Join Rick for the 8th episode of the new series KINGDOM COME. We are magnetically drawn to stories of hope and perseverance. That’s because perseverance is both heart-breaking and inspiring. It’s almost impossible to ignore. So, what are the common threads in all our stories of perseverance?…
Join Rick for the 12th and final episode of the series IN HIS IMAGE. The tough, marginal, and challenging conditions that produce rare wine from stressed vines also produce martyrs and saints and “beautiful messes” like you and me. Paul tells us we are “struck down, but not destroyed… so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”…
Much of the momentum in our youth ministry is the result of our student leadership team (SLT). We invest a lot in that group because we want young leaders to invest in our youth ministry. [tweet_box design=”default” float=”none”]Ultimately, we aim to influence a group of teenagers to become kingdom-minded influencers.[/tweet_box]…
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. …
I had the privilege of spending three days in the beautiful Colorado mountains with leaders from the world’s top youth ministry organizations. It was such an honor to laugh, cry, pray, and dream with the people who’ve been shaping youth ministry for decades.…
Our team here at Group/Simply Youth Ministry spent two years developing an approach to a youth ministry staple—the sermon series—that creates a growth-rich environment for students. We discovered a lot along the way. For example, almost everyone in youth ministry uses sermon/talk series at their main weekly gathering, but very few are truly happy with the end results.…
Season 2, Episode 42: What the Book of Revelation Has to Do With You Revelation is one of the most misunderstood books of the Bible. Many people are attracted by its tantalizing reputation for offering signs that predict the future. But others are skeptical, and even alarmed, by the images it depicts.…
5 Best-practices for communicating the crucial details for your summer-trip adventures. There’s one sure-fire way to frustrate and alienate the parents in your ministry—do such a poor job of communicating the details of your summer trips that they feel disconnected, uninformed, and nervous.…
Join Rick for the 7th episode of the new series KINGDOM COME. Rick often uses a favorite phrase to describe the mission of Jesus: He came to make beauty out of ugly. Not “pretty”… Beauty. In a very real, practical, visceral way, beauty-making and beauty-revealing is exactly what Jesus is doing in the world, and in your life, right now… We need “beauty-fighters” in this season of ugly… And it’s always been a season of ugly in the world.…
Well, you’re not going to brag about it, but things are going great in your ministry. Your fall kick-off went better than expected, and you’re finally seeing breakthroughs in teenagers who’ve left the sidelines to get in the game with Jesus.…
