The Unimportance of Being “Cool”
In a recent meeting for our upcoming Summer mission trip, I found myself hesitant to announce that girls were required to wear a one-piece bathing suit, a rule which in the eyes of a teenage girl is essentially…
Categories
1 and 2 Kings1 Peter1-3 JohnActsAddiction 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 disabilitiesChurchChurch 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 ParenthoodLonelinessLukeMalachiMentorshipMicahMilestones 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 GospelsTheological DepthUncategorizedVideo GamesVideosVocationVolunteer TrainingWeaknessWebsitesWhat the Bible Says About ParentingWorshipYouth Group CultureYouth MinistersZechariah
Authors
Adam PetersonAlexis AndreAlice ChurnockAllen KingAllie MartinAlly VeldermanAllyn BockAlvin ReidAmy BondAndrea 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 GraysonDimas 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 SandersGigi SandersGil MurdockGordon BalsGrace McCreadyGrace RiosGreg MeyerHannah DowHayden HowellHayden SledgeHeather 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’BrienZac LuskZach SkipperZion Selvaraj
New to Youth Ministry: The Importance of Professionalism
“We need to fire the youth pastor.” Those words, spoken to my boss, drew me into what became a negotiation process between church leaders and a young youth minister. It was one of many times I have been…
Doctrine, Duty, and the Rising Generation of Kids Who Love Justice
Jackie Hill Perry stated it plainly when she said, “The next generation, I imagine, will be one worth watching.” This was Perry’s opening line to her speech at the MLK50 Conference in Memphis, Tennessee this past April 3….
New to Youth Ministry: Patience with Teenagers
My Incredible Lack of Patience Early on in my ministry, about twelve years ago, I was doing student ministry in a small rural church. I had one student, we will call him Jim, who wanted to sing with…
What Gospel-Centered Youth Ministry Means (and what it doesn’t): Part 2
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 Gospel-Centered Youth Ministry Means (and what it doesn’t): Part 1
I always considered myself a gospel-centered youth pastor. There was a period when I even created a blog entitled “Gospel-Centered Youth Ministry.” But looking back, the irony is striking. The gospel has always been present in everything I…
Student Ministry as a Subversive Activity
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,…
Encouragement for Youth Ministers on the Ledge
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…
Using Debate to Teach Teenagers Diversity
It can be hard to get students to consider a topic in depth when, on a surface level, they already support it. How do you keep students engaged, wanting to go deeper? How do you help them differentiate…