Is conversation essential in Youth Ministry?
For the longest time in youth ministry, we have, like “big church,” preached a message that we expected youth to listen to. Within this framework, all of us have tried different things to keep students engaged. We may shorten the message, move around the format of the service, or have youth teach (which I think […]
The Gospel Story in the Lives of Students: Why It Matters in a Postmodern Era
We are seeing social phenomena in this generation like never before. I say social because the rate at which some issues are growing is simply a statistical impossibility. Mental health is crumbling; gender identity is becoming more confusing by the day. The quest for the self is at an all-time high, but students are coming […]
Fear or Curiosity?
We live in a world that loves the sensational. There is so much information out there; the way to get attention is to say something that stops people dead in their tracks. Gen Z has picked up on this, and they can take sensationalism to another level. But, how we respond may be more important […]
Reflections from the Year of Ministry in Schools
You may or may not know this, but we are practitioners. We want to reach students as badly as you do. We spend the school year on public school campuses with students, having conversations and sharing the Gospel through our non-profit, RLTK. Pre-Covid, we were in 11 public schools. This year we started the journey of […]
Proverbs: The Untapped Resource for Gen Z
For months now, I’ve been thinking about biblical literacy amongst students. We all know the data that speaks to a decline in a Christian worldview and orthodox views of scripture. People seem to be valuing the scriptures less and less, even as believers. If we can’t get Christians to read the Bible, how do we […]
The Future Church or the Future of The Church?
There is a dichotomy that exists in the world around young people, which unfortunately exists within the church. Young people are the “future,” but we treat them and view them as less-than, not fully realized people, so they get relegated to the sidelines until they are ready to contribute. Now, I am writing this to […]
For the birds and the lack of bees
“There is no way that this winter is ever going to end as long as this groundhog keeps seeing his shadow. I don’t see any other way out. He’s got to be stopped. And I have to stop him.” – Phil Connors Social issues seem to come in cycles. In one season, we are debating […]
Caring for the Heartbroken Teen
Living in the desert, we have our share of dangers—wildlife such as coyotes, javelina, various types of lizards, and of course, snakes. One, in particular, is the Rattle Snake which is a predator but also an opportunistic animal. It not only seeks out the prey, but it also lies in wait and strikes at the […]
Romance Discipleship
Remember the age that you noticed someone else in a special way? Remember their smile, laugh, and general being that stirred feelings in you that made you long to become their friend, maybe even more than friends? Who taught you the art of how to romance them and how to woo them? Who taught you […]
Can I Hold Water?
Anyone who reads or glances through Paul’s letters will see encouragement to continue living a godly life. It’s easy to get sidetracked when ministry gets overwhelming with the rushing current of week-to-week tasks and events. What I see the most is not a catastrophic failure but a slow leak from the hustle. What do I […]
