Jesus’ disciple Thomas gets a bad rap with the shame-name we’ve given him. We teach using “Doubting Thomas” as the bad example, attaching his moniker to people we accuse of lacking—or having lackluster—faith. But note that when Thomas needs proof, Jesus doesn’t render judgment.…
It’s a bracing truth: How people see you affects how they see Jesus. The same is true of a ministry. Our programs represent Jesus, but do they also reflect him? No ministry is perfect, of course, but [tweet_dis]when teenagers come and see your youth ministry, do they see Jesus?[/tweet_dis]…
In this week’s Whiteboard Wednesday experiment, I explore the powerful transformation that happens when we use experiences as a basis for teaching, and show you my simple process for crafting and embedding experiences in your main teaching times. When I’m training youth workers, I sometimes ask them to get with a partner and share “something you’ve learned that has deeply impacted your life—something that turned your life around.”…
In this week’s Whiteboard Wednesday experiment, we take a hard look at our “cultural diet” and consider what wise, Jesus-centered standards we can use for both our own life and for our ministry. The Old Testament urges God’s people to be holy—to set themselves apart from an “unclean” culture.…
In this week’s Whiteboard Wednesday experiment, we remember that Jesus’ primary “teaching” method involves improvised responses amid intentional conversations. Then we’ll learn the basics of teaching in an “improv” way. I was never in a garage band, but whenever I hear a phrase that sounds like the name of a garage band (for example, the other day my daughter said the phrase “dissected squid juice”), I tell people it was actually the name of my band when I was in high school.…
In this week’s Whiteboard Wednesday experiment, I make the case that the heart is more important than the head in youth ministry because Jesus said so… With all the controversy swirling around the suicide-themed Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, we’re focused (again) on the impact of the powerful cultural messages teenagers soak in every day.…
There’s a universal longing at the heart of every young girl’s soul, and it is, of course, to join the mythic society of pony-owners. Even The Simpsons’ Lisa pines for a pony—so much so that a disgraced and desperate Homer buys her Princess, a pony-gift of appeasement after he ruins her talent-show performance.…
Season 2, Episode 18: What If Your Life Is Wasted? We give our best, try our hardest, and give our all. We chase after self-discipline, fight the good fight, and love our neighbors as ourselves. We win with love, give peace and kindness.…
Season 2, Episode 17: What Is God’s Will? “What is God’s perfect will?” “What if I misunderstand his will?” “If I get on God’s perfect track, does that mean my life will be perfect?” “Does God always want to make the choices, or are there some choices I can make?”…
In this week’s Whiteboard Wednesday experiment, we step into one of our most important ministry skills—mirroring back to teenagers the truth about their identity. Becky and I explore the practical ways we can pay ridiculous attention to kids, looking for the details about their identity and depending on the Spirit of Jesus to help us reflect back to them their Kingdom of God purpose.…
