A pastor friend who read my book, A Mission That Matters, recently wondered, “When is the right time for me to go to ‘the ends of the earth’ and lead an international trip for my congregation?”

It’s a good question and one that’s not easy to...

My four-year-old daughter, Hope, LOVES taking pictures. I mean LOVES it. Spend a moment scrolling through our phones and you’ll typically see three types of photos:

1. Those obviously taken by my husband and I, typically featuring our family or...

After beginning my new role as the Minister of Youth and Family at my congregation last summer, I immediately examined the vision for the ministry I’d inherited. While I didn’t find it particularly compelling, I knew the best thing I could do was...

My daughter, Hope, has literally grown up in church. (That’s what you get when your mom works for one…)

When Hope turned two, she began asking questions about communion, which wasn’t surprising since she’d gone forward to the communion rail with...

After finishing Alia Joy’s Glorious Weakness, I Instagramed a photo of the book with the caption, “Hands down the best Christian book I’ve read in a long time.”

That’s not a statement I make lightly.

I read a lot of Christian books – some for...

There’s a fairly common perception in the youth ministry world that graduated seniors are a critical part of a mission trip and as such, should be honored accordingly during such a trip (with things like special anointings or opportunities just...

My daughter, Hope, recently turned four. Of course, we wanted to celebrate her well, with a duo of Frozen themed parties, one for friends and family, and one for a handful of her school friends.

Having gone to a number of toddler parties in...

The other day, I was asked whether confirmation should be held in the spring or fall – a common question for congregations that offer confirmation. There are pros and cons to each practice.

Confirming teens in the spring gives families a sense of...

I blogged recently about 5 marks of a justice-focused trip and was immediately bombarded by questions about where you find such a trip. Youth workers immediately jump to this question: "Which mission trip organizations are focused on justice ...

At a recent mission trip meeting, my teens wrestled with whether or not our summer mission trip currently focuses on serving others (meeting needs) or on enacting justice (recognizing, understanding, and addressing systemic brokenness).

By...

Since taking a new call, my responsibilities have expanded to include youth and family ministry. As such, I’ve become much more intentional about ministering to parents than I ever have been before. I’ve also become much more aware of resources...

A student recently told me, “We used to like going on the mission trip because it was relaxed. There were no rules.”

She was referring to a mission trip I inherited.

Truth be told, I’d suspected this was the case for a while but never had someone...

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...