The Vocation of Stepparenting

From the beginning of our courtship my husband was a “package” deal. He had a precious three- year-old son who was the center of his universe. I marveled at my joyful yes to taking on this pair, as…

Ecclesiastes for the Student Minister

Is the author of Ecclesiastes suggesting our work in student ministry is not worth it when he opens with the following remarks? “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) I’ve been sitting with…

Broken Family? You’re Not Alone

Dear Parent, I know how you must be feeling… You’re a failure. I know shame is whispering that lie as you wonder who your child has talked to and whether or not they’ve told; you’re desperately hoping the…

Cultural Narratives and Youth Ministry

In his essay, “The Native Hill,” Wendell Berry examines the worth of the two worlds in which he resides; one world is the literary, the place of his profession, and the other the natural, the place where he…

Missing Out or ‘Living In’ Ministry?

Late last week, I was wrestling with content for a teaching time at our church when my phone pinged and vibrated with alerts from #SXSW (the darling arts/music/film/tech festival in Austin, TX). Each of these alerts communicated a sure and…