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Reorienting Our Approach to Health
I have spent time in a variety of churches: Pentecostal, Charismatic, Southern Baptist, Non-denom, and Catholic. One of the commonalities I have found across the board is that most churches aren’t...
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A Look At The Future Of Youth Ministry
I work in the clinical world and often can’t help but wonder if the changes we are seeing in treating adolescents are parallel to what is happening in youth ministry as well. I know it is audacious to...
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MANTRACKER: A How-To Guide
GAME OVERVIEW Mantracker is all about teams of 2-3 reaching the final destination without getting caught (good luck) by the leaders/Mantrackers. This is a great game for any size group and can be...
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Too Many Volunteers? Try This!
10) Jettison Job descriptions Do not have a written job description for the position. Keep the volunteer in the dark about what their role is and as to the duration of that role. Speak only in vague...
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Communicating the Gospel to Youth: Liberation Approach
What if the real question in communicating the gospel isn’t how it’s communicated, but in fact is the very gospel that we’ve communicated? To take a liberation approach to communicating the gospel to...
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Top This Nights
A little something fun to add to your group meetings, youth night, or next event, consider making it a “TOP THIS” night. We all get sick of having pizza all the time as the go-to menu of choice. Why...
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Are You Using God?
Have you ever gotten a perspective shift that seemed to call every intention in your life into question? It only takes one thing at the right time to be pointed out to you and it changes how you view...
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Youth Ministries That Nurture Resilience In Teens
Young people are living in a world that seems hell-bent on breaking those who try to navigate it successfully. Likewise, the church in America has a tendency to break people as well, especially its...
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Give Thanks!
Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever This are the words echoed by all Israel when the ark of God is brought into the city of David after defeating the Philistines in 1...
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7 Reasons to be Thankful in Youth Ministry
The final weeks of the year feel very much like the final stretch of a marathon. You can see the finish line, but you got nothing left. Your calves are burning, you’ve stopped sweating at this point,...
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The Importance of Hospitality in Youth Ministry
I know many of you out there can relate to this happening. You are hosting an event, getting ready for youth night or just sitting in your office trying to get some work done when a youth comes in and...
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Buh-Bye Student Leadership
Student leadership is done in our ministry as we know it. Well, kind of. Do I still have a team of students whom I meet with regularly and we talk about leadership and servanthood? Yes. But it’s not...
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A Thankful Season
Doing ministry every day and ministering to students has caused my wife and me to think about thankfulness and Thanksgiving in a different light. Working with teenagers and honestly considering the...
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Ministering to the Military Brat
I am a military brat. I have earned this title proudly as my family has served our country. Today, if you asked my brother about the title “military brat”, he may or may not deny it but would...
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You Are Home
2 Weeks ago was my last night at my church community I spent 10 years at. The next morning I hopped on a plane at the crack of dawn to head to Memphis for the National Youth Workers Convention. The...
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Contemplative Approach: Communicating the Gospel to Youth
During the 2000s, youth ministry became increasingly enamored with contemplative practices. Many ministries traded disco balls, comfy couches, and messy games for candles, centering prayer, and a...
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Ministering to the Fringe: The Socially Sensitive
Like a painter wielding a wide roller in one hand and a small detailing brush in the other, effective youth workers juggle the responsibility of keeping a focus on the big picture of their ministry...
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When You Fail in Ministry
I wouldn’t say anyone really enjoys failure. I have had just a few epic fails in my life and my ministry over the years. Just this past weekend for example, while I wouldn’t go as far as epic…it wasn’t...
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The Art Of Connecting With Kids On The Fringe
After a workshop I facilitated on working with kids who have been abused, an elderly woman approached me to ask me a question. She shocked me with the simplicity and depth of the question. Here’s...
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Not In My Job Description
You were hired as youth pastor, but it seems as if maybe you didn’t read the fine print: AV tech, children’s ministry substitute, kitchen worker, maintenance, janitor, and whatever else needs to be...
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