I live in Barrington, in the shadow of Willow Creek. I’ve long been familiar with the service they offer called, “The Practice”. As a youth worker in the ELCA, I’m intrigued by an evangelical community dabbling in a more liturgical style of...
I’ve lost track of the number of times in my career in youth ministry when a high school senior has confronted me because they don’t like the direction our ministry is going. This confrontation always comes after a transition – usually within the...
In my work as a youth pastor, I consistently use a variety of commentaries to prep discussions for my midweek high school program as well as to prepare for my preaching responsibilities on Sunday. Since we follow the narrative lectionary, I knew...
I’ve been a fan of Matthew Paul Turner ever since he wrote ADULT books. Back in the day, his book, Relearning Jesus, made for great fodder with my student leadership team. I’ll admit, when he switched to writing children’s books, I was a bit...
I still begin most of our youth ministry’s gatherings with a game.
Even though some youth ministries have moved away from games, I haven’t. When chosen well, unusual games are not only fun, but they also help move teens out of their comfort...
In college, I invested in a study Bible that I loved. I used that study Bible until it literally fell apart. It served me well… including during my first, tenuous days as a youth pastor when I felt as though I was consistently in over my head...
Effective mission trips require preparation. Preparation is needed to prepare your team for all that awaits it and to enable it to behave effectively as a team.
Given this, when is the best time to hold your mission trip meetings?
If you’re in a...
A mission trip adult leader recently mentioned that my predecessor believed that every student (and their friends) should participate in a mission trip. As a result, for years, my church has filled a coach bus with 40-50 students and headed out...
Ever since reading Small Talk and A Good and Perfect Gift , I’ve been a fan of Amy Julia Becker. Because of this, I was excited to read her new book, White Picket Fences: Turning Toward Love in a World Divided by Privilege.
Amy’s book...
My three-year-old daughter, Hope, LOVES Legos. A friend got her a Lego kit for Christmas and she and my husband did it in one fell swoop. I’m honestly not sure who had more fun: her or my husband. Because of Hope’s interest in Legos, I was excited...