Type “teenagers” into Google, then spend 30 minutes browsing the links. I did this the other day and was confronted (over and over) by one overriding reality—Gen Z teenagers are suffering from more depression, anxiety, and stress than ever before. EVER before.…
I have hundreds and hundreds of bookmarks saved in the various web browsers I use. I’m sharing 15 of my favorites—the sites I visit all the time. Some will seem like “no duh” sites, but check out my “why description” before you skip them.…
Spider-Man is legit. Teenagers love him. Parents giggle at him. Youth workers recognize him. He’s a bumbling, awkward 16-year-old named Peter Parker trying to have an ordinary life though he’s been given extraordinary gifts and responsibilities. Kind of like the tension our teenagers often feel.…
Say you could snap your fingers to create the perfect senior pastor. What do you envision? What traits would you want more of? less of? Or perhaps you simply desire more consistency? [tweet_dis]Senior pastors are brain-twisting enigmas.[/tweet_dis] (Keep in mind: the person who just wrote those words is a senior pastor!)…
We’ve been here before… Our annual summer mission trip is just around the corner and we’re pulling leaders out of our….directories. How did this happen again this year? I was so good at planning ahead. Then badda bing, badda boom, it’s May!…
At the end of this summer, you want to look back on your missions experiences in awe—the transformation in your teenagers was not only obvious but ongoing. Your kids crushed it; your leaders crushed it; you crushed it! And then the biggest question… Now what?…
Do you have a burning youth ministry related question that you just can’t quite seem to find an answer to? We’re here to help! Don’t miss your opportunity to ask us anything… well, almost anything. Lesson planning, discipleship, middle school boy’s hygiene, working with parents—our Youth Ministry team of experts will take your question and unpack it in depth on an upcoming podcast episode.…
“Helloooooo!!!” I greet teenagers as they walk up the stairs to our middle and high school student ministry area. There’s a platform at the top of the landing where kids gather before they make their way into the youth room. I love this space.…
Who are you “supposed” to call today? Which teenager “should” you hang out with this week? How many of your own family’s activities do you “need” to show up for this month? Look, we’re all busy—it doesn’t matter whether we’re full-time, part-time, or a volunteer.…
In this week’s Whiteboard Wednesday experiment, we upend the way we frame our relationship with Jesus—from a serious slog through principles and disciplines to an adventure on the playground. Here’s how you can help your teenagers re-imagine their life as a disciple in the childlike way that Jesus, over and over, urged us to embrace.…
