These are the words of Ben, a youth worker who spent almost eight years serving one church:" took its toll on me. It wore me out over time. It was slow erosion. I was constantly fatigued; beat up emotionally, s...

I was in my late 20s when I attended my first National Youth Workers Convention. Everyone there looked as if he or she was 20-something.No longer. The heads in the last few youth ministry conventions I've atten...

"How have you lasted for more than 30 years in youth work?" one of my students recently asked me.It hasn't been an easy road. I was as green as could be—a real rookie—when I first started. I had lit...

Of all the attitudes we need to possess as youth workers, maybe the one we need most is hope.Hope means "to expect with confidence, to trust, to rely." This neither means to hope in people, because people will ...

On Feb. 28, 2008, something happened that caused quite a stir for millions of people worldwide. The coffee industry known as Starbucks came to a screeching halt for three hours.CEO Howard Schultz believed his f...

Entry #1I am a recovering junkie. An addict. I feel embarrassed to admit it.My addictions began at an early age. I've never accepted mediocrity. I've always wanted to be great at something. Before I became a Ch...

REWARD: "Lost dog. Three legs, blind in left eye, right ear missing, tail broken, recently neutered. Answers to the name Lucky."—from a newspaper classified adEver feel like Lucky? Maybe your tail isn't b...

When you need more than a youth ministry volunteer can give, but you're not looking for another you, an intern may be the answer."Can anyone help me with all these young people?" It's a common cry heard from yo...

For reasons too many to name, I chose to make a statement as a rebellious 13-year-old that this rite of passage was stupid. Besides, I never planned to come back to Temple as an adult. I said to myself, "So wha...

This is the second of a pair of articles that summarize a forum of older youth workers at last autumn's National Youth Workers Convention. The first article explores the grace and divine calling felt by older y...