One of the first rules of communication is understanding your audience. Unfortunately, we have all heard sermons, speeches or lectures that were off topic - or missed their target audience by a decade. Being conscientious in the preparation of our content is vital, but it is also imperative we understand the people we intend to address. Over the years I…
Words are powerful and process the ability to evoke a myriad of emotions while bringing comfort, pain, motivation, or discouragement. Words are the catalysts for actions and thoughts. For example, the following words spoken singularly can arouse emotion and create action: FireStopGoHate Love Understanding the power of words should cause us to think carefully before speaking. Proverbs 21:23 admonishes us…
WANTED: Stereotypical Student Leader: must be 21-25 years of age, have an engaging personality (but be submissive to elder/deacon board), possess the ability to attract lots of students (and keep them from annoying the senior saints), play games (like the ones we played when we were teens), plan activities (but nothing that conflicts with the church calendar), play the guitar…
I was only twenty-one years old as I stood reading a copy of the letter my mentor had written. Addressed to a key supporter of our international ministry, it was someone whom he wanted me to visit. Reading the last line, I said to my wife, “I’m not going on this trip. I’m afraid I cannot live up to the…
No. I did not mean “a hole in my heart.” I meant “soul.” There are people in your church or community who resonate with my statement. They may define it with different words but they understand the concept. They belong to a fellowship of people bound by grief which they did not ask to join. I originally wrote this post…
Do you understand the power of culture? Culture is more than a grocery list of distinctives or a demographic study. We must recognize the sheer force a people group can have on a society, and ultimately history, by virtue of their choices or preferences. We must be careful not to fall into the trap of assuming students’ cultural influence is…
"Sometimes when I spin really fast, the kitchen looks like it's going to fall over!" Carly (5 years old) Perhaps you can relate to little Carly’s words. I can. I do. Often. But in reality, it’s your world not the kitchen that appears to be falling over. Ever feel like your world is moving too fast? Sometimes I move so…
The studies on the distinctives between generational cultural nuances are in abundance. Beginning with the Builder generation, we have defined each group right up to the present Gen Z which populates our student ministries. Millennials are no longer students in our ministries, they are now the leaders of those ministries and the church. I mean this as a classification, not…
The concept of “Waterboarding,” does not naturally engender happy thoughts and is probably repulsive. Many of you can unequivocally identify with the concept. “Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over a cloth covering the face and breathing passages of an immobilized captive, causing the individual to experience the sensation of drowning.” (Wikipedia) There are always…
You do not know me - but I know you. Word spreads fast when a new Youth Pastor is coming to town. I heard this is your first church but from what others are saying, you appear to be very qualified for the position. I know the Pastor and leadership are expecting a lot from you. I really wish I…