Kurt and I deviate from our usual structure (the good, bad and #smh) and we give you our TOP four tips on speaking to students. We know that for some speaking my come easy, and for others speaking can be a challenge. …
As summer is quickly coming to an end and fall is quickly approaching, I like to think about how the events or programs I oversee can be better. I also like to brainstorm new ones. My goal is to learn from my failures with summer events, so I don’t repeat them in the fall.…
Small groups was our very first request for a topic (you can send your topic requests to talkaboutym@gmail.com). So here we go! Small Groups are the lifeblood for many youth ministries, and for good reason! I’ve often said that if I was told by our Pastor that we could only do ONE thing in our ministry the one thing we would do is small groups.…
When playing video games, some people like stealth, and hiding while sniping. Others want to control the battle from the back by using “magic.” Me? I’m usually the Tank. Big. Brawny. And ready to jump into the thick of battle. In Borderlands 2 I’m known as a Gunzerker, because when I get mad, I can wield a weapon in each hand.…
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.…
Part 3: FAQs [Part 3 of 4] So far we’ve addressed misplaced priorities in families, and overcoming three of the top challenges in developing a spiritual growth plan in families. While I’m certain we’re making progress, the list of questions generated by this topic feels exponential.…
Mission trips can be very heavy on logistics. Where you go. Where you stay. Who you serve. How you serve them. What you eat. How you get there. And many more details… Ugh. In the mountain of all that info, it’s easy to miss planning and preparing for what may be the most important thing that will happen on your mission trip.…
Lifeguard training isn’t easy. I have to admit, there was one time in particular I thought I was going to die. We were doing life-saving drills. One person had to lie flat at the bottom of the pool – the drowning victim.…
Summer. A time full of camps, retreats, pool parties, bbq’s. In most places, we scale back. Me? I scale back a lot. I take the summer to scale back, plan for the coming school year, and focus. This week’s SYM Today helped me reflect over the last 5 summers… My first one, I filled up my calendar “to keep the kids busy.”…
The fall is one of our favorite times in our youth ministry. Summer is over and everyone gets ready to go back to school. And in our ministry – it also means “back to church” (we have church during the summer but attendance is much, much lower)!…
