Over the past year and a half, we’ve added two children to our family. One is our adopted 18-month-old son and the other is our newborn daughter, just seven weeks old. It’s been a crazy adjustment, to say the least. We’re working each day to try and figure out life with two small children, plus an entire youth group.…
How can I serve you today? You know you can use a little help with something. Maybe it’s a phone call someone wants you to return or some copies you’ll have to make before your next lesson. Some of those things require you, but I’m guessing not all of them do.…
In times of terror and tragedy, how can we talk with teenagers in a way that will help them cope and even thrive? I was encouraged to have some great conversations with my 14-year-old son this week regarding the Boston Marathon Bombing, the Ricin mailings, and the Texas Fertilizer Explosion…not to mention the other “regular” stresses that have impacted his everyday adolescent life.…
This month we’re introducing a new series here on the Simply Youth Ministry Today newsletter. We’ve talked Top 3 screw-ups (and who couldn’t add to that list, right?!) We’ve taken a look at three stellar resources on apologetics. And after being married to the Glass House Spouse for 21 years, I have a few Top 3 lists of my own—starting with the Top 3 ways to make your spouse hate youth ministry.…
Hopefully yesterday you took some time to think about the tightrope of ministry and how challenging each step of the journey can be. So what are some practical ways you can do youth ministry life well? Glad you asked! Here are 4 ways we try to put into practice ourselves: 1) Talk through the calendar before you go public with it.…
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.…
By Marv Penner Kaylee’s urgent text message shouldn’t have surprised me: “We need to talk marv, not doin good. can we plz get together soon.” I set down my phone and that nagging inner voice jabbed at me—“You really should’ve pursued her first.”…
So my wife and I were trying to get a little ahead of the curve and get our oldest daughter a couple of presents for her birthday earlier this year. I was sitting in my living room and looking for some headphones online.…
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.…
