The (Failed) Indoctrination of Daniel

Daniel is a book for our teenagers’ cultural moment. Most teens will tell you they feel lonely and displaced. They’re displaced from one another by the failing promises of social media; displaced from their emotions as depression and…

Youth Ministries Need a Gospel Anchor

Being a teenager is difficult because almost everything changes. A handful of students face the challenge of new classes, schools, cities, states, and countries. Many cycle through different phases, friend groups, and fads. For Gen Z, uncertainty is…

Eating Disorders and the Holidays

For someone who struggles with an eating disorder or anxiety about food and body image, November through New Year’s Eve is the most dreaded time of year. Or at least, that’s how it was for me.

The Gospel and Inconvenient Youth

When people ask me why a focus on Gospel-centeredness is so critical in youth ministry, my response comes to me in faces: Robbie and Kevin, adopted brothers struggling to integrate into their family. Charlie, for whom I stumbled…

Top Ten – October ‘18

  Here are the top ten articles from the past month that can be of benefit to youth workers and parents in their ministry to teenagers. Some of these give explicit instruction on gospel-centered ministry, while others are…

What the Gospel Means to Me as a Mom

When my oldest son turned thirteen, I suddenly felt unsure about parenting this boy who was rapidly becoming a man. No longer could I strap a disobedient child into a car seat and carry him where I wanted…