Tackling Frustrating Parents

I want to acknowledge and confess my deepest struggle and frustration as a youth worker. It comes from that overbearing parent who thinks you are doing youth ministry all wrong. It comes from parents who consta...

Body Image Pressures

"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. ...

Silly Sloppy Slingshot Scrabble

Silly Sloppy Slingshot Scrabble is a favorite around my middle school and junior high ministry. It has taken on various forms and challenging levels, but it is a guaranteed blast! Supplies: - Water balloon ...

Navigating the Worldview Tug-Of-War

When I told some of my friends that I would be attending a meeting of the Society of Christian Philosophers at Westmont College, their responses fell into three basic categories: • Horror: "What? Why? That ...

Whose Kingdom Are You Building?

I started in college ministry in 1999 with some very unfortunate motivations, and I don't think I'm alone. I had pure motivations, too; but if I'm honest, at least part of me set out to build my own kingdom ...

When Death Shatters Faith

"Better luck next time." Those words are forever seared into my consciousness. It was a phone call no one ever wishes to make. My wife, Beth, and I had come home after receiving confirmation our worst fears ...

Managing Rejection

If you were expecting something other than rejection, you probably should consider a different profession. It is par for the course, a when and not an if.