Recently I was in a meeting of the youth ministry minds where this question was asked: “How often does your group, your youth or your church think of missions?” The answers ranged from weekly to monthly to an honest, “never.” It was a great question that I felt was poised around “opportunities” to “go and serve” both locally and abroad.…
After walking into the room full of teenagers, I was immediately overwhelmed by the chaos. Teenagers were chasing each other around the room, items were being flung in the air, and the noise was deafening. Before I even had a chance to assess the situation, a fight broke out.…
For the third week in a row, I watched a junior higher struggle to complete the conditioning course before track practice. I don’t know why I hadn’t noticed before, but his clothes were three times too big. The baggy wardrobe was slowing him down.…
We will soon be celebrating the most beloved and hated holiday in all of tween and teen-dom: Valentine’s Day. During adolescence, it seems to become THE DAY when your friends, crushes, and relationships prove their love for you. Middle schools don’t mandate cards and candy for everyone.…
I’d love to say I’ve never judged a parent or a family situation throughout my years in youth ministry. It would be great to claim I’ve always listened, been a strong advocate, and formed opinions based only on facts. Saying those things wouldn’t make them true, however.…
Today someone from my daughter’s school came out to our house and planted a sign in our yard celebrating her as a 2020 graduate. She’s just finished her senior year of high school, and after a lot of hard work she’ll graduate as valedictorian of her class.…
Imagine your ministry isn’t going very well. (For some of you, this may not take much effort.) Maybe students are abandoning ship, heading to a flashier program down the street. Maybe youth night has been a train-wreck lately. Maybe kids aren’t inviting friends, no matter what you try.…
We’ve already plowed through the meat of the new school year. And if your life is anything like mine you’ve catapulted from the bustle of summer into the craziness of fall. My schedule is fuller (how is that possible?), overshadowed only by the packed calendars of my teenagers.…
Every summer I have a unique opportunity to spend time with teenagers. I organize short-term volunteers, mission groups, and interns under 18 to come serve at our inner-city ministry. So I get to hang out with young people from all over America and from a variety of backgrounds, denominations, and family situations.…
Teenagers are living in a rapidly shifting morality landscape, fueled by a “your truth is yours and my truth is mine” mentality. Meanwhile, anxiety and depression are epidemic among these over-scheduled, hyper-busy kids—whose addiction to social media has made vulnerability their greatest fear. …
