Walk into a room full of teenagers and quite possibly every one of them will be on their phone, more engaged online than with each other. Believe me, I know. I’ve seen it happening in my own house,…
Perhaps it was another end-of-the-year party, a night with two events when there was only time for one, another recital, or that last round of signed papers that broke this mother’s back. May had kicked me to the…
We asked several experienced student ministers how they practically set and keep emotional boundaries – like getting too close to a student, or leaving one’s work at the office – in their ministries. We hope their wisdom sparks…
We all know the typical Sunday school imperatives from the book of Daniel: “Dare to be a Daniel.”“Eat only vegetables and water.”“Don’t bow down to golden statues.” “Be like Daniel next time you’re thrown in a lion’s den.”“Be…
A friend recently told me about the medical ordeal that a member of his extended family had encountered over the last several years. After falling ill, doctors prescribed multiple medications to heal this person’s condition. After eight different…
For a long time, I have been both intimidated by and nervous to preach any Old Testament Prophet. In my mind, these are the hardest books of the Bible. Not only do I need to be competent in…
At the start of this year’s summer break, I had all sorts of grand plans for my kids. My nine-year old was going to read for an hour every morning, I was going to teach my oldest to…
Dear Teenager, Among celebrities and politicians, you have inherited mostly horrible role models for how to engage in civil discourse. Screaming, shaming, hostility, and violence have become normal examples of how one talks to others with whom they…
Will is a new youth worker I recently met. He’s young and excited to hit the ground running. As someone who’s been doing this for twelve years, I need young guys like him to remind me that being…
