Jake Kircher

Our students want to change the world. They want to be part of something and find meaning in their lives. Yet the faith of many of toady's teens is lacking depth and often disintegrates after high school.

First, he explained that although the question of how to make changes to our program was not a bad question, it made some our kids feel used. They didn’t feel like we as a youth ministry were caring for them as individuals, but instead as a means to building a bigger program.

In my nine years of youth ministry, I have read and heard repeatedly about the limitations of students, specifically middle schoolers, when it comes to issues of attention spans and what they can understand. It's been explained to me how middle schoolers can handle only a maximum of 10- 15-minute talks...

Personally, this has been one of the most difficult years of ministry in my eight years of experience. It’s not because of kids’ schedules, a difference of opinions with church leaders or not having enough adult volunteers. Those things always have been issues. What makes this year so different and more...