Setting Expectations in Youth Missions
Tempting as it is to revel in last year’s glory, we want to plan for success the second time around, and that means getting our expectations in the right place.
Categories
1 and 2 Kings1 Peter1-3 John2 PeterActsAddiction and Substance AbuseAddiction and Substance Abuse In Your ChildAnswering Your Teenager's Questions About FaithAnxietyAnxiety In Your ChildAnxiety/Worry/FearApologeticsArticlesAsian American MinistryAsk the ExpertsBible Studies/DevotionalsBible TeachingBlogsBody Image and Eating DisordersBody Image/Eating Disorders in Your ChildBooksCan't Do It AllCaring for children with disabilitiesChildren's MinistryChurchChurch CommunityCollegeColossiansCommunicating With Your TeenagerConferenceCultureCultureDanielDaughtersDepressionDepression in Your ChildDevelopmentDisability MinistryDisciplineDoubtEcclesiastesEphesiansEstherEvangelismExodusEzra/NehemiahFamilyFamily Discipleship/DevotionalsFamily DynamicsFamily MinistryFamily MinistryFathersFear Factor in ParentingFirst StepsFor Young ChildrenGalatiansGenesisGospel-CenteredGospel-Centered ParentingGriefGriefHaggaiHeavenHeavenHebrewsHope This HelpsIdentityIntegenerational IntegrationJamesJonahJudeLifegiving ParenthoodLonelinessLukeMalachiMarkMentorshipMicahMilestones Resource PageMinistry to BoysMinistry to GirlsMissionsMothersNew To Youth MinistryNewsParenting in the SpiritParenting Out ofParenting, Technology, and the TruthParentsPartnering With ParentsPartnering With Your Youth PastorPerfectionismPerfectionism in your teenPhilippiansPodcastsPoliticsPoliticsPop CulturePornographyPornographyPractical Ministry ToolsPrayerPraying For Your ChildPreparing for CollegePsalmsRacial JusticeRacial JusticeRelational DiscipleshipRelationshipsRetreats and EventsRevelationRomansSchool/ExtracurricularsSelf-CareSelf-HarmSelf-Harm In Your ChildSermon on the MountSermons/TalksSex, Gender, and SexualitySexual AbuseSexual AbuseSingle ParentsSmall GroupsSocial Media and TechnologySocial Media and TechnologySonsSpiritual DisciplinesSports/ExtracurricularsSufferingSufferingSuicideSummerTalking To Your Kids About Sex/Gender/SexualityThe Good Good NewsThe GospelsThe Lord's PrayerTheological DepthUncategorizedVideo GamesVideosVocationVolunteer TrainingWeaknessWebsitesWhat the Bible Says About ParentingWorshipYouth Group CultureYouth MinistersZechariah
Authors
Adam PetersonAlexis AndreAlice ChurnockAllen KingAllie MartinAlly VeldermanAllyn BockAlvin ReidAmy BondAmy FredellAndrea LeeAndrew SlayAndrew WilsonAndy CornettAndy HoodAndy OdleAngela TilandAnn McQueen WhatleyAnna ConcepcionAnna Joy SnuggsAnna Meade HarrisAnna NashAnne ChenAnne SanfordAnnie TaltonAnonymousApril HabermanArek O’ConnellAshley ChesnutAshley KimBecca HeckBecky PaynterBen BeswickBen BirdsongBen CutsingerBen HewittBen PalmBen SciaccaBen YiBenjamin KandtBenjamin WillsBethany JenkinsBethany McIlrathBijan MirtolooiBill FulliloveBob HartmanBrad HoughBradley BlaylockBradley GrayBrandon JonesBrandon McCullochBrent BoundsBrent BoundsBrian DembowczykBrian H. CosbyBrian PittsBrian RyuBrooke PreusBurt DickinsonCaleb CreelCam PottsCameron ColeCameron Cole and Anna Meade HarrisCarolyn LankfordCarolyn Lankford and Anna Meade HarrisChad PoeChap BettisCharlotte GetzCharlotte Getz and Anna Meade HarrisChelsea Erickson, Anna Meade Harris, Carolyn Lankford, and Rebecca LankfordChelsea Kingston EricksonChelsea Kingston Erickson and Anna Meade HarrisChelsea Kingston Erickson and Dawson CooperChelten CarterChloe SheffieldChris DaltonChris LiChris Morphew Chris PolskiChrissy TrappChristian HayesChristina FoxChristina FrostChristine B. GordonChristopher Esposito-BernardChristopher TalbotCiana CreightonCindy LeeClaire DavisClarissa MollClark FobesClark Fobes and Chelsea EricksonClark Fobes and Kevin YiClark Fobes and Zion SelvarajClark Fobes, Mike McGarry, and Kevin YiClinton WheelerColby WilkinsCole Kelly, Jr.Cole ShifletColumbus Cody IIIConnie Leung NelsonConnor CoskeryCorey SeitzCreagh GoingsCristobal TongCurtis DunlapDan HallockDan MarottaDan MontgomeryDan WilsonDan WolfDaniel KimDanny BeechDanny KwonDarren DePaulDave HartDave HoppingDave PrechtDave SteinbeckDave WrightDavid BrashlerDavid MurrayDavid PlantDavid ThomasDavid WashingtonDavis LaceyDawson CooperDebbie VerdellDerek GrizDevan GraysonDillon MackDimas SalaberriosDorena WilliamsonDorothy LauDouglas J. RomaineDr. Joe B. LaRussaDustin MesserEd DrewElayna MacurakElisabeth Elliott HayesElliot WestonEmily HeideEmily JenkinsEmily MenendezEmily SeibertEmily ZellEmmie ThompsonEricson JoubertErin WagbergEthan CampbellEva ParkerFoster ToftFrances ConnerFrances Conner and Mac HarrisFred SandersGeorgina WittGigi SandersGil MurdockGordon BalsGrace McCreadyGrace RiosGreg MeyerHannah DowHayden HowellHayden SledgeHeather DirkseHeather HollemanHewes HullHolly BrownHolly MackleHuey LeeIngram LinkIsaac KarpenskeIsaiah BroomsIsaiah MarshallIvy LassiterJackson SharmanJacob BierJacob SmithJalyn MikellJames PowellJane MenendezJaniece SoileauJaquelle CroweJared BurkholderJared C. WilsonJared KennedyJared WilsonJarrett Van TineJason EngleJason PeevyJay BeerleyJD TylerJeanette “Net” WadeJeffrey HeineJeffrey JonesJennifer CrispJennifer KvammeJennifer PhillipsJennifer SheppardJennifer TingJenny LisaJoe GibbesJoe MartinJoey TurnerJohn GardnerJohn LaffoonJohn PerritJohn PondJohn ZahlJohnny NorbeckJon CoombsJon GersJon LilleyJon WattsJonathan BarneyJonathan ClubbJonathan HolmesJonathan LilleyJonathan MansurJonathan MolengrafJonathon WoodyardJordan FrancisJordy OrsettiJoseph BradleyJoseph PetersonJosh CousineauJosh HussungJoshua and Amelia GreeverJoshua MadlJoshua NeissJulie GillisJulie MoserJustin TalbertJustin TilghmanJustin Whitmel EarleyJustin WongKai ChenKaila ThomasKari KampakisKatharine RoseKatherine ForsterKatherine StineKathryn EckhardtKatie and Chris PolskiKatie FloresKatie PolskiKaty MorganKaty SheltonKaty Shelton and Anna NashKellie CurrinKenda Creasy DeanKendal ConnerKendal Conner and Seth StewartKeri FolmarKerry TrunfioKevin CarlockKevin deJongeKevin YiKirk KingsleyKris FernhoutKristen HattonKristin Elizabeth CouchKyle BjergaKyle HoffsmithKyle WhiteheadKyle WorleyLaura HydingerLauren Center WillisLauren GilbertLauren NoblittLeslie HoLilly GilbertLindsay FunchesLindsey CarlsonLisa Harlow ClayLiz EdringtonLiz PriceLogan J. BaileyLogan MurphyLucy Kate GreenLuke BannerLuke CawleyLuke PaivaMac HarrisMaddie AllenMae McDuffMargaret PopeMark CultonMark HowardMark RectorMark UptonMarlee TomlinsonMartha Kate StainsbyMary Allison AndersonMary Beth JohnstonMary Madeline SchumpertMatt BallardMatt BrownMatt FranciscoMatt PolkMelanie BeasleyMelanie LacyMelissa HuffMelissa PowellMeredith DixonMeredith ExlineMichael GoldsteinMichael NeelMichael RuamthongMichael Thomas HamiltonMichael WeeksMichelle Ami ReyesMike JonesMike McGarryMike RuamthongMike TilandMike WattMimi LamMitchell DixonMolly WitheringtonMonica KimMorgan LuskNatalie LettNathan LemkeNick BogardusNick ConnerNnanna OkaforNoah FrankPaige BiermanPaige BurrPaige RouseParker HudsonPaul HongPaul MartinPeter KangPeter OngPhilip WalkleyRachel CainRachel CohenRebecca HattonRebecca LankfordRegan BranchRenee ImbesiRich GriffithRichard E. Simmons IIIRob BruhnRob YanceyRootedRussell BooneRussell GallowayRyan CenterRyan MartinRyan OakesRyan RoachRyan WoodRyann HolleySam RappSammie GalloSamuel J. HoodSara LittenSarah Eekhoff ZylstraSarah HydingerSarah NixonScott ByersScott DouglasScotty SmithSean CroweSelah VetterSeth KingSeth StewartSharon HershShaun McDonaldShea PatrickShelby AbbottSherene JosephSkyler FlowersSpencer HaynesStephenStephen YatesSteve EatmonSteve JamisonStuart GunnerSydney HussSyler ThomasTaylor BirkhimerTaylor CainTaylor MendozaTaylor SuttonTerrence ShayTim FranksTim HigginsTimothy ShoreyTodd HillTracey RectorTraci KeeneTracy McGarryTravis PalmerTucker FlemingVince GreenwaldWayne IngramWill LeitnerWill NeaseWill O’BrienWilliam CumbyZac LuskZach SkipperZion Selvaraj
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
Just as Jesus instructed his disciples to follow him, or as Paul took Timothy with him on his missionary journeys, we too must bring our students alongside us as we remain faithful to the cultural narrative.
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…
Shame, Suffering, and Authenticity in Youth Group
So often, our passions and drives in ministry are the byproduct of an experience or story from our own adolescence. In this series, we asked student leaders what shaped and enlivened their faith as teenagers, and how that…
Have Our Kids’ Minds Gone to Pot?
When I was on my middle school track team, we trained at the high school across the street. By the time early morning practice was over, the high schoolers had gathered on the lawn outside their building to…
A Teen’s Perspective: How Grace Changed My Life
I am a teenager, and I am a Christian. That means my life is different. I don’t live for what the world offers, and I don’t act how the world tells me to. I have been transformed by…
Discipling Students by Reading Books Together
So often, our passions and drives in ministry are the byproduct of an experience or story from our own adolescence. In this series, we asked student leaders what shaped and enlivened their faith as teenagers, and how that…
Practically Speaking: Message-Length and Different Age Groups
When I first got into youth ministry, I had a larger than life mentor, “Big Don,” who routinely dropped nuggets of wisdom on me. Big Don stood at 6’8 and rolled 290 pounds. He also happened to live…