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.…
You wake up exhausted. Was that overnighter a dream? Where did your black eye come from? Why is your arm in a cast? Why are there 13 missed calls from various parents? What speeding ticket? If you’re like us, after a big event or activity the last thing you want to do is re-live all the details.…
Most youth workers like events. We may have mixed emotions about their overall effectiveness, but they aren’t going away anytime soon….we simply won’t let them! And while we all like events, we aren’t all great at planning them from start to finish.…
One of the keys to keeping new leaders and continually improving the skill set of your volunteer team is to keep them trained. Here are a few ideas to help you get your team ahead: Take everyone to a conference Few youth budgets in the world can handle the strain of flying a team of volunteers across the country to one of the large youth ministry conferences.…
Serendipity is defined as the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. Reading this article and finding out all who complete it receive $1,000 would be serendipitous. That won’t happen, but it sure would be great.…
I attended a workshop led by Craig McNair Wilson several years ago. Conference attendees and I were greeted by a sign at the door that instructed us to put away our pens or pencils and pick up a crayon for taking notes.…
Core Scripture: Proverbs 4:23, Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (KJV) Today’s youth have so much more to contend with than when I was growing up. My objective is to help youth understand that (1) God loves them and (2) they can trust God and they can have hope in him.…
Student ministry is a special place. Not like Church Lady special, but really special—an opportunity for God to use you to change lives for eternity. But we all need some help, so be sure you’re well versed in how to respond to ministry situations by packing these phrases away in your toolbox.…
I am horrible at directions. You know the old joke, “She couldn’t find her way out of a paper bag?” Yep, that’s me. My husband, on the other hand, can go somewhere ONCE in HIS WHOLE life and find his way back to the exact location without ever looking at a map.…
You talk, sometimes late into the night. You teach, and sometimes you feel the wonder of serving as a “spigot” for truth. You pray, sometimes with a good understanding of why Jesus sweated blood in the Garden of Gethsemane. You plan, sometimes laying a hidden foundation for growth that no one will ever see.…
