Want to have a great summer? As youth workers that have planned summers that have both crushed and crashed—let us share some tips for planning a great summer calendar. Don’t wait until the pressure is on. Here’s some good news right up front: If you’re thinking about summer now, you’re in good shape.…
There’s been a growing trend in youth ministry circles about the need to develop a more intergenerational approach in ministering to teenagers. And while some of the conversation has pointed an unfair finger at youth ministry, and has been a bit extreme in tone, the idea of intergenerational ministry is totally valid.…
I’ll never forget the time I was skiing with a friend and his dad, Norm. I loved Norm. At the time, he was over 50 and had never been skiing. After an hour or so, he decided he wanted to ride up the ski-lift with me.…
Part 3: FAQs [Part 3 of 4] So far we’ve addressed misplaced priorities in families, and overcoming three of the top challenges in developing a spiritual growth plan in families. While I’m certain we’re making progress, the list of questions generated by this topic feels exponential.…
The future of youth ministry sure is a topic that has been getting some play for a while. And while that is very interesting to me, I thought it might be interesting to think about what we know is going to happen to the whole church in a few years: The students in your ministry will be the parents in your church in 10 years The students you are counseling, nudging and caring for are the parents in your church in a few years.…
Married? Not married? Not married, and haven’t had a date in years? Wherever you find yourself today, here are some thoughts about loving your current…or future…spouse. Love unexpectedly. Youth workers love surprises—but too often our spouses end up with the predictable and stable part of our lives.…
Every great organization has great leadership… period. It’s going to be nearly impossible to become great if your leadership is sub-par. Believe it or not, this relates to churches as well. Many times, in church work, we find ourselves in a tough spot; desperate for help, so we compromise in the area of leadership and we get ‘Volunteers’ to serve in our ministries instead of ‘Leaders.’…
No matter how good you are … you can’t be good at everything. In fact, we’ll take it one step further – you AREN’T good at everything. OK, last step we promise: You’re actually really bad at quite a few things.…
My guess is big event planning is either one of your favorite things to do or one of the parts of youth ministry you barely tolerate. For me, it is one of the things I put up with and just get through.…
It had been a rough night with our middle school youth. I was talking it through with some of my adult leaders when I had an interesting thought. Often we want kids who already “get it.” They don’t talk back; they do what we ask them to do, etc.…
