I spend my days writing for and training youth workers JUST LIKE YOU.
The Desperate Need To Encourage Yourself
I have been in a hole for some time. A deep hole of discouragement and doubt. This mindset is a crippling mental bear trap that once you've step in it, it's tough to get out of it. I'm only now returning to the idea of encouraging myself as a way...
The Question Youth Workers Should Be Asking
I was reading a blog post by Bernadette Jiwa, she starts with this question, If you had to pick one thing you need more of in order to succeed what would that be? If you are a youth worker, and I hope you are, you may be tempted to say, "more...
Three Directional Thinking
This is one of thoughts you get while driving. I was thinking about my choices in the way think, and yes, we do have choices. When something hits my brain I can respond to it in one of three ways (note: I know these terms have varied meanings, I'm...
Dear Church: Pay Attention To Detail And Watch The Wonder Happen
I saw an interesting post on Twitter, it said, "Have you ever seen a church within a church?" Book reviewer Melissa Harrison saw something that blew her away, "MATES MATES something brilliant just happened, well I found something brilliant, and I...
Three Words You Must Learn When Mentoring Teens
I've been mentoring students for a long time, but there are three practices which are foundational to each mentoring relationship I enter into. These are the three legs to my mentoring stool, Listening, Opportunity, and Failure These three words...
Getting Failure Out Of Your System
"but the difference is whether you decide to stop at a failure, or keep going until you get as many failures as possible out of your system until the only possible outcome is that you succeed." - Benny Lewis I know there are some who disagree with...
Four Questions You Should Ask A Racist
There are many in the KKK, White Aryan Nation, and other racist organizations who love to quote the Bible and espouse Christian principles but deny God's Word entirely. As believers, it's important to keep the conversation in spiritual terms...
My Three Most Important Mentoring Rules
“One of the greatest values of mentors is the ability to see ahead what others cannot see and to help them navigate a course to their destination.” — John C. Maxwell This is a great definition of mentoring, and this kind of mentoring has been a...
Charlotteville: We Can Sleep Or We Can Shine
I haven't been watching the news for a whole now. It's just too sad and disappointing. I do get alerts and I have read articles on Charlottesville and I have to confess, I'm numb to it. It's overwhelming. It's too much, and I'd rather go back to...
Why Cynicism Is My Best Pastoral Attribute
If there's one thing that makes me cynical, it's optimists.- Julian Baggini This explains a lot. I am not a fan super-optimistic, everything is coming up roses, and farts smell like new car smell, kind of people. I've always been like this and I...
My 7 Back To School Rules For Youth Ministry
Close your summer out right Have a bonfire, testimony night, or a slide show of all your summer activities. Maybe have a special worship night or a night where everyone affirms one another and points out where they shined this summer. I share a few...
Losing Your Faith In Humanity? Good.
I've seen various iterations of this "I've lost my faith in humanity" "I'm losing my faith in humanity because.." People post this because some, a lot, or all human beings have disappointed them in the moment or all that day. When someone posts,...
The Future of Youth Ministry Depends On This
Are you a time traveler. Do you live in the future and visit the past every time you go to church? Many people do. I love the church, it's first century church principles, but I don't want to go back to sitting on the floor and eating falafel....
If This Were Your Last Year In Youth Ministry..
As you're thinking about the fall season and planning events, activities, and messages, let's add a wrinkle, this is your last year. If you knew this was your last year at this church does it make a difference how you will plan? What about if it...
The Recipe Is Not The Meal
Fun fact, I like role playing games. I like story telling, adventure, and laughing around a table with friends for a few hours. I'm always learning new things about my own faith and my faith journey by playing games and listening to others to who...
The Disciple Project OUTREACH MANUAL
HOW TO TRANSFORM YOUR DECAYING YOUTH MEETING INTO A FLOURISHING CITY-WIDE MOVEMENT