On Sunday, I watched one of my former students, Marcy, preach in my congregation – the congregation where she grew up.  She stood at the pulpit, full of grace, and gave a beautiful message on Exodus 16:2-15.

Among other things, what...

As a youth pastor, I want to cultivate a love for Scripture in students.

To do this, I’m intentional about making sure my students open a Bible and dig into Scripture at each gathering we have. I’m also intentional about giving away Bibles.

Over...

The last six weeks have been challenging.

The transition at my church continues to be difficult.

My daughter started preschool and while she’s thriving, adapting our schedules has been rough for all of us.

Multiple people in my husband’s family...

What the book's about: A Pair of Miracles: A Story of Autism, Faith, and Determined Parenting by Karla Akins chronicles Karla's journey of raising twin boys with autism. 

Why I read this book: As a youth pastor, I work with some teens who...

Being a parent is hard.

So, too, is navigating technology and screen time with young children.

For this reason, I was excited to read Gary Chapman and Arlene Pellicane's Growing Up Social: Raising Relational Kids in a Screen-Driven World.

The...

Recently, one of the big wigs in my denomination distinguished between “called” staff and “hired” staff. According to him, “called” staff are those who are ordained or rostered by our denomination. An entire congregation then calls them into...

I love to read books that challenge me to think differently about something. Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God: The Scandalous Truth of the Very Good News by Brian Zahnd did just that.

In Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, Zahnd explores...

The world, and in particular, the United States is becoming more divisive.

Few people I know would disagree with that statement right now.

Yet, few people I know – including, or perhaps, especially – Christians, know what to do about that...

I care deeply about justice, as does the congregation I'm a part of. For this reason, I was excited to dig into J. Paul Nyquist's Is Justice Possible: The Elusive Pursuit of What is Right.

This book was a mixed bag for me. I loved that...

It's no secret that I genuinely love liturgy. It orders worship, creates familiarity (and therefore, for me, comfort), but most importantly, intentionally centers worship on Jesus.

Because I love liturgy, I was both excited and intrigued to read...

What the book's about: Coffee, the World, and Jesus is a collection of stories from Ron DeMiglio - an international coffee businessman - about his work, travel, and faith. 

Why I read this book: The synopsis sounded interesting to me...

Not long ago, I stumbled across a youth ministry curriculum called Answers Bible Curriculum.

Now, to be clear. This is NOT a review of this curriculum. I've never used this curriculum. As you'll see, I'll also never buy it.

Nevertheless, the...

What the book's about: Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands  is a leadership book filled with short essays on what the author, Nancy Ortberg, describes as "non-linear leadership" (others might classify it as servant-leadership.) 

Why I...

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

This week's prompt: Play.

“Hope-girl, what do you want to do today?” I ask my two-year-old daughter.

Her lips...

After spending five years serving as the youth pastor in a church that held its weekly youth service during “big church”, I knew I wanted my next congregation to be one in which families worshiped together, where worship and faith formation (or...

What I'm Reading:

Fiction: 

Between our trip to Africa and my mission trip to Haiti, June was a SLOW month for fiction reading. 

Book I couldn't put down: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I know, the...

As a youth pastor, as much as you might like to be the one who’s in charge of your church, you’re not. Whether it’s another person in the youth ministry or an associate or senior / lead pastor, you’ve got a boss who directly supervises you.

One of...

What the book's about: As the subtitle says, Hope Prevails shares "insights from a Doctor's Personal Journey through Depression." It emphasizes the spiritual nature of depression. 

Why I read this book:  As a youth worker, I always...

I've just returned from one mission trip and now my focus turns to the next one. This week is littered with several meetings related to our upcoming mission trip, one of which is our adult leader's meeting.

At this meeting, we'll cover logistics...

Worried first-time mission trip adult leaders often ask me, “What can I do to be a good adult leader?”

As someone who is not only a youth worker and a parent but also a former mission trip staffer, I have a unique perspective on this. I still...