This year in our confirmation Sunday school class, we're discussing the five promises we ask teens to make at their confirmation:

- To live among God's faithful people. 

- To hear the word of God and share in the Lord's Supper.

- To share...

This fall, my high school youth ministry watched and discussed clips from the movie, "Noah". Despite the fact that this movie angered plenty of Christians, I found it invaluable for sparking conversation about a story that we oftentimes...

This fall, my high school youth ministry watched and discussed clips from the movie, "Noah". Despite the fact that this movie angered plenty of Christians, I found it invaluable for sparking conversation about a story that we oftentimes...

When I took my first job in youth ministry over a decade ago, the idea of building a student leadership team was everywhere - in books, magazines, and at conferences. Since then, however, student leadership seems to have gone out of fashion. Sure,...

Yesterday, this question popped up in a youth ministry forum I'm a part of:

Do you believe that a Master's Degree is worth it (professionally and economically) for youth pastors? Do the Pros outweigh the Cons? More education is always positive,...

Today, I'm linking up with Kate Motaung's Five Minute Friday. The rules: Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.

This week's prompt: When. 

As a youth worker, I often hear teens say things like, 

-...

What the book's about: Stitches: A handbook on meaning, hope, and repair contains celebrated author Anne Lamott's reflections following the shootings in Newtown, CT. As it's subtitle suggests, it's a book about meaning, hope, and repair. 

...

Several years ago, I interviewed Gordon MacDonald for an article for Youth Worker Journal. During our interview, Gordon talked about how one of the greatest things he's learned to do in discipling people is to welcome them into his home; That...

During last summer's international mission trip, I didn't allow participants to have cell phones. Throughout our time away, we did, however, blog.

Teens often joked at the irony of being totally disengaged from their cell phones and technology...

This fall, my high school youth ministry watched and discussed clips from the movie, "Noah". Despite the fact that this movie angered plenty of Christians, I found it invaluable for sparking conversation about a story that we oftentimes...

I typically love winter. 

I love the holidays and our annual winter ski vacation. 

This year, however, winter has drug for me... And since I live in the Chicago area, I know it's far from over. 

Being pregnant, I can no longer ski....

My husband and I have often wondered: Is it easier to bring social justice to the evangelicals or Jesus to the mainliners?

So often, our experience has been that despite the fact the Bible emphasizes the importance of both Jesus and social...

The last time I taught about divorce in my youth ministry, the kids from divorced families left in tears.

I didn't set out to make them cry. In fact, I intentionally remember trying to set up our conversation so as not to isolate these vulnerable...

Our church's annual meeting was two weeks ago. Each year at this meeting, the pastor talks about the state of the church, we discuss various issues impacting the church, and we vote on a budget.

Although the meeting is open to all members of...

Today, I'm linking up with Kate Motaung's Five Minute Friday. The rules: Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.

This week's prompt: Wait.

I'm not good at waiting.

For a type-A, driven person, waiting feels...

Reading: 

Between a vacation at the start of the month and a doctor's ordered modified bed rest last week, I read a lot during January. 

Fiction: 

The Secret Keeper: I've lost track of how many times I've seen this book on...

The premise of Jon Weece's Jesus Prom is, I think, really good. According to Jon, “Jesus loved verbs. Verbs like love, come, rest, learn, hear, die, give, and go. So wouldn't it make sense that the people who claim to follow Jesus would love the...

It's January. That means that once again, it's time for K-Love's 30-Day Challenge – something I have some concerns about. In response to my concerns, today I'm continuing to critically evaluate some of the...

Like many ministries, our high school youth ministry held it's winter retreat over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. This year, our theme was Naked and Afraid: Vulnerability in Relationships. Throughout the weekend, the book of Ruth served as our...

I chose my word for 2015 – hope - while in the hospital for the last two days.

For the last two years, choosing a word of the year has been a healthy practice for me. In 2013, I chose the word brave. Last year, my word was enough. Both shaped...