Meeting people with a passion for student ministry energizes me. Knowing they understand the struggles while maintaining a long-range vision for the rewards of their investment in students is refreshing. I enjoy late night talks, Starbucks coffee breaks, and passionate discussions after a conference, seminar or anywhere else I can connect with student leaders. I always come away challenged to…
The movie “Gladiator” opens with the Roman general Maximus leading his troops into battle against a horde of vicious barbarians. Instead of sitting on a distant hill like other generals, simply observing, Maximus leads the charge himself, yelling at the top of his lungs, “Stay with me! Staaaay with meeee!” It is reported he never lost a battle. Many think…
Matt’s eyes were huge as he entered the conference. The sea of youth leaders in one location exceeded his expectations. He felt confident this would be the place to discover the qualities of the "Perfect Leader for Student Ministry." The plan had been to interview enough student leaders in three days to build a profile of the “Perfect Leader.” His…
Matt arrived early for class brimming with anticipation. As a youth major he realized the importance of acquiring fresh educational insights along with practical experience. He desired to establish a balanced approach to student ministry. He knew every class would play a role in helping him become an effective student minister. Matt had spent time identifying the top two priorities…
Can you imagine people actually paying for the privilege to: Stay up late or even all night? Ride on old school buses? Give up one of their week nights, week after week, for years? Be called at all times of the day and night? Sacrifice a night’s sleep for the weekend? Be involved in the lives of students with no…
There are just some concepts that demand imminent action! Time is of the essence when facing crisis. The epidemic of secularization on society generally--but specifically on students--fits into the imminent action category. The consequences are sweeping for all of Christendom, but the long-term effects on Gen-Z could be devastating. I am not “Chicken Little” and do not believe “the sky…
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…
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…
How would you answer the following questions? What are the top three influencers in a teen’s life? What is the subject matter of the top five books on the youth reading list? What are the lyrics to the top five most played songs by teens? What do you know about the artists’ lives and lifestyles? The really great news is…
Matt’s eyes were huge as he entered the conference. He had never seen so many youth leaders in one location in his entire life. He had one more burning question: “What are the qualities of the ‘Perfect Leader for Student Ministry?’” He felt confident he could interview enough youth leaders over the next three days to build a profile on…