The worst example of a boss, in my opinion, is Bill Lumbergh from the movie Office Space. He is a coffee sipping, pencil pushing, disengaged, visionless knucklehead and some of you work for him or someone like him. It’s appropriate to scream out loud if you’ve just realized that. If you have a boss,…
I was looking forward to receiving the book First Hand by Ryan and Josh Shook and was only slightly disappointed. I was disappointed because I thought it was a book for me to help me with all the mistakes I’ve made with all the young adults I’ve ministered to over the years. I wanted…
If you were one of the more controversial figures of the 80’s, biting the heads off of bats and such, then this certainly is the way to make a comeback, just declare God dead (again) I won’t go into an entire treatise on the song, because it’s the same ol’ Ozzy and, musically,…
Whether we like it or not, our youth ministry is a brand. It’s how our parents, church, kids, and community sees us. Does your youth ministry have a logo? Do you slap it on everything? That is called branding. Like cowboys burning their ranches name or symbol into their cattle in case they ever…
I love books, all kinds of books. You’ll see books on this list from across varied interests. I learned early on in ministry to be well read in multiple areas and not just in youth ministry, and that principle has enriched my life greatly. Here’s my list with a brief description of each and why…
I had the pleasure of sitting on a panel today to play the part of a board member grilling a potential youth pastor. I hate to admit it but I had way too much fun. I asked hard questions based on my own experiences and questions I wished pastors would have asked me. Needless to…
If it’s ok with you, I’m taking a break from writing about youth ministry and I’m going to share what I have been reading and what I am learning from it. The knowledge is bursting in my mind like fireworks. Read on and feel free to “Ooooooh!” and “Ahhhhhhhh!” I have been reading a…
photo credit I have heard many youth workers say, and I myself have said, “I can’t get my students to sing during worship time”. Singing is certainly a part of worship and one aspect of worship, but singing in and of itself is not worship. Kids sing all kinds of songs but I don’t…
There are those who think the only worship songs that are “anointed” by God are from a different century and there are those who think songs they heard on their local Christian radio yesterday are the “new thing” God is doing. They are both right, but that does not mean we should sing them…
Photo Credit: Welcome to my 200th post!! I never thought I would get here. I was lazy, uninspired, and, well, lazy. But, since January, I made the commitment to write five days a week. Five days straight, Monday through Friday. To celebrate this land mark event, I am giving aways free music. You could win…
