Recently, three students met with me (and another leader) to share, for the first time, that they’d made a decision to embrace their transgender identity. Let that sink in—instead of running from the church at a moment like this, all three felt safe enough to open up about their journey and seek out a closer relationship with Jesus, wherever that might lead them. …
Sometimes the devil really is to blame. Let’s say you’re on a mission trip and everything goes backward. It may not be a random accident that what you intended to be a win for the Kingdom of God has become a loss for everyone involved.…
In youth ministry, are we subtly working to build “the greatest show on earth,” even though the sound of it makes us cringe? The vibrant film musical The Greatest Showman is loosely based on the life story of P.T. Barnum, the self-proclaimed king of circus impresarios.…
You hope it’s good. You want it to be good. And…it is. It’s absolutely beautiful. Plus, [tweet_dis]the latest “Star Wars” movie has so much to teach us about youth ministry and parenting[/tweet_dis]. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is an epic, jaw-dropping high-five that’s also soulful, comedic, inspiring, and introspective.…
Once upon a time, going on a mission trip wasn’t about taking a selfie. If you were alive back then, you may remember how boring this was. One or two people on the trip might have been snapping photos through a now-archaic rectangular device that used film.…
By now, you’ve probably seen the #MeToo hashtag. And maybe you’ve been surprised at how many teenagers and adults you know are using it to publicly acknowledge sexual assault or harassment. The hashtag emerged after multiple actresses came forward to expose the predatory patterns of powerful Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.…
You can’t save the world alone. But do you even feel like saving the world at this point in your life? Those deep concepts are at play in the new movie Justice League. Months after Superman’s death, the world has become a thoroughly dark, depressed place.…
Before Jesus began his public ministry on earth, he lived 30 years that the Bible doesn’t describe in great detail. We’d love if that weren’t the case—as youth workers, it would be handy to know how Jesus lived his teenage and young adult years.Did…
Apparently you’re not supposed to put tabs in your Bible to mark the location of books. The first senior pastor I worked with told me that myth, arguing that being an effective youth worker means knowing the books from memory. I countered with a seemingly better-sounding myth that “the only names really worth knowing” (beyond the name of Jesus, of course) are the names of teenagers in our church.…
Your mission trip is planned. The forms are in. The parents feel at ease. (Actually, that last one never happens.) Somehow you need to get from “here” to “there,” though. Involve yourself and your teenagers in Group’s upcoming camp experiences. Click here for more information, or you can call us at 800-385-4545.…
