Discipleship is the endgame for youth ministry. So how do we help teenagers break free from the gravitational pull of a conventional life? How do we “achieve orbit” in a life defined by a passion for Jesus? Well, I know from three decades of youth ministry experience, and from in-depth research projects, that nothing in our ministry toolbox has more “rocket power” than a mission trip.…
If discipleship is the endgame for youth ministry, how do we help teenagers break free from the gravitational pull of a conventional life and “achieve orbit” in a life defined by a passion for Jesus? Well, I know from three decades of youth ministry experience, and from in-depth research projects I created to explore what really matters in teenagers’ spiritual growth, that nothing in our ministry toolbox has more “rocket power” than a mission trip.…
Recently my teenage daughter Lucy and three of her friends completed a six-minute documentary exploring the worldwide human-trafficking problem, then submitted it for a school assignment. They designed a full-color trifold brochure as a companion piece and created a stress ball with the word “Enough” printed on it as a “sellable item.”…
You hope it’s good. You want it to be good. And…it is. It’s absolutely beautiful. Plus, [tweet_dis]the latest “Star Wars” movie has so much to teach us about youth ministry and parenting[/tweet_dis]. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is an epic, jaw-dropping high-five that’s also soulful, comedic, inspiring, and introspective.…
Being a teenager is tough these days. You feel so new to life and yet so seasoned. Adults say you aren’t grown up enough to know anything, yet they toss you the keys to a vehicle that can take you anywhere and pay for a phone that can show you anything.…
Years ago, I made amazing youth ministry calendars. Jealous? Between finding the right fonts and Photoshopping students into clever clip-art, each calendar took about 10 hours to create. My hope was that if one of our students accidentally dropped the calendar at school (because what student wouldn’t carry around such an amazing calendar?),…
Today’s young people have always been virtually connected to the answers of the universe—or so they think. Kids are so used to having unlimited access to information that they see no excuse for not knowing something—even when it comes to their faith.…
Three weeks ago, we began a conversation around peer-to-peer mentoring. Then, we talked about how to set it up. Now, we will look at the transformation stories surrounding it. Below are three accounts of mentoring, one from a principal, one from a peer mentor, and one from a mentee.…
Sara came to youth group committed to three things: 1) Never make eye contact with any adult no matter how hard they try to connect with you. 2) Never leave without professing your undying hatred for youth group. 3) Complain, about anyone or anything.…
I’m an evangelist at heart. I like planting seeds. And while I’m not the guy who is eagerly looking for an opportunity to share the Romans Road with my barista or hang out at the skate parking looking for the chance to drop a spiritual law or two on unsuspecting hoodlums, I do have an innate desire to expose as many teenagers as possible to the good news of Jesus.…
