What the book's about: Autopsy of a Deceased Church by Thom Rainer uses research to analyze what factors contribute to the death of a church and in contrast, keep congregations alive.
Why I read this book: When I spoke on The Jesus...
I love Jesus.
That's probably not surprising to you. As a youth worker, I'm guessing you love Jesus, too. What's more, I'm guessing you want the teens in your congregation to love Jesus. But what happens when they don't?
Because let's face it,...
Baby girl turns one on Sunday, a milestone which has left me feeling nostalgic. There's so much I want to capture about this first year; things I fear I will forget in a year in which scrapbooking has fallen by the wayside.
During my pregnancy, I...
What I'm Reading:
Fiction:
April was an INSANE month. Nevertheless, I still got some reading in.
Best mystery: What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan
Perfect beach read: Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny...
What I'm Reading:
Fiction:
I read a lot during the month of March, finishing six fiction books.
Best mystery: She's Not There by Joy Fielding. I've been a fan of Joy Fielding for years. This was a well-written, engaging read about a...
What the book's about: Saying Is Believing is a research-based book about the necessity of testimony in adolescent spiritual development. It's also a practical guide for how to invite teens to practice giving testimonies in our ministries. ...
A professor once told me the most important decision he makes for each class is choosing what that class will read.
In a lot of ways, I feel the same way about my student leadership team. Each summer, we read a book together. Not only does this...
In a recent sermon, mega church pastor and evangelical Christian leader, Andy Stanley said, “We want churches to be large enough so that there are enough middle schoolers and high schoolers that we don't have one youth group with middle school and...
What I'm Reading:
Fiction:
I read a LOT during February, completing six fiction books. Among them, my favorites were:
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom. I don't know how I missed this when it came out in 2010. It was SO good -...
Last night, I mentioned to my husband in passing, "Tomorrow's the first day in weeks I feel like I have some breathing room in my schedule."
For me, January is always a sprint - one of the busiest months of my ministry year. To make matters...