I spend my days writing for and training youth workers JUST LIKE YOU.
Solving For X in Youth Ministry
I have been going back to school for the past two years to get my 2 year degree and eventually my four year degree. Part of this journey is taking Algebra. I hate algebra. I am a right brain kind of guy so numbers scare me. I tried to make...
Youth Pastors, Why Isn’t This In Our Job Description?
Failed Job Desciptions Schools teach Math, History, etc. The military teaches discipline, leadership, and job skills Sports teams teach sportsmanship and how to pay the game Churches run programs to keep people busy and not sin as much These are...
Facing the Fear Of Trying Something New
Trying something new can be scary. It might fail, worse, it might succeed and then you have to keep succeeding. Recently I started doing announcements via Facebook (example above). Although I do not shy away from the spot light, it was still scary...
The Sting of Confomity
When I was a young youth pastor, I thought it was my job, neigh, my obligation to change the church for the glory of God. I thought it was my job to be the radical all the time and to drag these spiritual neanderthals out of the 19th Century...
Youth Ministry…but Why?
It is so easy to get caught up in our job of youth ministry and all but forget why we do what we do. I recently read an article by Lisa Earle Mcleod called Why Purpose Matter: Four Business Reasons and One Emotional One, and one quote, which deals...
Four Week Youth Outreach: The Hunger And Thirst Games
I have recently finished putting together the four week series The Hunger and Thirst Games for public consumption. The four week outreach will help draw new kids to your youth ministry and connect Christ and culture to reach kids where they are at....
My Thoughts On The Movie The Grey and Should Christians See It
I am taking off my youth pastor hat for the next few posts because I would like to engage youth workers, other believers (or not), in a discussion about this movie. This is not a movie for teenagers, not that they don't hear or see...
Starting The Year Right With Your Parents
Happy New Year Everyone! Are you glad last year is gone and the new year is here? Me too. One of the way to start your new year off right is by touching base with your students' parents. I recently sent out my first of the year e-mail to my parents...
Two Words That Do Not Go With Discipleship
I was driving my 17 year old son to school the other day. There are two roads to his school. One involves a traffic light and the other involves a stop sign. I usually take him the way of the stop light. My route involves going straight and...
How To Get Teens To Turn In Their Religion For Jesus
Think about hearing the gospel for the first time. Those of us who have been Christians for a while, can't really imagine this. We heard it, accepted it, and joined the rank and file. Maybe that's the problem with the model church and it's frailty....
Is Your Youth Group Lame? It Depends.
I had a great conversation with a parent yesterday because we were on the same page (I know, shocking!), but she shared how her daughter and another came to them after a recent service and said that youth group that night was lame. A little...
Four Building Blocks of Outreach
I recently did a session for our kids ministry about the building blocks of outreach. Each principle builds upon another. Feel free to use this session with your leaders Outreach Building Blocks 1. Passion drives everything. Key Questions Why did...
Helping Guys Keep Their Spiritual Aim: An 8 Week Bible Study
If you are not familiar with the History Channel show Top Shot, it is a show about guys in a multi-week shooting competition to become the seasons Top Shot. I took this simple premise and let the Bible do the rest. You get to shoot things and...
When Your Youth Ministry Is Too Weak To Lead
If you have read though many of my posts, you know I am a big proponent of student-led ministry. This is good in theory, but it requires, if they are new to the concept, hard work to retrain their mindset and the mindset of the church who...
Idealism Or The Idea? Your Choice Means Misery or Success
If you blow up the picture above, Captain America is waxing eloquently about how America should be. He ends with the phrase "no, you move." Idealism works for Cap, he's a comic book character, he does not live in the real world, we do....
The Disciple Project OUTREACH MANUAL
HOW TO TRANSFORM YOUR DECAYING YOUTH MEETING INTO A FLOURISHING CITY-WIDE MOVEMENT