A Favorite Psalm of Praise
"May people tell of Your wondrous deeds" (Ps. 75:1).If there is one thing teenagers need in their lives, it is praise. Everyone needs a pat on the back, a good word, an accolade from time to time. For this...
Christian Education: From Existential Angst to Ontological Healing: Toward a Renewal in Christian Education
"The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple" (Ps. 119:130, ESV).Within this single verse lies a proleptic power that can transform generations of human beings, birth new cul...
Reclaiming Teen Girls: Building Identity, Significance and Purpose into Students
I remember my first days as a girl's minister. It was a struggle at first. I had leaders clamoring for a minute of my time so they could point out the broken girls who really needed mentoring. Other leaders wer...
Managing Your Ministry: Don’t Be That Guy
Nobody wants to be that guy. That guy is the one who blurts out a spoiler to a movie you haven't seen. She (Yes, that guy can be a male or female.) is the Debbie Downer who tells you, "Sure you won a vacation f...
Aren’t You Glad You’re Not Popular?
"Out of the overflow of the heart, the fingers tweet" (Matt. 12:34, paraphrased).I remember in the Democratic primary when Bill Clinton was asked if he'd ever tried marijuana. His response is the now very memor...
Soul Care: The Retreat I Needed, but Dreaded
In the movie Gravity, Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) on her first shuttle mission says while spacewalking, "The silence. I could get used to it."Honestly, I never have been a big fan of silence. Bible verses s...
Imago Desire: How What We Want Shapes Who We Are
Do you remember those Choose Your Own Adventure books from when you were a kid? As you read along, you became the protagonist and decided what would happen every time you turned the page.There are a few ways to...
Salt Shakers in the World
"You are the salt of the earth" (Matt. 5:13, NRSV).In southern Indiana, there is a limestone quarry, the largest in the world. Most of the finest quality limestone is cut from this massive shelf of limestone, a...
Kingdom Come for Christ Followers
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:10, NRSV).At a recent youth ministry conference, one of the speakers related a story about her years o...
Putting the Cape on the Underdog
Youth ministry is exciting! Between the games, music and energy, it's an area that allows people of all ages to be involved. Investing in teenagers is something companies, communities and churches inv...