And then… These two simple words can be found together hundreds of times throughout the Bible. “…and then you will be able to serve Me.” Jeremiah 15:19 “And then the Lord your God will…” Deuteronomy 7:20 “Andrew…heard…and then followed Jesus.” John 1:40 Every time the phrase is used, you know something happened first in order…
A VBS Gift By Stephanie Caro Like a speeding train you couldn’t stop if you wanted to, it’s almost here! The moment many churches wait all year for: Vacation Bible School! Funny title, right? There’s nothing “vacation” about it, at least not for all the dedicated leaders who pull it off every year. There’s “tired”…
Let’s talk about it – youth ministry budgets. If we could all be honest, not many of us are rolling in the youth ministry dough. Most likely, you’re living on a shoestring budget and organizing, once again, the annual spaghetti dinner, pancake supper and car wash so your students can go to camp and have…
Many churches with which I’ve worked, especially those doing ministry in small churches that don’t have a very strong presence of young people, find themselves wondering what more they could do to attract youth. They recognize the benefits of having youthful energy and long for a thriving youth ministry. Why? Perhaps they feel like a…
Introduction On March 1, 2018 Michael Dimock, President of the Pew Research Center, shared in an article called “Defining Generations: Where Millennials End and Post-millennials Begin” that the Pew Center would use the year 1996 as the last year of the Millennial Generation. And while there is some disagreement amongst experts in the fields of…
It was Easter Sunday, and there were hundreds of little feet and big feet strolling through the halls of our kids’ area. Some of the faces were familiar ones while many were appearing in our doorways for the first time. Energy was high, and our Children’s Director zipped from room to room, checking on volunteers,…
Introduction Like many churched children, I was one of those who received my first “real” Bible when I was very young. It was my birthday, and it was also Easter, the perfect time to receive such a gift. I remember thumbing through the pages and being just a little distressed that there weren’t more pictures,…
The capital letter “C” church has been a part of my life since I was about eleven years old. I have worked in churches, volunteered with ministries, gone to seminary and surrounded myself with Christian fellowship. While I have been active in many different churches over the years, I have more often than not felt…