What I Learned From the Boston Bombing

The Boston Marathon bombing has hit me on two personal levels in a way unlike any major tragedy in the past. First, one of our most faithful, beloved Sunday school teachers was within a mile of the bombing…

Peter: Hope for Youth Ministers

This article by Mark Howard previously appeared at The Gospel Coalition. I was happy in my previous job as a fundraising consultant.  I never dreamt of full-time church ministry, and I definitely didn’t think of myself as a…

Essentials in Youth Ministry: Small Groups

In my eight years as a small group leader to students (and their leaders), I’ve learned much about what to do and what not to do. About what works, and what doesn’t. So what makes small groups successful?…

Essentials in Youth Ministry: Retreats

Retreats. Chaos. Logistics. Long nights. Long drives.  Injuries. Fond memories. That is the sequence of words that follow in my mind when I think of youth retreats. When I think of what was most memorable in my time…