In an extended pick-your-brain session with longtime youth pastor Ralph Paige, I sat with a group of young youth workers eager to learn from Ralph’s veteran wisdom as another school year rockets off the launching pad. In Part 1 of this series, Ralph focused on the foundational importance of prayer.…
Eventually, you’re going to see how it all plays out. Right now, they’re teenagers. Tomorrow they’ll be in in college or starting a job… then growing into their early twenties, and so on. You’ll watch from afar as all of the time you’ve poured into helping them know Jesus personally either gets scrapped or gets owned.…
No need is more important to students than their longing to belong—to be known and enjoyed for who they really are. But a “radically hospitable” community environment never happens organically—here’s how to shape your ministry culture into a relational magnet. Guide your ministry toward authentic community Threaded through the thousands of conversations I’ve had with students is one overriding need—to belong to something bigger than themselves.…
It starts around 9 or 10 years old. It’s like one day you wake up and can truly see for the first time all that you don’t like about your family, your changing body and your life for that matter. Not knowing how to process any of these feelings you just become over-emotional. …
One of the most frustrating conversations I have with friends is the “You should quit ministry” conversation. Sure, there are days when I want to quit, more than I care to admit. You know those days. They are filled with church politics, angry parents, mess-ups, complacent students, bad youth nights, and heartache.…
We are on the brink of Christmas. Many people keep asking me if we are “ready.” The answer is of course, “No.” I would love to be one of those amazing people who have been prepped and ready for the big day for weeks, merely waiting in anticipation.…
It’s often said that too much of a good thing can be bad. It’s true of ice cream and sunshine, but does it also apply to reading the Bible? Join Rick as he welcomes author Mikal Keefer to discuss common misconceptions about reading the Bible, including a surprising revelation about yearlong Bible reading plans.…
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Join Rick and Becky as they discuss what it looks like to pursue a life of self-differentiation, which is staying true to yourself particularly when surrounded by forces trying to make you a different person than who Jesus says you are.…
Wouldn’t it be nice if the difficult things we faced in life really turned out to be easy? Unfortunately, living a Jesus-centered life isn’t a free pass from difficulty. In fact, following Jesus often leads us into challenge and sacrifice. Join Rick and Becky as they dive into the story of the rich young ruler (Matthew 19), focusing on how Jesus asks him to do something seemingly impossible.…
From the last porch light of Halloween through the last light of the Christmas tree, our holiday schedules are packed! Cramming their way into our margins are school Christmas parties, staff get-togethers, and family dinners—and we haven’t even touched decorating, cooking, shopping, and wrapping.…
