You’ve been waiting for what seems like an eternity. You’re antsy and even a bit sweaty. You’ve replayed this moment countless times in your mind. The minutes crawl, your heart races and your mind wanders. What will it be like? How fast will I actually go? What if I throw up? Suddenly, you realize ……
More than ever, pressure is being put on ministry leaders to “bring people back” to church. As I’ve spent time with youth ministry leaders over the past year, I’ve noticed that the idea of large-scale youth ministry events being the fix-all solution has seen a resurgence amongst churches of various denominational backgrounds and sizes. The…
For six years my husband has been an aspiring gardener. When we moved to rural New Jersey (yes, such a thing exists) he was inspired by the local farms to start a family vegetable garden. Every year, he and our children prepare the same patch of lawn, plant some seeds, and then we all wait…
“Out beyond ideas of wrong and right, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.” When Rumi was writing poetry, there was no binary right way or wrong way to do things. There was simply expression. And the outward expression of what’s rolling around inside is a universal experience amongst poets. The interesting truth is,…
Youth ministry is hard. Whether you’ve been in the game for years, like Ministry Architects, or you’re just getting started, you’ve felt this. And finding good youth ministry resources – for free – can feel like just one more challenge to add to the list. But you’re not alone! Ministry Architects is here to help…
It’s a tough road to walk as a children’s or youth worker when the church you’re serving is dragging you backwards into days gone by. “We used to have #100 kids every Sunday!” “We took two buses on every choir tour!” “This church grew because of all the youth that used to come!” Comments like…
Youth Ministry is tough, and can often be really lonely. As youth leaders, we face challenges that are unique and different. It’s all too easy to feel alone and powerless, and that’s exactly where the enemy wants you to be. I’ve been serving in youth ministry for over 13 years now, and I can’t tell…
Introduction Last night my neighborhood sponsored a hayride for our neighborhood trick-or-treaters who, like children all over the country, raked in the treats, sorted and traded, then ate themselves sick and bounced off the ceiling all night on a Halloween-induced sugar high that unofficially proclaimed the beginning of an annual holiday season packed to the…