I once had an interesting opportunity to be one of the parent volunteers for a trip for “another” youth group my kids were involved in. It was not one in which I was a leader in any capacity. In this setting, I was a mom and a volunteer.…
Recently I read a hysterical article comparing back-to-school from the 80’s to back-to-school circa 2016. It joked about the simplicity of an era that involved lunches with processed bologna, metal lunch boxes, and the need to only supply a pencil and pen for the first day of school.…
This is a topic that freaked me out my first year in youth ministry. As a young parent myself, it’s not easy telling grown ups how to deal with their children. So it took me a while to really get to a place where I was comfortable with talking to parents.…
After more than two decades in youth ministry, I’m honestly still trying to figure out my job on a daily basis. That isn’t insecurity speaking; it’s a youth pastor admitting I’ll never be perfect at my job-slash-ministry. Pair that with today’s ever-changing culture, and just when I start getting good at something, it changes or becomes obsolete.…
A Prayer for Families With Teenagers Lord, we need you, we need help. This prayer might come across as desperate, but here we are just a few months into the school year and our whole family, parents, and teenagers are exhausted.…
It’s often helpful to think about youth ministry in three parts: teenagers, volunteers, and parents. For most youth leaders, ministering to parents is the most difficult of the three. As the two of us have grown older, we’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) that parents don’t need certain things from us.…
As the launch of a new school year approaches, remember to include on your calendar some strategic touchpoints with parents. It’s essential to partner with them and be available as you work together to nurture teenagers and their faith. Being available makes a profound positive statement to parents and boosts their confidence in you as a youth worker.…
Ahhh summer. In ministry it’s filled with camps, trips and exhaustion. In the world of my children it’s filled with more flexibility, days at the beach, and of course camps. School starts for us in a week or so. …
I’d love to say I’ve never judged a parent or a family situation throughout my years in youth ministry. It would be great to claim I’ve always listened, been a strong advocate, and formed opinions based only on facts. Saying those things wouldn’t make them true, however.…
Today someone from my daughter’s school came out to our house and planted a sign in our yard celebrating her as a 2020 graduate. She’s just finished her senior year of high school, and after a lot of hard work she’ll graduate as valedictorian of her class.…
