Youth Ministry

Youth Ministry has been messy. It’s a new focus in the life of a congregation, arising less than 150 years ago, gaining significant momentum in the last 50 years. Recent changes in culture are also redefining what it means to be youth pastors. So what is the way forward?

I’m not going to pretend like I can relate to you as a youth pastor. I don’t have kids yet, and I don’t have the level of commitments you do as parents. But how about this? I’m a pastor, and sometimes us pastors get so caught up in “doing God stuff” that we forget to “participate in God stuff.”

The new (school) year always brings a bit of anxiety for me personally, so I totally resonate with you if you’re having some freakouts. If you’re a youth pastor and reading this, plan your full year. 

I was 17, I was invincible. And much like my friends, we thought nothing could go wrong ... Tragedy is never something we're allowed to predict, but it is something we should always be prepared for.

Is that what you believe you actually do? Do you think of yourself as a "Saver of people." The simple and selfish Christian answer is probably yes to that question. But I believe the real answer is "no." An absolute "No!"

The other woman spoke, “I love Jesus, but I hate Christians.” “Yea, they’re terrible,” the first woman agreed. They both chuckled a bit and continued on with their browsing, soon moving to another section of the store.

One of my most beloved passages comes from Ephesians 4 where Paul is instructing this group of Christians (who of course know their religion very well) of they way they ought to be acting. And in the middle of condemning them, he cautions them to watch their tongue, among a plethora of other cautions.

It is my belief that the church finds itself at a very interesting and pivotal moment in history. Moral questions have taken the most fascinating turn because secular culture is pointing the Church back to her own Gospel message: grace; forgiveness; inclusion; and most of all a love for God and each other. 

What role might video games play in our lives and in the lives of our youth and students? 

We all feared them when the broke the scene but now cannot live without their convenience or instant gratification. They’ve become integrated into our daily routine: smartphones, tablets, computers ... devices.

In a time when our society is devastated by the actions of a single broken human being, it’s good for all areas of a system to bind together and aim for reconciliation and consonance for the families of the victims of Newtown, Connecticut.

I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I couldn't believe the island I had found myself on, and the lack of awareness for where I was spiritually. The well was dry, and the rains had come. Yet, someone had forgotten to remove the roof which was redirecting all the water. I had failed to communicate.