by Kelli and David Trujillo Jesus: Who Do You Say I Am? – The Meaning of Allegiance Editor’s Note: This is the third of a yearlong series of Bible studies that will help your teenagers answer Jesus’ profound question in Luke 9:18-20—”Who do you say I am?”…
Recently, a friend said something intriguing: “As believers, we aren’t promised a better life but a better hope.” Personally, I wouldn’t mind having both an awesome life and a bright future. My guess is that if I live with rock-solid hope, then the odds go up that I’ll live a more purposeful life.…
What happens when one youth worker plunges herself into the gritty lives and disorienting culture of “fringe” kids, and what she learns from the experience that helps her create a profoundly welcoming environment in her ministry. By Theresa Mazza It was a crazy night in the mosh pit.…
I’ve worked with LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) youth as a youth pastor and counselor for the last 15 years. Because I’ve listened to their stories for years, I know the world looks alienating at best and hostile at worst to them.…
The life-altering call came in February: “Mrs. Mayo, your husband’s had a car wreck caused by a serious stroke.” My heart stopped, and once I regained my composure, I quickly headed to the hospital. I’m still hoping for a miracle for my amazing Sam, who served as a senior pastor for 50 years.…
A couple of mornings every week, I walk my middle-school daughter and my cabin-fever dog to the bus stop on the corner before I head off to work. We live in Denver, and during the winter months it’s as cold as you think it’s supposed to be in the “Mountain” time zone.…
It’s 7:30 p.m. and he’s not here… Again. I wonder what it is this time? The meeting ran long, a student’s in crisis, or he’s got to get the budget numbers ready for the elders. I’ve heard it all. And all of it feels like it’s more important than me.…
Yesterday my 16-year-old 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 tri-fold brochure as a companion piece, and created a stress ball with the words “Enough” printed on it as a “sellable item.”…
The other day a youth pastor friend asked me a question that pinpoints a major shift that’s changing his ministry landscape: “How do I get my kids to care about worship? Nothing seems to be working.” My friend isn’t alone. The “worship problem” is quickly spreading, and deepening, in youth ministry.…
The note my middle-school daughter brought home from her Sunday school class asked parents to help out with a fund-raiser for the poor. They wanted a $20 donation along with two pairs of gloves for needy children living overseas, the focus of the ministry’s Christmas outreach program.…
