Fear, Patience, and Prayer in Discipling Kids

Recently, I made a presentation to parents in our youth ministry, entitled, “Why Kids Abandon the Church.” Two years earlier, when I made a similar presentation, called “Grace-Driven to Postmodern Teens,” the class drew five people. Not surprisingly,…

Adoption: God as the Empathetic Parent

We are excited about the theme for the 2012 Rooted Conference – “Adoption: The Beauty of Grace” – which will explore how the theological concept of adoption speaks to the present youth generation. A while back, my wife…

Underaged Drinking: Just Say YES! (Sort Of)

One of the most surprising revelations to me in my early youth ministry days relates to the real reason why teens drink. I remember in my legalist days as an adolescent, determining whether or not a girl was…