Every so often, we need to remind ourselves what this thing is all about—“this thing” being youth ministry, in particular, and the Christian walk, in general.I suggest we could boil the whole...

When you think about it, there are striking similarities between an Old Testament prophet and a 21st-century youth worker. Both are called; both are a little weird; and each will go to great lengths to illustra...

Like many of you, I’ve had the unfortunate privilege of picking up the pieces following a crisis that ripped through our student ministry. In our case, it was a murder-suicide. I also was touched personal...

The word fellowship just sounds old. For the “35 and over” crowd—an increasing demographic among youth ministry vets—it conjures up the sights and smells of a potluck dinner. Google &#...

Scripture is paved with speed bumps—words and phrases meant to slow us down. One of my favorites is the simple phrase, “but God.” Not the whiney “but God, why?” but, a heroic R...

What are you doing in your student ministry that will outlast you? I remember the first time that question occurred to me. I can’t recall where it came from or who asked it. Maybe it was a book, or perhaps...

As I write, America has three viable presidential candidates. By the time you read this, we should be down to two, having gone through a primary season that’s generated unprecedented interest in election-...

Out of the turbulence of the 1960s came a song most of us know by heart: What the World Needs Now Is Love. Like most things from that decade, the Burt Bacharach song has enjoyed a retro resurgence.I found mysel...

You know the story. Jesus and His disciples passed through Samaria en route to Galilee. The disciples went into town to get some Doritos and Dew. Jesus plopped down to rest and struck up a conversation with a l...

    Sing along if you know it: “Flintstones, meet the Flintstones …” My guess is you could remember the lyrics up to “… page right out of history.” If you made it...