It does not take long in a conversation with Dr. Jay Strack to sense his passion for developing student leaders. His perspective of teens is refreshing. He does not believe teens are just overgrown children but sees their potential as student leaders. This belief permeates the entire staff of the Student Leadership University organization, as well as the content of…
Posts By mikecalhoun
Why do bad things happen to good people? For that matter, why do bad things happen to anyone? Even for us as believers, life if often a mystery. Every time I hear of the death of another child or teen I am compelled to ask…Why? If I ask this question after walking with the Lord for many years then it…
Our perception of a missionary can range from, “someone who is not capable of doing anything else” to “being a select breed that only a few people can ever obtain to their spiritual level.” BOTH of these concepts are wrong! A missionary is a servant of God, called by God and surrendered to God to reach people with the gospel.…
Okay, I know that no self respecting teen would ever say call my “telephone” instead of “cell” but “cell” just did not ring (no pun intended – well maybe a little pun) when I posted teens and texts. Teens and cell phones have become synonymous with current statistics stating that 75% of all teens 12-17 own one. One 14-year-old recently…
Let’s face it. Summertime student ministry is different and sometimes difficult. The familiar routine of the school year is in chaos, and students either have a ton of free time or are busier than ever. The change of seasons usually results in a change of strategy for the majority of youth groups around the country. There are tons of ideas…
Most of us can quickly define the dichotomy between a “Christian” and “Secular” worldview, but what about the difference between “Christian” and “Christian?” What does it mean to live “counter-culturally” within the mainstream church today? We as Christians have tried to define ourselves so as to be easily distinguished from the “world” and defend our faith. But while we were…
Transitions are important. Often we lose students when their transition from one level to another is uncomfortable or awkward. Even lifetime churchgoers can feel like first-time visitors when it’s time to move up to a new class. Intentional student transitions help to ensure that the transition doesn’t become an exit. Middle School to High School In his chapter in The…
“Short-term missions” is a powerful tool to use in developing students within your ministry. I recently asked career missionary Matthew Melville to share some of his thoughts on the benefits of short-term missions. Here are the six he mentioned: Short-term mission trips help students realize the need for the Gospel globally (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15). Short-term mission trips take students…
Networking is more than handing out your business cards to complete strangers. It’s about making meaningful connections with others and coordinating with them to achieve common goals. Ministry Networking should produce a “Win – Win” effect for both ministry partners. It is about relationships, it is not about brokering a merger. The goal is to leverage the strengths of both…
The sound of more than 1000 fathers and sons singing worship songs was inspiring to say the least. The only thing that would come close to this was the sound of laughter throughout the day signaling that the men were in a safe place having a great time. Men were jammed into the auditorium, hungry to be challenged from the…