What expectations do teens have about attending church? 45% Worship or make a connection with God.42% Better understand what I believe34% Spend time with friends34% Get encouraged or inspired30% Volunteer to help others. What do teens learn from their experiences in church? (top four answers) 65% Moral and ethical standards62% Relationships55% Faith traditions50% Personal evangelism
“A man may study because his brain is hungry for knowledge, even Bible knowledge. But he prays because his soul is hungry for God.” – Leonard Ravenhill My oldest son is part of a prayer group of men. I thought I would share with you an adapted version of his encouragement to them, to me […]
Recently the expert culture watcher, Walt Mueller was conducting a Q&A session with parents. One of the parents from the audience asked Walt what he felt was the single most impacting cultural change that those who live with and serve youth should be most concerned about. His answer is no surprise but a sober reminder […]
At some point all of us have been annoyed by a persistent little pest. I am not talking about the overprotective, high maintenance parent that likes to bend your ear before and after every ministry event. I am talking about Genus Anopheles, the most common mosquito found in North America. These little blood suckers are […]
No, I am not talking about your Intern staff or the effect your last successful ministry event had on your psyche. I am referring to the invisible shield that surrounds the adolescent with regards to his/her perceived consequences for actions.Like a private tattoo engraved just below the surface, there is a marking on the chest […]
Ever heard this question? What happens when an unstoppable force or object collides with an immovable object? The standard answer and the one I was always told is that the end result of this scenario would be Total Destruction. But recently I discovered that this is not the case. A physics professor explained it this […]
In meeting with a small group of student leaders recently, one comment in particular caught my attention. One minister declared; “well, we don’t DO summer camp any more, we do mission trip. Our kids would rather do missions than camp and I think that reflects mature ministry.” For a little while I managed to keep […]
Good communication is an essential element of accomplishing any youth ministry. We communicate to students and leaders, to parents and church staff. We communicate in large groups and small groups, with our words and our actions, and in our fliers and our bulletins. Nearly every aspect of ministry involves communication. Our purposes may be determined, […]
Just saw a great update from Walt Mueller over at CPYU. He was discussing the ever changing world of Marketing, pushing the envelope and how that “push” of the envelope affects our response, perception, and ultimately, our ministry. That caused me to think about how we spend our energy in ministry trying to keep up […]
I can tell you that after 27 years in student ministry, I am not very easily shocked – not by students, not by leadership and not by parents. From sex in the baptismal pool to telling a parent to shut the crap up during a heated meeting, I have heard of many situations and actions […]