The question from one of my teenagers was both jolting and inviting: “I’m just not into the Bible—is that okay to say out loud?” “You can absolutely say that,” I assured him. “Can you tell me more, though? I’d like to understand what changed for you—there was a time when you read the Bible all the time.”…
Looking for ideas to raise funds for your next mission trip? How much time do you have? No, really. [tweet_dis]When it comes to fundraising, it’s a question of time.[/tweet_dis] For example, you’re in one of two timelines right now: Time is of the essence.…
Years ago, I made amazing youth ministry calendars. Jealous? Between finding the right fonts and Photoshopping students into clever clip-art, each calendar took about 10 hours to create. My hope was that if one of our students accidentally dropped the calendar at school (because what student wouldn’t carry around such an amazing calendar?),…
I’m a sucker for inspirational speeches in movies… Mikey speaking up at the bottom of the well in The Goonies. Aragorn telling an army that courage can fail, but “not this day” in Return of the King. Woody explaining to Buzz that there’s nothing like being a toy in Toy Story.…
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about evangelism, it’s that I have a lot to learn about evangelism… but not really. That sounds arrogant. Let me clarify. I recently took part in a rather intriguing peer panel on the subject at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference.…
You only have so much time with students every week. Should you give them an on-ramp… or take them to the highway? Should you begin a youth night with dodgeball or a discussion? Should you end your message with pizza or communion?…
Did you hear? Teenagers are reading books more than other generations. So… why aren’t they reading the Bible? For that matter, should they be? (Maybe that’s a question we haven’t asked in a while.) Apparently, only 3% of teenagers are engaged in the Bible on a daily basis, while 25% of the same demographic read it at least once a week.…
Summer movies. We often try to leverage them to reach students, but they come with as many liabilities as they do opportunities. Can I tell you a personal story? Years ago, I was watching our teens head out after one of our weekly student ministry gatherings.…
It’s not getting better, is it? The elusiveness of racial reconciliation. Insurgent tensions with police officers. Mass shootings in public forums. Terrorist attacks around the world. Isn’t this the part where Jesus comes back? Perhaps you can relate to this… I’ve felt such heartache in realizing my empathy has limits.…
“I’m not gonna die here.” Sometimes we just have to say that out loud. Matt Damon’s character in The Martian declared it in a key moment early on in the movie. How many things in ministry require such a declaration? Fundraising?…
