When she was about seven years old, my youngest developed a unique relationship with an elderly woman in our church. Her relationship with “Miss Wanda” began when the two discovered they both had an appreciation for yard work,…
Barb is a nice enough girl, but she feels like she doesn’t have any “real” friends – friends who she can share her deepest and darkest with. Friends who give to her as much as she puts in…
Dear Youth Pastors, We are entering a new phase in our home with a freshman in high school. When I discuss this transition with other parents, we share a common urgency to evaluate what we have taught, shown,…
My teen does not want to be part of a youth group. Now what? There is no easy answer to whether or not parents should force their children to attend youth group when they have expressed a disinterest….
In the past several years that I’ve served as a youth pastor, I’ve noticed a concerning trend. We have three Sunday morning services, with Sunday School meeting during the second and third services. As our student ministry has…
When the church enters a season of brokenness, we encourage students to turn to the One who hears their pain, but does not cause it.
I don’t know about you, but where I live, sports are a big deal to students and their families. It isn’t uncommon for sports, not the church, to hold a higher priority in the life of a student….
Find a church near your house that is solid in the Gospel and commit to it, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, ‘til death do you part.
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…
