Family

There is plenty of fear-mongering out there regarding youth and technology (perhaps you’ve heard about sexting or sextortion.), so I don’t need to pile on the statistics. What I will do is give you some practical guidelines that I have shared with parents and teens. Perhaps you’ve heard some of these...

Home used to be a place of refuge and a source of much-needed resilience for kids growing through the normal changes and difficulties of the adolescent years. Now, a shift in family is causing a growing amount of childhood heartache, pain and difficulty.

Then it occurred to me--it was from her heart. Anna's heart was so full that she simply felt like a star--like a princess. On a John Deere? Yes, but more specifically, on a John Deere with her daddy. I didn't have to play games. We didn't even have to talk. Simply being with her daddy brought peace,...

My son, Aaron, asked me to write this. Actually his request was that I remember. That single word was the last word in the suicide note he wrote before he murdered my wife and daughter Dec. 6, 1996, in the rural community of Moses Lake, Washington. Prior to that, my son’s world was darkened by the school...

John Smithbaker, long-time outdoor industry leader and owner of North American Gear, is the founder of Fathers in the Field, a Christian adventure ministry that unites fatherless boys ("field buddies") with mature Christian men ("mentor fathers") in God's classroom, the great outdoors, to help boys learn...

JOURNEY OF A STRONG-WILLED CHILD: Be Encouraged Parents...There is Hope!

Dianna was disappointed. She’s been in foster care since age 2, moving through 10 homes. My heart goes out to all foster care kids, but youth workers must accept our calling and our limitations. Youth in foster care have challenging family histories, which call for special care. However, we should be...

“Even though college has changed since many of us attended, college students still have the same basic needs—for connection, community, wholeness, and the saving grace of Jesus Christ.”

Next time you see a young person with a tattoo, why not ask him or her to share the story behind it?

Serving Military Families on the Homefront: What can a youth ministry worker do to help meet the unique needs of mili­tary families?