Youth ministry is uncomfortable. It was jarring to be asked about the problem of evil for the first time as a student minister. Or the time I sat stunned and silent as I tried to cobble together an…
Oh, the ways we mystify and complicate discipleship. I am absolutely guilty of this in my youth ministry career, and I pray this article will be a beginning of repentance, although I have a long way to go….
In the last decade, youth ministry has seen a movement away from the historical focus on law and morality, toward the proclamation of the gospel: the Good News that God loves and redeems sinners through Christ. However,…
What can two authors from the 1960s, writing about the problems of public education, teach student ministers today about practical ministry? In the case of Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner’s Teaching as a Subversive Activity, the answer is,…
We asked several experienced youth ministers about their goal and approach when meeting with a student one-on-one. As you’ll see, they have a lot to say! We hope their wisdom sparks insight and ideas in your own relational…
Instead of focusing on the “How” to do devotions with our teenagers, it’s first important to dig into the “Why” we should be doing them with our growing kids.
Several years ago, I was leading a discipleship group and wanted a co-leader who could help me give the personal attention that my students needed. So I approached a godly, wise woman in the church whom I considered…
I have a hobby you might find unusual. I collect questions. While some people collect dolls, baseball cards, or antiques, I collect questions. You might wonder why I ever started this; and I’ll tell you: I came to…
As you seek to build a ministry to students upon the sure foundation of Christ’s finished work, I would recommend the following six books.
