You can't do youth ministry alone.

Perhaps you already know that. Maybe you even believe that.

Even so, knowing and believing that doesn't make adult leaders magically appear. You still have to work hard to recruit the right people to be leaders...

I blinked and suddenly it's fall, I'm back at work, and Hope is 4 months old. Where oh where did maternity leave and the summer go? Since I somehow missed doing several monthly recaps, we're going to take July - September in one fell swoop. 

If you look in Webster's dictionary, I'm pretty sure lock-in is defined as a youth worker's hell.

OK, maybe not... But let's be honest, they're certainly not our favorite events, or at least, they're not the easiest events.

Maybe they're also not...

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: Doubt.

As a youth worker, Sundays are my favorite day of the week. It's the...

Since becoming a parent, there's one question I've been asked more than any other:

Is Hope a good baby?

Embedded into this question are several others including,

Is Hope colicky?
Does Hope cry a lot?
Is Hope eating well?
Does Hope sleep...

What the book's about: Notes from a Blue Bike by Tsh Oxenreider is about living intentionally in a chaotic world. It's about living simply in regard to five key areas of life: food, work, education, travel, and entertainment.  

Why I read...

My church is just a few blocks away from Panera, which serves as my second office. On occasion, we hold our staff meetings there. I also regularly meet with adult leaders and students there. I do so for many reasons. As a youth worker, I want to...

In junior high, I was a member of my school's volleyball team.

I loved being part of the team. I even enjoyed playing volleyball. Here's the catch: I wasn't very good. I just happened to attend a school that was so small that in order to field a...

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: Same.

You and I, we're different.

I was born in the United States. You...

Since my husband and I have been very public about our experience with miscarriage, we're often asked by people, “What should I say to someone who's had a miscarriage?” Based on our experience, here are 5 things we recommend you avoid saying and 7...

It's easy, I think, for teens to pity people, to feel sorry for someone else. It's much harder for teens to cultivate and develop empathy, the ability to feel and understand another person's experience. This is true, I'm afraid, even for church...

Image Credit: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/02/shocking-image-of-drowned-syrian-boy-shows-tragic-plight-of-refugees

Like so many others, I wept when I saw the image of the dead Syrian boy on the news the other night. How can you...

When they hear how much of a role my student leaders have in creating our ministry's vision, other youth workers often look at me as though I'm crazy. They wonder, Why would you entrust your teens with creating your vision?

To which I say, Why...

What the book's about: In Holy is the Day, Carolyn Weber explores what it means to experience God's grace in the ordinariness of daily life, as well as in the extraordinariness of life's defining moments. 

Why I read this book: I heard...

What the book's about: For the Love is a collection of essays from Jen Hatmaker about topics including parenting and faith. 

Why I read this book: Ever since reading Seven, I've been a fan of Jen Hatmaker. Naturally, I was eager to get my...

Sweet Girl -

This is the week of your baptism, an event which is a big deal to your dad and I.

Baptism is a strange thing for us... Something we both have some baggage with.

Our parents had each of us baptized when we were babies. Me at your...

In response to last week's post, “What's the Catch?”, Kyle asked a great question:

I love the catch-free scenarios that we can come up with. The only thing I struggle with is making that connection of a kickball game attender to something else...

On Saturday, my youth ministry gathered together to play the summer's hottest game: Slip 'N Slide Kickball.

One of my seniors, a student leader in my ministry, came up to me at the start of the event, eager to share with me her experience of...

A few weeks ago, we looked at 3 types of parents that you'll work with as a youth pastor. Today, we'll continue looking at strategies for dealing with each type of parent. Here are 7 strategies for working with spaceship parents – those who are...

What the book's about:  Unlocking Mission & Eschatology in Youth Ministry is part of the series, "A theological journey through youth ministry", which tackles pressing theological issues as they relate specifically to youth...