Occasionally Kurt and I take the time to take on “the 3” and this week our topic is what we are each learning right now about ourselves and ministry. I’ve picked out things I’ve learned in the past…or I think I’ve learned them in the past because it seems like all three of these are old and new at the same time.…
Why does your youth ministry exist? For a longer and fully developed book on the subject, we highly recommend Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry by our friend Doug Fields. Today we want to offer up a few key thoughts as you put yours together, or evaluate the one you inherited from the previous youth worker.…
Blog by Dave Sippel Apparently a student in Melbourne, Australia tested the 10-second rule. You know…you drop a morsel of food on the floor. If you pick it up within 10-seconds it’s still okay to eat. Well, we now know that this is simply not true.…
How many times have you planned your lesson on a Saturday night while also trying to watch SNL? How often do you pray for red lights on the way to mid-week so the Holy Spirit can “lead you” to come up with something to talk about once you get there (as if the Holy Spirit can’t lead you a few days ahead of time!)?…
This week, Josh and I are each going to share a few things we’re thinking about this summer. We purposely aren’t looking at each other’s thoughts, so there could be an overlap or two. If that’s the case, then maybe we’re thinking about worthwhile stuff!…
I remember telling my mom that I was nervous about raising “pastor’s kids” because I had seen a fair amount who had not made healthy life choices. I clearly remember her saying, “Erik, you will raise them the same whether you’re a youth pastor or a plumber.”…
Whether you have kids or not, take advantage of the topic this week to think about your family and ministry and how they work together cooperatively—and how they fight each other. The stages of kids in youth ministry vary…I’m in the thick of it right now: NO KIDS You are living the dream.…
From time to time we’re going to take a pause from the normal posts and take the time to answer a few questions from you: The Youth Ministry Nation. Here are a few we received and some thoughts about each. I’m just starting out in youth ministry, where do I begin?…
My brother and sister-in-law recently invited my family over for a barbecue and bonfire—a kickoff to the summer season. The specification of bon-fire is important to those of us who live in the wilderness of Maine because it carries the idea and promise of much more than a camp-fire.…
Relational youth ministry might be described as any step toward building a relationship with a student in your ministry. It could be a big step, it could be small—either way, it’s simply the effort toward truly living in community and sharing life together.…
