When I was young I would visit my Grandmother, staying with her for days on end. I loved being there because she made me pound cake with chocolate syrup for breakfast. (Yeah, I have always been into health food.) She played the role of grandparent very well. I got away with things my parents would have never approved. However, her…
I have never found a high impact leader of influence who was not a reader. Involvement for over forty years with business, church and organizational leaders has validated this as more than just a maxim. My friend Dr. Jay Strack often says You will be the same person five years from now except for the places you go, the people you…
Understanding your audience is one of the first rules of communication. Yet we have all endured off-topic sermons or lectures which missed their target audience by a decade or two. It is vital we be conscientious in the research and preparation of our content. However, understanding the people to whom we intend to deliver the content is imperative as well.…
I was only fifteen when I made a decision that changed the course of my life! The decision was simple: I wanted to be like the pastor and leaders at my church. I wanted to be a “Pay it Forward Leader.” “Pay it Forward Leaders” are people who invest in the next generation of leadership. They do so graciously, intentionally…
I had a love-hate relationship with recess in elementary school. I could not wait to get out of the classroom: however, I dreaded the ritual of team-picking on the playground. A couple of self-appointed “cool” guys always declared themselves the Playground Team Captains. The games we played became all about being “Used” to help them win or look good. As…
Once upon a time there was ONE leader who simply wanted to make a difference in the world. He had no illusion that he could do it alone and wanted to build a team. Guided by biblical principles he practiced biblical discipleship as he ministered to men. He frequently experienced failure and frustration discovering not everyone was willing to “count…
How would you define the irreducible minimums of your student ministry? Can you write them into a sentence, paragraph or a list? What would that look like? I suggest every youth leader do this exercise to establish a baseline for their ministry. Recently my wife and I attended a Poetry Recital for our Granddaughter’s third grade class. Each student chose…
I was running late for an appointment so the slow traffic was an annoyance. My bright idea was to take a short cut. I was cruising until I turned down an unfamiliar street, coming to a screeching halt at a “Dead End” sign. It was not the end of the world but in my current state of mind you would…
Columbus may have proven that the world is geographically round but the internet has flattened it again as it relates to culture and trends. When students look at the world they see no barriers, only the horizon. Globalization plays a major role in the molding of student culture thus effecting student leaders. The fact that trends can be global rather…
Millennials have been the recipients of some harsh judgements and labels, some earned…some not. They are referred to as everything from entitled to self-centered. Others have branded them with terms like the “Me Generation,” “Trophy Kids” and “The Narcissism Epidemic.” No generation can be singularly characterized by any one label or term. For example Millennials have morphed in many ways…