family members—who travel long distances with their college freshmen often have difficulty finding accommodations. So universities have devised the compassionate solution of free campsites, allowing parents to make sure their kids get settled in.…
Yo, so this weekend I got to support one of my small group guys as he shared his testimony in the adult service at church. It was a very proud moment for me. He is an awesome dude who loves Jesus with all of his heart.…
Youth ministry is shifting and changing. It is morphing into something it has never been before, and I am not sure any of us know what it will become. We know that there are some students who want to be at youth group anytime the doors are open, and others that seem to fade in and out.…
