Cliques are a reality for our students in their schools and community. Unfortunately, it is often a reality they face at church too. Cliques are the enemy of healthy community and ultimately the enemy of students hearing God’s best for them.…
For both of us, Monday is our Sabbath. It is the one day of the week we’re sure to leave reserved for family and rest. We never schedule youth ministry events, programs, or meetings. Monday is a refuge from the outside world.…
For both of us, Monday is our Sabbath. Doug has modeled this for years, and I (Matt) have managed to practice the same discipline. Monday is the one day of the week we’re sure to leave reserved for family and rest after a busy and people-filled Monday.…
According to the Apostle Paul, the church is like a body. This body has many different parts, each part is different, and yet all the body parts are interdependent. Every part of the body is unique, but no body part operates in isolation of the entire body.…
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.…
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about some of the elements required in developing student leaders. A few of the mental prompts that have got me reflecting on student leaders have come from: 1. Spending a lot of time recently with my youth pastor (Jim Burns) who developed me into a teenage leader 30+ years ago.…
As we wrote yesterday, you have to work hard to build a great team. Here are a few more ideas for you to consider applying within your ministry: KEEP YOUR MEETING AGENDAS MINIMAL It is important to have an agenda for your leadership meetings.…
Most people would prefer to play a role on a solid, fun, relational team than be on a dysfunctional, conflict-filled, self-absorbed team. That’s a no-brainer! But, great teams are difficult to build. Healthy youth ministry teams are not only effective at reaching and discipling students, but they also have a strong sense of community among the leaders.…
A couple of weeks ago my friend and partner-in-crime Doug Fields asked me to answer a few questions about leadership for a regular weekly feature he’s doing on his new blog (at dougfields.com). So I took a hard swing at each question….…
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.…
