*Read PART 1 here!* Left to their own devices, children with Asperger’s Disorder will often go through life like a train on a track: one way, straight ahead, never varying, and avoiding the unexpected. It is hard to live a life of faith without the flexibility to take-risk, something that is difficult for an Apsie.…
We sat down in a close circle, exhaled and focused as we opened the Bible. As each page was read, they became more and more involved. Word after word, they sat drinking in the richness of the sacred texts of God.…
Strategic Youth Ministry; nothing new about that idea. Doug Field’s classic book, Purpose Driven Youth Ministry, began it’s quest for youth ministry world domination almost TWENTY years ago. And while it outlined the most popular (and in my experience extremely effective) youth ministry paradigm, it certainly wasn’t the first or last.…
It’s just two words long. “Spreading ideas.” That’s the new mission statement for TED, a unique organization known for its thought-instilling conferences and powerful, mini-presentations on Technology, Entertainment and Design. The company’s former mission statement was “Ideas worth spreading.” Still, TED does have a more comprehensive understanding of what that means.…
Confession… my favorite part of being wrong is when I admit it out loud. That may seem like the average person’s least favorite moment. Let me explain why I feel the opposite about it. When you’re wrong, there’s usually someone who is passionately trying to point it out to you.…
One thing that I get to do in pastoral care is meet with parents. It is super great when the conversations are awesome, but it’s the worst when tough conversations have to happen. So I thought I would list a few mistakes I’ve made concerning dealing with parents and my learnings.…
I just invented a new word: plagiarism. (Actually, I didn’t. Someone else did. I didn’t even write that joke. I saw it on Twitter. I’m horrible. Forgive me. Hold me. Love me.) You know how there are some things you’re sorry for because they’re wrong, and other things you apologize for because you get caught?…
The past two weeks, Leneita Fix and I have been trying to expose some of the big elephants within the youth room – all of our youth rooms. One of the last ones I would like to highlight is the issue involving our students and our supposed ownership of them.…
It appears that the multi-campus strategy for church growth is here to stay…for a while, anyway. And regardless of how you might feel about it, if your church decides to launch a new campus or two or three, you will quickly find yourself trying to figure out what that looks like in your youth ministry setting.…
It’s always been my belief that God talks to us in many ways. One of my mantras I use in my Christian life is “Does God Have A Sense of Humor?” The answer is, “Of course he does—just look in the mirror!”…
