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What Should I Study in Grad School?
This title is the same thing that I have asked in looking at what to study after I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree. It is a question to ponder and discuss with yourself if you are truly...
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5 Ways Youth Pastors Could Be More Useful To Families
I have more time on my hands than I like. Yes, I’m busy with family stuff, church stuff and youth stuff but there are plenty of times when I feel I could be more useful to our families but maybe they...
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Keep Talking About Charlottesville!
In many ways, it feels as though we’ve already moved on. I mean, since the events of Charlottesville several weeks ago, a natural disaster crippled a major portion of Texas, Christians have continued...
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14 Characteristics of Incredible Small Group Leaders
God hasn’t called us to be mediocre spiritual leaders. Churches around the country are filled with leaders who more closely resemble warm bodies than spiritual leaders. Small group leaders have an...
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Sexual Abuse: How Student Ministers Can Bring Light
Some of your students are sitting in deep darkness, suffering deeply for horrendous sins committed against them. Sexual abuse can bring pain and suffering to students for the rest of their lives,...
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Inspiring Students to Navigate a New World: An Interview with Tim Elmore
Maina Mwaura sat down for an interview with author and President of Growing Leaders, Tim Elmore. His latest book, Marching Off the Map: Inspire Students to Navigate a Brand New World is the result of...
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How can I fall in love with ministry again?
This question means so much to me because it is familiar to my experience with ministry. I wrestled with this “loss of love” for ministry, relentlessly, a few years ago when I was severely burned and...
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Churchill’s Bunker: Why Strategy Matters in Youth Ministry
1940 London. The Third Reich is at the height of its power and on the offensive. On what feels like an almost constant onslaught, the city is pounded with bombings from the Blitzkrieg. Near Whitehall...
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White Supremacy and Youth Recruitment
About two weeks ago this banner was placed above an overpass in the small city where I live and work. A friend of mine posted the picture on Facebook on their way home from worship on Sunday morning....
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A Simple “How-to” Guide for a Dodgeball Event
In the fall of 2017, our Student Ministry will host the third annual dodgeball tournament called Dodge on the Schley. While the event has been a success on many levels, the ultimate goal of is to...
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Teaching That is Built to Last
We all want the things we are teaching to last longer than the back door of our youth area. We teach lessons that need to last and become foundations for life. For us to do that, we must create youth...
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The Value of THE LOCK-IN
Years ago I was talking with an old friend of mine. He was my senior pastor growing up as a kid but like many senior pastors, he cut his ministry teeth in youth ministry. We were talking about life,...
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Racial Climate Among Youth Groups
When you spend time with youth, their parents and your volunteers – wherever you are in your community – be alert. Are you hearing put-downs and slurs? Pay attention to the tension between the...
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When Apathy Hits
There certainly is a feeling these days of apathy from our students and families that seems a bit more pronounced than in generations past. We have always seen a little bit of apathy from adolescents...
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Learning to Network with Other Youth Workers
I sat down at on an old couch in the youth room at a neighboring church. I was only 21 years old and my pastor “encouraged me” to attend our area gathering of other youth ministers. He said it would be...
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Engaging Dads
For most of my youth ministry career, I was a dad, and I was fortunate enough to have a great team of volunteers that included both men and women. My own kids thought having an engaged dad was pretty...
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Puzzle Planning: Mystery Trips and Elusive Events
You did it! You’ve found the perfect event idea for your students. It fits their personalities, it’s something they can invite friends to and of course, their extracurricular calendars are all...
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How Secret Sin Almost Destroyed My Life
After eight years serving as the youth pastor at my church, I resigned last year after admitting to secret struggles with alcohol. My own choices have caused myself and those around me a lot of pain...
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Prayer in an Instant Culture
In today’s culture of TXTs, DMs, Snaps and Messenger apps, it’s pretty normal to expect immediate answers. In fact, many people when asked about this told me, ‘if I don’t get a response immediately...
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Infusing Missions into your Ministry’s DNA
How was your summer? If it was like mine, it was a crazy roller coaster of high-attendance and low-attendance, water wars and at least one mission trip. Now you are (hopefully) riding that really...
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