Church Planting as Youth Ministry is an ongoing column which draws together insights from two crucial spheres of ministry: youth ministry and church planting. Authors such as Tim Keller have quantified the effective disciple-making that happens through church…
I was recently looking for a file in the archives of my email when I came across a letter I’d written years ago to a college where I had applied for a job. I was floored when I…
“How do I know what God’s will is for my life?” As a former student pastor, I saw the special weight this question carries for teenagers and young adults. Members of these age groups are making decisions that…
While the Rooted Blog Team enjoys some end-of the year time off, enjoy these past articles from 2017. Each of these are worth both a first and a second read. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I…
I completed the summer internship for my college degree in youth ministry at a large, seeker-sensitive church. I have since come to reject “attractional ministry,” but I learned many important lessons during that summer. One of the memories…
Comedian Nick Thune believes he could get hired as the youth pastor at just about every church in America. And he might be right. In a recent appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Thune gave a…
As families find their ways into “back to school” rhythms, our church’s student ministry leadership team is preparing to teach through John 11-21. Having studied the first ten chapters last year, the completion of our study of the…
John 21:15-19 Being a youth minister seems like a lot of work. In fact, it is. I’ve heard people compare it to running your own little church with little people. Through my time as a youth minister, I…
This is the sixth and final article in our series, “Here I am. Send me!” We learn in Isaiah 6 that only after the prophet is totally convicted of his own sin and failures, met by God’s perfect…
