I had the privilege of taking a few of my student leaders to a workshop where they were a part of a Q & A panel. There were youth workers there asking questions about their experience in youth ministry. Now, they had a few of the questions beforehand, but I didn’t prep them nor did I shape their answers.…
Being approachable to students seems almost impossible when you’re an adult. There are so many logical barriers like age, different cultures, and different experiences. Those are the things that make a connection between a student and adult almost impossible. It’s hard to trust someone you don’t feel can relate to you.…
Fall is the perfect time to build youth ministry hype. Fall is a prime-time outreach for students. It’s the time of the year where students are injected back into their mission field. And I’ve learned that as a youth minister, one of our many jobs is to create a place where it’s easy for students to invite their friends.…
I had an interesting conversation not too long ago with a fellow youth worker who was feeling overwhelmed. Our conversation kind of centered around this statement, “The world is getting crazier and crazier, and it almost seems like what we’re doing isn’t working.”…
My pastor, Rick Warren, always says, “You don’t learn from people’s strengths, you learn from their weaknesses.” If that’s true, then I have a wealth of knowledge! But seriously, I’ve been doing youth ministry for a while now, and throughout my years in ministry, I’ve tried to be intentional about learning from my mistakes.…
I got an email from a youth worker asking for some guidance. He’s feeling the holiday pinch concerning the engagement and attendance of his students. So I sent him my response and thought I’d share it with all of you since we are all in the same boat one way or another this time of the year.…
Being a small group leader is great and scary at the same time. I took a group of guys from freshman year to senior year. It was great, but there were some things I had to learn to be okay with throughout the four years that I wish I knew at the beginning.…
No need is more important to students than their longing to belong—to be known and enjoyed for who they really are. But a “radically hospitable” community environment never happens organically—here’s how to shape your ministry culture into a relational magnet. Guide your ministry toward authentic community Threaded through the thousands of conversations I’ve had with students is one overriding need—to belong to something bigger than themselves.…
I wasn’t much of a UFC fan until I befriended fighter Mark Munoz. Even though he’s retired now, I still follow the sport and watch whenever I can. On December 30, a huge match occurred between Ronda Rousey and Amanda Nunes.…
Even if you aren’t a sports fan, follow me for a second because the principles are transferable. Basketball teams are built one of two ways: 1. To meet an immediate need—Usually this is because the team wants to compete for a championship in the immediate future.…
