The reality of bomb testing. The mystery of Donald Trump. The threat of ISIS. The ambiguity of sexuality. Students, families and even random adults in your church have no shortage of hot topics to throw your way. Whether you’re taken aback from a recent zinger or are trying to think ahead of any curve ball zooming your way, you can take the controversy they’ve thrown at you and have a Jesus-centered conversation.…
One of the most frustrating conversations I have with friends is the “You should quit ministry” conversation. Sure, there are days when I want to quit, more than I care to admit. You know those days. They are filled with church politics, angry parents, mess-ups, complacent students, bad youth nights, and heartache.…
Can I encourage you into this next year? It actually involves sharing how I was caught off guard this past month. There I was, sitting in a dark room by myself while weeping hot tears. A couple from our church had stopped by only moments earlier to surprise my family with an end-of-the-year gift.…
Once upon a time, George Lucas was the creator of Star Wars. Some would argue he still is. Unfortunately, most of us know better…sort of like how it is in any kind of church ministry. Depending upon how old you are, you either grew up with Star Wars or inherited it from the generation before you.…
Ministry is so, so busy. Your life likely is, too. The last thing you need is another meeting, right? So why in the world would you want to take part in a local youth ministry network? (Don’t worry – since you’re in ministry, you’re one of my heroes and I’m going to do my best to talk you out of networking…but then I’ll try to talk you into it, because you’re one of my heroes.)…
The 3 “P’s” For Your Volunteer Team It’s football season! It’s on everyone’s mind and so it’s an analogy I like to use when it comes to working with our support team in ministry. Imagine your team has shown up for their first game. …
Be encouraged – God is working in the next generation. Despite negative future-of-the-church chatter or speculative doomsday statistics, Jesus will build His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Case in point, consider Bethel College in Mishawaka, Indiana.…
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.”…
It hurts, doesn’t it? A student, family or volunteer leader you’ve poured your life into suddenly disappears out of your ministry… and you have no idea why. Then again, perhaps you do know why – maybe they had a legitimate issue with something you did or found another church more exciting than yours.…
I’ve had the same love-hate relationship with service projects that you have over the years. On one hand, we love how a single day of selflessness can wake students up to Jesus-centered priorities that their normal routine stifles. On the other hand, we hate how easy it is for youth to get a circumstantial high off the event and stop just short of tuning into Jesus through the event.…
