Think for a moment – have you ever been at a place in your ministry where you felt like you weren’t quite connecting with your students like you wanted to? Maybe you’re still the “new guy.” Maybe you ...

"Daddy, will people make fun of me?" I didn't expect that question to come out of the mouth of my oldest child when she was 5 years old and one day away from heading off to her first day of kindergarten. ...

Check out these culture snapshots pulled from the pages of YouthWorker Journal.  Teens Smoking Less (But They Still Text a Lot) There was a bevy of good news in the new National Youth Risk Behavior Surve...

Check out these culture snapshots pulled from the next issue of YouthWorker Journal.  Star Wars: The Babies Awaken      Star Wars: The Force Awakens had a powerful influence on the box office when it...

In just a few more than 50 years, our media culture has gone from treating matters of sexuality as a hush-hush topic to putting all kinds of sexual practices and issues center-stage. That certainly has been...

Psalm 4: Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge (Psalm 16, NIV) Sadly, high school graduations and summer breaks frequently lead teenagers into poor decisions.  Car accidents, alcohol and drugs, p...

This is a variation of the classic game musical chairs. But for this version, air-filled balloons (of the same size) will be needed.  Make sure to have enough balloons on hand for your group size.  Play like ...

Two miles into my first 10K race, and I was crying. It wasn’t the race itself. I had run 6.2 miles in training, but the route took me past the funeral home where I had last seen our 5-week-old daughter. Altho...

We asked four youth workers what transitions they felt are the most critical in the lives of youth. Here's what they said... Fred Odouyoye: I think there are a few segments of transition that are critical i...

It’s 4:47 a.m., and I’m wide awake. Looking at my phone, I’m frustrated because I barely fell asleep at 12:30 a.m., and I didn’t plan to get up until 6:30 a.m. All I can think about are the things that ...