In a recent episode of the podcast “This American Life,” reporter Emanuele Berry tells the story of her ongoing work to bring depth to her once splintered relationship with her father. For much of Berry’s life, that relationship…
It was a hot and sunny day in the octagon. The energy was palpable as matches completed and quickly restarted. There were a plethora of interesting characters, all present to test their metal: The Flash, Captain America, Beanie…
As a youth minister or parent, it is easy to feel alone in navigating your kids in the direction of spiritual truth. In a world of digital communication and technology, there seems to be a lack of opportunities…
We are always in danger of what Stephen Covey called the tyranny of the urgent. In youth ministry, this often means we run from meeting to meeting: with students in crisis, with anxious parents, with timid leaders and…
When my oldest son Mac was applying to colleges, one school required that he write a 150-word essay about something that outraged him. He came to me wondering what he should write about: Racism? Human trafficking? The opioid…
There is no lack of songs for worship leaders and youth pastors to use in our local churches. We have easier access to music through digital downloads, streaming, and convention physical copies than ever before. The availability of…
I just finished reading Michael McGarry’s new book A Biblical Theology of Youth Ministry: Teenagers in the Life of the Church (Randall House Academic, 2019). Simply put, thisis one of the more surprising books I’ve ever read. I…
One of the best parts about college is that you can have late night conversations without your parents telling you to go to bed. These conversations, while often enjoyable and filled with laughter, aren’t always so. In one,…
While the Bible is the most read book in the world, it is sometimes not easy to understand. There are sections that are long genealogies and others that contain commands that seem odd to a modern audience. The…
