Students Need the Language of Lament
Our world is full of “happiness,” whether it’s reels that are too real, Instagram moments that don’t match reality, or a suck it up mentality to at least look happy […]
Youth Ministry
Identity Over Insecurity
Oh, middle school and high school. I loved you, and at the same time, I loathed you. These were all of our figure-it-out years, the years when we knew absolutely […]
Digital Ministry That Clicks
If there’s one thing we’ve learned in Youth Ministry, it’s that students are constantly online, and like it or not, if we want to reach them, we have to meet […]
From Youth Group to Lifelong Disciple
We all know how it goes: student has been super involved in Youth Group, student is on the leadership team, student brings friends with them. Then student graduates. Suddenly or […]
The Campfire Effect
I had never really felt all that close to my Youth Pastor, Brandon. I was a senior, and he had just taken over the high school ministry at the end […]
How to Approach Family Conflict and Support Students from Troubled Homes
Family conflict is one of the most common and most painful realities that students bring with them into youth ministry. Behind the laughter, the group games, and the worship nights, […]
Proactive Youth Ministry
Bullying is everywhere. It takes many forms: intentional and unintentional, obvious or behind the scenes, in person or digital, and even in your Youth Group. Gasp! Not mine. My students […]
Finding Your Youth Ministry’s Unique Identity and Style
Every Youth Ministry longs to find its knitch in the community they are a part of. There are so many wonderful ministries that are all flourishing in their own communities, […]
More Than A Reward
I love rewards! If you know me, you know that I also love Chick-fil-A, but one of the reasons I love it, aside from the obvious, is that they have […]
A Group That Prays Together…
We are all a little too familiar with the long, awkward silence at the end of a small group when we ask, “Any prayer requests?” After the silence, maybe someone […]