I spend my days writing for and training youth workers JUST LIKE YOU.
Is Reaching Too Many Sinners Hurting Your Youth Ministry?
On it's face it sounds like a stupid question. "Of course we should be reaching sinners, that is what the church is for!" But I have had too much experience in reaching sinners to know that too many saints or too many sinners changes the...
Top Ten Tuesday: John Mark McMillan’s Borderland Lyrics
I have to say, I am digging the new album by John Mark McMillan's, of How He Loves Fame (yeah I know you thought Crowder wrote it) album Borderland. It's a really moody album and reflects the angst of Springsteen's Darkness on the Edge of Town...
5 Reasons I Don’t Listen To Other Preachers
Some may think this strange that a preacher does not want to listen to other preachers, but I don't. It's not because I don't like preaching but because of what listening to preaching tends to bring out in me. Here are the five reasons I...
Three Ideas For Connecting With Students On Social Media
Today's Question comes from Cassandra.: How do I connect with kids on social media? This is always a great questions because the platforms students choose to be social on change as well as how they interact on that platform. Start with finding out...
It’s Not The End Of The World
I had to tell myself last night: It's Not The End Of The World. This is the second year we've have done Mission Week and I had high hopes after last year. But this year just pooped out. I mean we had a great start on Sunday then we were rained out...
Turning Youth Ministry Outsiders Into Insiders
We recently had a young lady join our youth ministry. She is as sweet as could be, a little shy, but I also sense an inner stength brought on by trial. This past week we kicked off our summer TRIBES and one of our tribe leaders bough shirts for the...
52 Videos Later: What I’ve Learned About Content Creation and Myself
Three days ago I recorded my 52nd episode of The Tuesday Panic and it's time to reflect. I am proud of what I've done. I did something that required me to set a time, do something technical, bring something creative to the table, and...
The Price Tag Of A Life Long Commitment To Youth Ministry
I will be turning 46 this Saturday and will have been a Youth Pastor for over half my life. Although I have enjoyed my time as a Youth Pastor, but as with anyone with a singular focus in life, A scientist working on a cure. A teacher who's...
Help! I’m Afraid To Ask For Money For Our Students: 5 Fear Busting Tips
T0days post is from the lovely Mrs. Turner, my wife. She is the VP and chief fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of Central Alabama. Kim raises hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for kids to life changing opportunities. Sometimes...
Top 10 Youth Ministry Fundraisers
Let me start by saying that I don't like fundraising. I do it for only two reasons, which are probably yours as well, Camp and Missions Trips. To be honest, fundraising is exhausting, but good trips heal all wounds, right? I've done several...
The Five Word Challenge
I read a great article the other day from Fast Company called Simple, Direct, Honest, Personal, And Blunt: How The 5-Word Performance Review Works Wonders By: Camille Sweeney and Josh Gosfield (Warning the CEO from Kayak.com, whom...
Healthy Ministers Part 5 : Being Offended By All The Right Things
This whole week I've shared about dealing with wounds, hurts, and offenses. It's been a very cathartic experience for me and I hope it's been a helpful process for you. Yesterday I shared about creating a sell pile of hurts and offenses in order to...
Healthy Ministers Part 4: Redeeming Your Wounds
In my last post I shared about about Peter Marsh's system of creating three piles to help families deal with their junk. The three piles are Keep, Sell, and Throw Away. Yesterday I focused on the hurts we can keep that won't hurt us in the long...
Healthy Ministers Part 3: Keep, Sell, Throw Away
Yesterday we talked about our attachment to hurts and, like material objects, we have a tough time getting rid of them. Hurts, wounds, and offenses keep some people alive. If it were not for hurts, wounds, and offenses, some people would have...
Healthy Ministers Part 2: Our Attachment To Hurts
Yesterday I shared some thoughts on staying emotionally healthy in ministry and today I want to share where most of my emotional upheaval comes from in one word: Expectations Ministry and the church, unlike a corporation, comes with some...
The Disciple Project OUTREACH MANUAL
HOW TO TRANSFORM YOUR DECAYING YOUTH MEETING INTO A FLOURISHING CITY-WIDE MOVEMENT