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...

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...

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...

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...

Teens are transitioning from children into adults. It is an amazing transformation. In that remarkable journey, one nagging question looms large: At what age does a teenager become an adult? The question is...

For more than a year, I told others I perceived I was headed toward burnout. I had used that word before—burnout—but only in a hypothetical sense. Burnout was a terrible experience that happened to othe...

"I want to talk about pornography." That's what the 15-year-old boy said to me after hearing me talk at his Christian school about "God and Sex." Sadly, he wasn't a curious young dabbler looking for someone to ...

Our family frequently takes long road trips. Whenever we pass a deer sign, my son taps me on the shoulder and says, "There's a deer." I explain to him that it is only a drawing of a deer, and the sign is cautio...

If your group is looking for a mission that can also be a beautification project, consider approaching the mayor or town council in your area.  Ask if your group can be assigned a spring beautification project...