I was 13 when my parents enrolled me in two years' worth of confirmation classes. It wasn't my choice, but I didn't fight it either. It's what kids in my church did. I had no expectations other than it would be...

During the dog days of summer heat, outdoor water games can be popular, and Sponge Out is a blast. Divide the group into teams, give each team a box of sidewalk chalk, and then instruct each team to create a la...

Not long ago my wife and I experienced a series of frustrations in our house.  First, our electrical system began to develop problems—with lights going out, or not coming on at all.  Then, our furnace stopp...

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...

The conversation would be similar each week as I walked through the plan for that night and it would always end the same before I left the office.  I be would asked about my lesson.  Each time I would hear th...

In the spirit of the winter Olympics, here are three indoor games that can be played with balloons. Some are individual games, others require teamwork. Balloony Toons This game will require the long variety...

What has five eyes, eight feet, scales, and spotted stripes?  Middle school ministry!  Okay not really, but sometimes it feels that way.  And yet I am convinced that this is one of the greatest opportunities...

I visited a church recently that was promoting a women’s conference. There were posters hanging in the lobby, where there was also a special table where you could register for the conference. They had put was...

When I first started out in youth ministry I desperately wanted the students in our church all to feel like they were part of a bigger family. I naively believed that if I could get students to show up to enoug...

Collect many different kinds of hats in a large box (baseball caps, helmets, women’s bonnets, berets, etc.).  For the game, gather the teenagers into a circle (standing or sitting).  Place the box of hats i...