In Second Timothy 2: 2, Paul not only gives us a great plan for world evangelization; his words also serve as a model for cultivating students of influence. Paul says, The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also (NASB95). From Paul’s…
Category Archives Student Ministry
The teen years are not a “holding pattern” but should be a time of utilizing the power of youth. We are not preparing them to be leaders in the future; we are preparing them now for this moment. Being salt and light is not a post-graduate concept. Some of the most vocal advocates for change in student ministry are the…
It’s that time of the year again when students head to warmer climates for Spring Break. We hear headlines like Students Gone Wild or read reports of arrests, sex and alcohol abuse and wonder what can be done to stop the madness of shattered lives. There are a handful of ministries and churches who are deliberately reaching out to these…
The clock is ticking, the time is approaching, the students are coming and you still have not settled on what you are going to teach tonight. If you say, “I never did that,” then either you are not really in youth ministry or you are being delusional is a comfortable state of mind. At some point in our ministries, all…
I love my granddaughter; my wife says I lose all sense of reality when I am with her. When she looks at me and sweetly says my name, Dida (her name for me), I am convinced that giving her what she wants is logically reasonable. That’s how we landed at the beach on a less than perfect day. We had…
I have a burden and passion for Student ministry around the world. I am privileged in my travels to connect with men and women who share that passion. Today was one of those days but it was especially rewarding because it was here in Alabama, my home state. Student ministry in Alabama is alive and well and especially in the…
This is the third and final post in the Four Erroneous Youth Ministry Philosophies series. Sections three and four represent ministry approaches based on program and personality. Youth ministries need a program as well as leadership with personality; however, both function best when founded on Biblical principles. Section Three: “All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go – Buttoned Up and…
Okay, so you probably read the report in USA Today (Wednesday) released by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The headline on page one read “Kid’s digital day: Almost 8 hours.” It appears that the time spent with media for kids 8-18 has increased by 79 minutes in the last decade bringing it to 53 hours a week. So…what does all this…
“I’ve tried everything!” Remember those words from Part 1? If not refer back to my post on January 12. I have divided the philosophical approaches into four sections determined by their predominant thrust. In Part 2 we will examine the first two sections and will conclude next Tuesday with Part 3, so stay with me. Keep in mind that some…
“I’ve tried everything!” I frequently hear these frustrated words from well meaning people who want to make an eternal impact on the lives of students. They work hard trying various approaches but are unable to grasp the illusive key to successful ministry. Over the last thirty years, I have observed some of these valiant efforts which I call “erroneous youth…