I spoke at my friend Steve Swisher’s church, Essential in Virginia Beach, a while back and I thought, “some other church may need this message”. So, I am putting my notes, along with some extra commentary, for anyone who would...
I spend my days writing for and training youth workers JUST LIKE YOU.
Youth Group Message On Serving Others: 3 Kinds Of People To Serve
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Making Discouragement Tap Out
Moment of honesty. I am writing this because I am in the octagon with discouragement right now, and he’s known for cheating. The questions is, who will tap out first. Discouragement in teenagers is not much different from discouragement...
Helping Your Students Develop Spiritual Habits
Although we call them spiritual disciplines or habits, we can’t let the “check list mentality” creep into our walk with God by becoming legalistic about it. I think we can agree that the goal of starting spiritual disciplines in...
Crawling Out Of That Hole You’re In
Photo Credit There are no good holes are there? I mean, look at the all the bad holes there are: pot holes, sink holes, and black holes, none of which we would want to fall into. Consider the phrases we use, like, “I just wanted to crawl into...
Planning A Youth Meeting For Graduates
This article, as well as graduation formsgraduation gift ideasgraduation service sample andgraduation song suggestions (over 40) Are a part of Launching Well: Graduating Your Senior Class In Style resource. If you are not subscribed to...
How To Plan A Powerful Graduation Sunday For Your Church
This article (expanded), as well as graduation formsgraduation gift ideasgraduation service sample andgraduation song suggestions (over 40) Are a part of Launching Well: Graduating Your Senior Class In Style resource. If you are not...
Six Questions To Get Your Seniors Spiritually Ready For The World
In the previous posts I shared how the different ways students could graduate. Now, the gate has been narrowed. Most states offer some sort of exit exam. What is the point of an exit exam?
“to make sure no students graduate or move on to other courses without proving they have mastered what they have studied.”
This begs the question “Have our students mastered what they have studied?” Never mind mastering what have studies, but what have they studied? How do we know if a student is ready to leave our youth ministry?
7 Spiritual Concepts I Want My Graduates To Grasp
…before they had out into the world. This article, as well as graduation formsgraduation gift ideasgraduation service sample andgraduation song suggestions (over 40) Are a part of Launching Well: Graduating Your Senior Class In...
Why Graduation Sunday Saddens Me
It’s currently 2023, and even though I wrote this in 2011, things have not only changed but gotten worse. It is now a foregone conclusion that graduates will not be back to church any time soon, but, our calling as youth pastors and college...
10 More Christian Songs To Spice Up That Graduation Slideshow
This article, as well as graduation formsgraduation gift ideasgraduation service sample andgraduation song suggestions (over 40) Are a part of Launching Well: Graduating Your Senior Class In Style resource. If you are not subscribed...
10 Christian Songs To Spice Up That Graduation Slide Show
This article, as well as graduation formsgraduation gift ideasgraduation service sample andgraduation song suggestions (over 40) Are a part of Launching Well: Graduating Your Senior Class In Style resource. If you are not subscribed...
Rocket Launching 101
This article, as well as graduation formsgraduation gift ideasgraduation service sample andgraduation song suggestions (over 40) Are a part of Launching Well: Graduating Your Senior Class In Style resource. If you are not subscribed to the Youth...
11 Christians Songs To Fire Up That Graduation Slideshow
This article, as well as graduation formsgraduation gift ideasgraduation service sample andgraduation song suggestions (over 40) Are a part of Launching Well: Graduating Your Senior Class In Style resource. If you are not subscribed...
Why Does Difficulty Exist?
Perseverance is persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. When I was 17 years old, God called me into youth ministry. I made a commitment, for good or bad, to do it for life whether professionally or...
Youth Ministry Round Up #119
Trends and Culture Teens share the joy, despair and anxiety of college admissions on TikTok Only 51% of Gen Z high schoolers considering a four-year undergraduate degree — a whopping 20 points down from the 71% in May of 2020. – JUV...
The Disciple Project OUTREACH MANUAL
HOW TO TRANSFORM YOUR DECAYING YOUTH MEETING INTO A FLOURISHING CITY-WIDE MOVEMENT