Summer Is a Liar
In a ministry context, summer is a serial liar. Summer is NOT a slower time for youth ministry, and it’s NOT chock-full of margin as it might claim. We won’t have a more relaxed schedule, and we won’t have time to catch our breath.…
Tag: youth ministry
How To “Up” Your Summer
Summer is a great season for youth workers. For some, things slow down a bit and you finally get some breathing room while for others, it’s packed with tons of extra events and activities. So whether you are swinging in a hammock a little more often this summer or staying late getting ready for tomorrow’s youth event, there are a few things you can do that will “Up” your summer.…
Summer Ministry’s C+ Temptation
Youth ministry in the summer has always been a struggle for me. Ministry momentum slows way down because my teenagers refocus their time on summer jobs, family vacations, camps, and trips to grandma’s house. Attendance is frustratingly inconsistent: Without warning, we can go from 24 kids to 87 kids any given week.…
Challenging Digital Dependency
#ScreenFreeWeek There was one time I was sitting at a coffee shop enjoying a café Americano with one of my favorite friends. We were catching up, being stupid, making each other laugh, and absolutely we were people watching, when all of the sudden she hit me over the head with this doozy: “My school is doing screen-free week,” she said with ease.…
6 No-Fail Ways to Grow Closer Community
Play a game with me… Imagine you weren’t allowed to have small groups of any kind in your youth ministry. How would you build community? We all know that creating relationship-rich spaces to grow community is important, but what if our go-to greenhouse for friendship-building wasn’t an option?…
Swing for the Fences!
It’s time to start swinging for the fences! Settling… Attainable… Reasonable… These are all innocent word, but they are also all wolves in sheep’s clothing. Twenty pounds when I have 50 to lose? Well, the 20 is attainable. And I end up losing six and applaud the effort.…
Easter: It’s Not Just for the Students
The death and resurrection of Jesus was and is for every student and every parent. During Holy Week, we remind our students that Jesus was a living sacrifice with a vision and a plan for each of us. To be loved and to love.…
The Question Box
Every week, Sidney and I talk about the things a mentor talks to a mentee about. Sometimes it’s via text, sometimes it’s over a salted caramel macchiato—either way, we’re committed to spending time checking in. I ask her questions about school, family, and friendships.…
Gratitude: Preach It Like You Mean It
Gratitude gets wonky when we sit down at our Thanksgiving banquet table and look side to side, doesn’t it? Look to your right, and there’s your neighbor who went to school for fewer years than you, works fewer hours than you, and makes twice as much money.…
Parents Matter
Through my years of serving youth ministry, I have been very blessed to have support from my students’ parents. Although there have been some ups and downs, I wouldn’t have been able to operate the ministry without their prayers, compassion, fundraisers, and representation.…
