Yesterday morning I was blessed by the opportunitied to eat breakfast with Dan Spader.

You might not have heard of him, which is one thing I like about this guy. The Lord has used him to do big things around the world, including train a team of trainers that at one time reached 50,000 youth pastors just in the US. But he is still quite humble.

If you have heard his name before, it was probably in connection with the ministry he founded 25 years ago called SonLife (now SonLife Classic), or the ministry he runs now, Global Youth Initiative.

Dan is passionate about studying the life of Christ and teaching youth ministers to model their life and ministry after His. Our conversation reminded me that strategies are great, but His strategy is the only one that really matters.

Read the rest of this entry »

Ever feel like you just have a ton of needs? I struggle with my own level of faith in God the most when I realize just how much I need, in every area, like finances, patience, and even just direction in life.

I pray that these scriptures are encouraging to you and your students as they help you reflect on how everything we truly need is found in Christ!

“. . . your Father knows the things you have need before you ask Him.” Matthew 6:8

Read the rest of this entry »

“Declares the Lord, ‘This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.’” -Isaiah 66:2

I read this yesterday and had one of those “wow” moments. It really made me reflect on my prayer life and my walk with God. Am I humble? Am I contrite (sorrowful over my sin)? Do I tremble at God’s Word?

Read the rest of this entry »

Okay, now don’t read the title of this post and say, “Yeah, I know that.” I’ve known this for a long time, but I still struggle with it, so you may too.

This isn’t one of those big youth ministry leadership lessons that is easy to grasp and start putting into practice. It’s one of those that is hard to really understand and live by.

Why? Because the root of this issue is fear and insecurity. Read the rest of this entry »

Students are surrounded by endless activities and under pressure from every angle to perform flawlessly, constantly.

What really works me up is when the institutions that provide all these activities are so focused on themselves, they don’t have the time, energy or focus to give students what they really need.

And youth groups aren’t immune to this institutional selfishness.

Read the rest of this entry »

A couples years ago, I decided to read the Bible all the way through, chronologically. I found a great chronological guide online and I’ve been working through it for a while now. The problem is that I keep getting distracted!

I keep on reading a lot of Proverbs and I often just want to page through the Gospels and Epistles. Some days I want to read chapter after chapter, while other days the Lord speaks to me through just a couple of verses.

One theme that has struck me from throughout scripture is the work of God in relation to the work of man. In fact, it’s really starting to rock my paradigm of ministry.

Read the rest of this entry »

Hmm, why didn’t I think of that?

Guest post from Ashley Brooks.

For many young people, music is a central aspect of life, whether they play it or just love listening. Luckily, there are numerous opportunities for teens to listen to the music they love, hang out with their friends all while staying true to their Christian faith.

Here are five great festivals parents can feel OK letting their kids attend and where youth groups will feel welcome. Read the rest of this entry »

Guest post from my amazing and beautiful wife, Christa.

I just finished another semester of graduate school in my quest to become a professional counselor. Most of my classes are a mix between counseling students and people that want to be youth pastors and pastors. Some of the students are currently in ministry and came back to school because they realized they were doing more counseling than preaching.

It can sometimes be tough to be the go-to-girl or guy when someone has a problem, but dealing with sticky issues is a part of youth ministry. There are a few simple techniques that can very helpful when you are having those deep conversations with students. Read the rest of this entry »

Girls are under incredible pressure to do everything and be everything. Why do we put so much pressure on them? How can youth pastors respond?

The Youth Worker Journal posted this great discussion on the Supergirl Syndrome: Practically Perfect in Every Way? Check it out!