I used to be a political junkie, so when I hear pundits talking about the upcoming elections I listen through my special youth ministry headset. That is what sparked this latest post. The question posed was “Should the politician go after the base or the swing voters to get elected?”. In my first two youth ministries,…
Uzziah had a well-trained army, ready to go out by divisions according to their numbers as mustered by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer under the direction of Hananiah, one of the royal officials. The total number of family leaders over the fighting men was 2,600. Under their command was an army of 307,500 men…
Americans care alot about rankings and who gets chosen and in what order. Did you get excited or groan at the NFL or NBA draft? Did your team make a good choice? You can hear the cheers and jeers from fans in the gallery. They voice their opinions at the choices their leaders make. What…
I’ve seen a series of stories lately about teenagers making a difference and there was a story about a girl with a painful knee condition. The only time she had relief was when she was laying down and reading. She said, “When I read, it’s a real escape,” Bearup says. “I try to take myself…
Flashback 2010! I am leaving these old posts up because, well, nostalgia. Today, I offer you The Youth Ministry Round Up, a bi-monthly newsletter for youth workers filled with quotes, articles, videos and my version of the Top 10 best in a Spotify playlist. Subscribe today and get the free resource I am offering. What…
I love a good story. I love stories because I can’t tell jokes. Everything for me that is funny is in a story. My youth group liked to hear stories about my younger days because much of it is humorous. I like to tell the tragic parts because it involves God’s grace. I’ve been thinking…
I love movies. I love movie about teenagers because they remind me why I wanted to minister to teenagers in the first place. These movies range from the 80’s to 2018, but regardless of the year, they are timeless in their portrayal of kids just trying to grow up. The Breakfast Club 1985 – They need empathy Napoleon Dynamite 2004 – They need role models…
I remember being frustrated with the boys in one of my youth groups, in the early aughts. I was frustrated with their commitment to just about everything. I saw boys wearing eyeliner, listening to emo and acting in ways unbecoming. Let me say, a man can be manly no matter what tribe he’s a part of,…
We had a new member or prospective new member at a luncheon. Each of the staff had a minute or two to introduce themselves and share what they did at the church. I thought I made a good pitch but our Pastor made an interesting observation about all our introductions. He said, “What I noticed…
I was just thinking about all the Sunday “duties” a pastor/associate might have in addition to preaching, Touch base with someone Meetings with lots of someones Teach someone Counsel someone Make sure certain people know certain things Announce something The list is endless. In addition, associate pastors have our minds on everything we have to…
