The One Thing All Of Us Have To Offer Students

Reaching this next generation can feel like an incredibly daunting task. They are hard to read at times, can be easily offended, and are skeptical of people in positions of power. But they are also compassionate, justice-oriented, and want to make a difference in the world. How we interact with them and what we share […]
Is conversation essential in Youth Ministry?

For the longest time in youth ministry, we have, like “big church,” preached a message that we expected youth to listen to. Within this framework, all of us have tried different things to keep students engaged. We may shorten the message, move around the format of the service, or have youth teach (which I think […]
Has technology stolen our telos?

I’ve been asking myself lately: How did our world get so confusing? It seems like the definitions of things have become broader and more expansive. Dialogue about ideas has been tamed for fear of judgment. Students seem more unsure about who they are and what is true than I have ever seen before. It appears […]
3 Essential Emphases In Youth Ministry

In a world of information, students are looking for the truth. They have never had more access to information, yet they are more confused than ever. Students in this generation usually talk about their emotions well, but they don’t control them and often can make unwise choices. They also want to be people who do […]
The Gospel Story in the Lives of Students: Why It Matters in a Postmodern Era

We are seeing social phenomena in this generation like never before. I say social because the rate at which some issues are growing is simply a statistical impossibility. Mental health is crumbling; gender identity is becoming more confusing by the day. The quest for the self is at an all-time high, but students are coming […]
Proverbs: The Untapped Resource for Gen Z

For months now, I’ve been thinking about biblical literacy amongst students. We all know the data that speaks to a decline in a Christian worldview and orthodox views of scripture. People seem to be valuing the scriptures less and less, even as believers. If we can’t get Christians to read the Bible, how do we […]
Can I Hold Water?

Anyone who reads or glances through Paul’s letters will see encouragement to continue living a godly life. It’s easy to get sidetracked when ministry gets overwhelming with the rushing current of week-to-week tasks and events. What I see the most is not a catastrophic failure but a slow leak from the hustle. What do I […]