Depending on your geographical location, you have either just celebrated or are about to celebrate High School Graduations. Many of the students you have watched grow up in your ministry are leaving for college. Others may stay in the area with increased work hours but they will probably look at student ministry differently. I want to suggest that once you…
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…
There is no acceptable percentage of deaths as it relates to teens. No matter the cause, no matter the data or the research...nothing is acceptable. So when I read studies like the one in USA Today by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), I am ambivalent with my feelings. Not because I am negative about this organization or the study they…
There is a great deal of noise about the Day of Silence this Friday April 19, 2013. If you are not familiar with the initiative then you should check out the hyper-links in this article particularly if you have children in public schools. You need to know if your child’s school plans to participate and if so what you can…
“Meaningless, meaningless, all life is meaningless,’’ so King Solomon opens the book of Ecclesiastes. From the very first words he drives home his premise that life without God is purposeless. What follows is a detailed account of a man on a frenzied mission to experiment with every imaginable form of stimuli. It is estimated that Solomon’s wealth was approximately $1000…
With graduation quickly approaching many of you are searching for just the right graduation gift for your seniors. Giving them something that has meaning without it being another trinket bound for the attic is always a challenge. My friends at Interlinc have created a gift that students appreciate while having their lives challenged as well. Interlinc has been creating a…
Sounds like a sitcom or an afternoon “Soap Opera” title doesn’t it? But in reality it is the address or at least the intersection where all your students live today. They live in a technology saturated and dominated society. I am not trying to find a demon behind every bush, but I think we have to be alert to the…
“Why do you do this?” I had just finished teaching a Leadership Seminar in Wagga Wagga, (meaning town of many crows) Australia to a group of youth leaders and opened the floor for questions. “What do you mean?” I responded. “This!” His hand gestured widely: “Why do you do this? Why are you here teaching us…doing this?” I paused for…
While the Presidential election dominated the spotlight earlier this month, there was a vote with much greater significance for those of us in Youth Ministry. Colorado and Washington became the first two states to legalize recreational marijuana. There is still some uncertainty about the measures which contradict existing federal laws, but the decision by voters is a sign of things…
If you are like me you try to read as many articles, blogs and books as possible but just cannot catch all of them. “In Case You Missed It” is my way of pointing out a few “reads” that I think are too good to miss. Church Politics vs. Genuine Strategy - Ryan Stigile Organizations find direction from either…