Youth ministry is beautiful, messy, unpredictable work. It’s not a straight path or a neatly packaged program—it’s a calling that will stretch your heart, test your patience, and deepen your faith. If you’re new to this journey or just need a reminder, here are a few hard-won truths every youth leader eventually learns…
The Cost of Premature Leadership: Why Empowering Without Equipping Hurts Young Leaders.In today’s emerging ministry culture, “empowerment” has become a buzzword. We love the idea of handing the mic to the next generation, inviting them onto the platform, and giving them a seat at the leadership table. And rightly so—young people are capable, creative, and called. I have written about this quite a bit.
Called to Shepherd, Not PerformPastors are called to care for souls, not chase algorithms. Influence is a byproduct of faithfulness, not the goal. Depth Over HypeInfluence often values virality and visibility. Pastoring values depth, longevity, and transformation. Faithfulness Isn’t Always FlashyJesus washed feet, not timelines. Kingdom work often happens in obscurity, not on stages or […]
Here’s what I’m learning: when someone feels like a co-creator in ministry, not just a helper, they show up differently. They carry ownership. They dream bigger. They risk more. They care deeper.
ESL and Immigrant Inclusive Ministry, Ten Thoughts and Hints for Ministry and Students.
Youth ministry is one of the most rewarding, challenging, and crucial roles in the Church today. You’re shaping the next generation of leaders, believers, and world-changers. But here’s a hard truth: many youth pastors don’t make it past the 18-24-month mark.
In every church, there’s a platform. But what that platform represents—and how it’s used—can reveal a lot about the heart of the church. Is it an altar or a stage?
We’ve TOO often hear metaphors about the church being a hospital for the hurting or a museum of sacred traditions. BUT… what if we imagined the church as a gym—a space for spiritual fitness, training, and growth?
MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMP MISTAKES AND MISSES, For 10-15 years, I chose to run my own camps for my groups and/or decided to run missions trips in place of summer camp. In my last two churches, we have rented out camps, hired outside speakers and musicians, and ran most of the programming and activities ourselves. In […]
Speaking to the Rock: New Ministry Methods for a New Generation. Are we listening to God or still doing what “use to work” the way “we have always done it”?
