My husband and I have been blessed to be part of a long-standing small group. Together with this group, we've celebrated milestones and walked with each other through some of life's darkest moments. We've also reflected on our faith stories and in...
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During the wee hours of our summer mission trip, I realized one of my student leaders was in the midst of a spiritual crisis.
Just before the trip, her atheist friend asked her, “Why do you believe in God?” In that moment, she realized she didn't...
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Over the last two weeks, there has been extensive news coverage about the impact of the government shutdown on various services.
We've seen headlines about WWII veterans trying to visit a closed WWII monument in Washington DC; About frustrated...
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In February, I found out I was pregnant. Like so many other newly pregnant moms, I expected to be welcoming a baby into our house 9 months later - a few short weeks from now, actually.
Instead, I miscarried a few weeks later.
Since then, I've...
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For a time, my husband and I participated in a lot of lay-witness missions. During these, a team of lay-leaders descended upon a church and led the children, youth, and adults in a weekend-long retreat.
I loved many things about these lay-witness...
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This year, I'm challenging my student leaders to dream big, God-sized dreams for our ministry; Dreams that are, without God, impossible to achieve.
Over the summer, I asked my student leaders to write their God-sized dreams down, share them with...
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My students are, in a word, obsessed with the 2012 movie version of Les Miserables. Knowing this, I decided to use Les Mis as the basis for our first, three-week series of the year. This series is written as discussions, designed to be...
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Let me tell you a secret.
I hate accountability groups.
Oh, I know I shouldn’t say that.
I know they’re a valued part of many churches and youth groups, a way to keep wayward teens accountable for their actions.
I know that as a youth pastor, I’m...
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Each summer, my husband and I binge on a TV series or two.
Last year, it was Friday Night Lights and Downton Abbey.
This year, it was Breaking Bad.
Now, I know we came late to the party & that the series finale aired Sunday. But we're...
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