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Do Less: A (No)Programmatic Answer to the Spring Slump
I will admit when I first looked at our 12-month calendar, the gap made me nervous. In Summer, we had mission trips, choir tour, Camp Barnabas, vacation bible school, mission day camp, senior trip. In...
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My Cup of Tea: A Youth Workers Journey from the US to the UK
I should start by admitting that I have never blogged before. In fact, the amount of time I have spent just trying to think of a title for my blog is a bit of a “Damp Squib.” Jesus Fish & Chips…no....
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Finding Love in Youth Ministry
Waking up at 6 a.m. getting ready to meet students at Chick Fil A for our Monday morning Bible study does not happen by accident. Instead, because of love for students and student ministry, youth...
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The Rise of Feminist Storytelling
The Church hasn’t always been too kind to women. Which is hard for me to write, much less come to terms with. I was raised in a very conservative, southern church. Every Sunday, I remember seeing men I...
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Connections
So many different areas of our lives are all about connections. The connections we have in our families, at our jobs, in our neighborhoods, they are all important and those connections usually end up...
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3 Ways to Get Students Into Church
Can the teenagers in your church tell you what the inside of the sanctuary looks like when there isn’t a dodgeball game going on? Do they know what to do when the offering plate is passed their way?...
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Burnout in Ministry: A Conversation with Pete Wilson
Maina Mwuara sat down with Pete Wilson for a conversation about burnout in ministry, the importance of leading from healthy places, and a look into what his life is like after Cross Point. If you don’t...
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Bless Your Heart, I’m Walkin’ Here!: When You Dont Match the People Around...
“As I hacked off the brushes strewn around me, I peered through to the opening to find a strange people, jumping around, wearing bizarre garments, and chanting anomalies. I emerged from the security...
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5 Weird Interview Questions You Must Ask New Volunteers
Interviewing new volunteers can be awkward. There are definitely really cool aspects to interviewing new volunteers. You get a chance to hear their stories, make connections with them and see how God...
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“I Hate Going to Youth Group”
There are good reasons why competent adults find themselves uncommonly baffled when working with adolescents. As winsome as they may be at times, teenagers present youth workers and volunteers with...
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Quick and easy tips to engage parents and youth through volunteers
It can be difficult to get parents and youth excited about church at the same time. Both have different needs and different expectations. One thing that pastors can do to improve this is to move their...
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Planning Intergenerational Mission Trips
Every year, summer comes sooner than expected in youth ministry. Summer also brings things that our students expect us to plan like fun camps and life-changing mission trips. What if your next mission...
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The Transition of Students Out of Youth Ministry
It isn’t a surprise to anyone in youth ministry that every year there are students who leave our ministries. But I’m not talking about students who have decided to go to a different youth group. No,...
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Theology of the Cross
This past weekend, I led a youth retreat where we asked, “where is God when life is hard?” Over two days, we did a lot of things you might expect. There were campfires, kind notes and a great band. But...
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How the Church can Foster Healing and Reconciliation
“Now in spite of the fact that I’m worried about America, I always maintain hope… And if there is any one thing that the church must do is to keep the flame of hope burning. The church is something of...
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Homework Monster
Recently I read that the University of Phoenix ran a poll that found that the average teen has 3.5 hours of homework a night. That’s outrageous. Assuming I had spent the time to do all my homework in...
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Advice on Youth Group Cell Phone Policies
I remember the first time I saw a smartphone. I was at a pastor friend’s house that was always in the loop on the latest technology. As soon as the iPhone came out, he had to have it. Me? I prided...
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A Black and White Answer to the Question, “How far is too far?”
Within Christian dating, the most popular question still remains to be “How far is too far” as it relates to physical intimacy and what is permissible in God’s eyes. Before I had developed PLUM as a...
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A Video Training Series: Facilitating Conversation with Students
Getting students to talk, no matter the setting can be extremely challenging. Being prepared and having a plan is the only way you will get them to talk. Often times, students won’t talk because they...
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BLESS YOUR HEART, I’M WALKIN’ HERE!: WHEN YOU DON’T MATCH THE PEOPLE AROUND...
This is part 2 of a post from Leta Williams sharing how to take practices from anthropology to help you adapt to a community different than your own. You can read Part 1 here. The youth minister ought...
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