The youth ministry equivalent of “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” is “Which comes first, basic Christian disciplines or a personal connection to Jesus?” We treat the “basics” of the Christian life like they’re building blocks—prayer, Bible reading, Scripture memorization, service, and worship—but what happens when we emphasize those basics outside the context of a close, personal relationship?…
Discipleship that doesn’t trigger a visceral physical reaction or evoke emotion in young people won’t get past their starting gate. Current research is proving that unless we somehow get access to the brain’s emotional center, triggering the area responsible for the decisions young people make, all we’re really doing is dispensing data that’s quickly filed away in the brain’s warehouse, where it gathers dust.…
I’m just imagining the first followers of Jesus taking a “discipleship assessment” just after his death and resurrection. Would a single one of them make the grade as a “fully formed disciple” by today’s youth ministry standards? If the model Jesus himself used produced the kind of results that would get most of us a poor performance review, maybe there’s a problem with the way we think about discipleship.…
It was front-page news on a recent issue of USA Today. The headline read “Obituary Takes a Turn,” and that was enough to lure me into the article. The story was about 80-year-old Kathleen Dehmlow, whose obituary started with the standard stuff—date of birth, husband’s name, children, and so on.…
Amanda is one of our new middle school leaders. She’s a sophomore with a heart for ministry and a love for middle school girls. Last Wednesday I saw her chatting with two girls who were not in her small group, but wanted to be.…
You can feel it, and observe the symptoms, but it’s difficult to see with the untrained eye. You can’t help but spread it to others, and some would say it’s downright contagious. The description is often associated with the flu, or a common cold, but could it also be a picture of true discipleship?…
Somehow, it’s working… For the past 10 months we’ve been trying to nurture a “community within a community” inside our youth ministry. We call it Squad, and it’s changing how we do everything. It began a year ago, when a few adult leaders and I talked about getting more of our teenagers serving in leadership roles.…
I’m just imagining the first followers of Jesus taking a “discipleship assessment” just after his death and resurrection. Would a single one of them make the grade as a “fully formed disciple” by today’s youth ministry standards? If the model Jesus himself used produced the kind of results that would get most of us a poor performance review, maybe there’s a problem with the way we think about discipleship.…
Serving others—we can do that. Loving others—sometimes difficult, but not impossible. Forgiving others—that’s when things get tough. Join Rick as he welcomes back friend of the show and former co-host Becky (the ‘Beckynator’) to discuss what it means to forgive someone rather than taking offense.…
At times, discipleship is based upon measuring how many Bible verses you know by heart, or how well you can articulate the existence of God. Head first. What would look like to approach discipleship not as an academic pursuit, but more like something more intimate and familiar, a friendship.…
 Infectious Discipleship){kind=link}
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 What You Have to Do, But Can’t){kind=link}
 Moving from Servant to Friend){kind=link}