"Greet the friends by name" (3 John 1:14). One defining experience of my life was losing a close friend when I was in the seventh grade. One of my friends, a high school sophomore at the time, was hit by a c...

"Remember your Creator in the days of your youth" (Ecc. 12:1, NIV). One of the most difficult aspects of being a teenager is having a limited perspective. In other words, teens have difficulty with seeing a ...

"If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success" (Ecc. 10:10, NIV). When I was a boy, my father frequently sent me out in the summertime to chop down small ...

"A good name is better than fine perfume" (Ecc. 7:1). Some years ago a prominent televangelist and national leader was disgraced by the revelation of many improprieties and weaknesses of character. More re...

This game, played in a large grassy area, is perfect for large groups. First, draw two parallel lines in the grass (about 15 yards apart). Lines can be drawn with spray paint or by using a baseball diamond line...

Christopher Wesley Ave Maria Press, 2015, 128 pp., $9.95 What youth leaders—Catholic and Protestant—will appreciate about Christopher Wesley's excellent book Rebuilding Youth Ministry is his e...

"Better a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king" (Ecc. 4:13, NIV). The Book of Ecclesiastes often has been described as the most honest book in the Bible…a treatise that does not hide from the d...

This a game that I recall playing back in the 1970s. Have a local farmer or wood craftsman bring in a freshly cut log (1'-long or less works fine). Begin the game by counting out the rings in the wood (one ring...

This is an old game that always can be given contemporary twists. Arrange to take your group to a mystery destination. You, of course, know the destination, but the youth will not know until arrival. Popular de...

Years ago, when I was participating in track and field in college, I had a coach who stressed the importance of pace. He was adamant that pace was essential—not only in long distance runs such as the mi...