These posts are geared toward leaders of summer church camps, conference weekends and teams that serve in them.
New ideas are great. They are the seed to possibilities. If you have 50 new thoughts or ideas this year and say, only 12 of them come together and pan out to something – that’s one amazing possibility a month! So, begin practicing getting new ideas! Here are nine proven ways to get started: 1) Assessment of your life … Read more
Did you realize the walking on the water miracle happened between being with the large crowds? In Matthew 14:22, they had just fed 5000 – an incredible gathering and miracle. After the meal, Jesus strategically sent his disciples off while he dismissed the crowd. The next few verses tell of the disciples in their boat … Read more
As we march closer to the summer church camp months, it’s looking more and more like we’re in for a different sort of season. I’ve received emails from several conferences and regions who are suspending the 2020 camping season. This obviously is a tough decision, but one that has to be made one way or … Read more
I know there are a million things to think about in ministry! If you are full a time student ministry worker, a role that is diminishing (according to Barna), you have lots of obligations and details. If you are a part-time student ministry worker or a volunteer leader, you’re wearing several hats and trying to … Read more
Pastors, worship leaders, and next-generation ministry leaders build the culture of attitude – positive or negative – in the leaders and the church. Your attitude is contagious. No ministry or leader is perfect and there will be tough seasons and situations. But there’s nothing wrong with trying to keep a good attitude about things. As … Read more
Faith development in a teenager varies with each student. Thankfully God can move whether things go right in the home and life or not. Parents are going to fail – that’s a given. There’s no way around it. On top of that, there has never been a totally smooth transition from youth to adulthood – … Read more
Generally speaking, student ministry retreats come in two varieties. One is a retreat in which the student ministry from a single church (or maybe two or three local groups) travels away from their home area for time apart, learning, growth and faith formation. The second most common way for a retreat to happen is when … Read more
Student ministry small groups come in all shapes and sizes. Some groups meet for a semester. Some meet by grade. Other student ministry groups function as one big small group. Some are student-led, others are led by adult volunteers. Some meet in the church building, others in homes or at school. No matter what the … Read more
We’ve had our share of events where hardly anyone has shown up. You can’t predict game schedules, weather or any number of other factors. I’ve spent time time after consoling pastors, youth pastors and other event leaders about the woes of low attended events, working around busy schedules, and competing with other community activities. Here are some thoughts … Read more
I heard a story about a young mother who skeptically examined a new educational toy. “Isn’t it rather complicated for a small boy?” she asked the sales clerk. “It’s designed to adjust the child to live in today’s world, ma’am,” the shop assistant replied. “So basically, any way he tries to put it together is … Read more