Trials, pain, and sadness are very real things in this world, often rearing their ugly head during the advent season. As we face the issues brought about by these ‘challenges,’ Jesus makes us a vaguely positive promise that he has ‘overcome the world.’…
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Join Rick and Becky as they discuss what it looks like to pursue a life of self-differentiation, which is staying true to yourself particularly when surrounded by forces trying to make you a different person than who Jesus says you are.…
(Dear Small Church Friends, I am SO pumped to bring you this 3-part series from Brent Lacy, a rural youth ministry guy. He recently published his first book, Rural Youth Ministry through Group’s new line, Everyday Youth Ministry. I asked him to write this series because I know that many of you serve in rural settings and so I thought he could serve you best in this area.…
Recently my teenage daughter Lucy and three of her friends completed a six-minute documentary exploring the worldwide human-trafficking problem, then submitted it for a school assignment. They designed a full-color trifold brochure as a companion piece and created a stress ball with the word “Enough” printed on it as a “sellable item.”…
Salvations, re-commitments, powerful worship, blood on the wall leading into the sanctuary, a busted eye leading to a parent picking up a student to go get stitches, and a trail of blood on the sanctuary carpet… Yes, each of those happened at my recent Back2School Lock-In.…
In our home, for the last six months, my wife and I have been leading a small group of senior highers in a Sunday afternoon pursuit of Jesus. After our last gathering, my wife (rather tentatively) asked me, “Do you like leading this group?”…
I’ve worked with LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) youth as a youth pastor and counselor for the last 15 years. Because I’ve listened to their stories for years, I know the world looks alienating at best and hostile at worst to them.…
“Isolated in a world full of connection.” This is how a student described herself to me last week in our small group. She was sharing how she feels like all of the ways we “show ourselves” to the world just creates an illusion of perfection, and causes drama among her peers.…
#ScreenFreeWeek There was one time I was sitting at a coffee shop enjoying a café Americano with one of my favorite friends. We were catching up, being stupid, making each other laugh, and absolutely we were people watching, when all of the sudden she hit me over the head with this doozy: “My school is doing screen-free week,” she said with ease.…
I love seeing students be the church, and a great way they can do that is through our student leadership program. They really get to take ownership of our program and general ministry. We gave students a voice when we first started our student leadership program by letting them develop our mission statement and code of conduct.…
