Annie Lockhart

While the returning students can talk about their new experiences and their campus ministries, the ones that were "left behind" have been attending the same meetings and doing the same activities, often feeling they have nothing new to share.

That same tension seems to exist between youth workers and parents. After all, if you put God first in your ministry and try to bring a child closer to God, parents will complain. I feel blessed that it's only happened once to me, though, because of the way my congregation views the church. Rather than...

He wants to explore his own questions, but he feels he has nowhere to go. Can I blame him? Can I really expect him to make the jump from teen classes to adult classes? Can young adults really play "smell-my-feet" one week then discuss the role free will plays in predestination the next—all because they...

The problem had started so simply, but Maya's teacher couldn't understand why she was being so obstinate. Maya had talked out of turn and been asked to apologize. Maya respectfully apologized with her head down. She was asked to look up and do it again "respectfully." Confused, she apologized again,...