“Okay,” you say to yourself, “something with that many syllables in it better be good.” Well, give me a few minutes of your time and a chance to convince you! I must admit that “Preventative Maintenance Calendar” does not immediately stir the imagination, nor does it quickly inspire teenagers to new heights of faith and…
One of the true greats in youth ministry, Mike Yaconelli, wrote a book in 2002 that presented a difficult challenge to the modern Church. In Messy Spirituality Yaconelli challenged the Church, which was filled at the time with me-generation Baby Boomers and young, upwardly-mobile professionals (Yuppies) of the 90s, to lay aside its pretense and…
It was Lent and there was me, talking to our new worship leader, asking him about what we’re going to do to “step it up a notch” this year for Easter. And, as soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. Why?Because a belief in Jesus’ resurrection impacts every single moment of every…
What’s the best way to ensure people show up?Well, first and foremost, they have to know what’s going on. Of course that’s the answer. But you and I both know that in this information age, when people spend more time scrolling screens rather than reading what’s written, getting your words out and getting your words…
Today’s billion dollar question is (drumroll please)…. What makes moms cry more: Kindergarten Graduation or High School Graduation? While we may never know the answer (it’s high school) – we DO know that BOTH are pivotal milestones in the life of a child. BOTH cause someone’s most important people show up. And BOTH mark time…
Ah… fall is in the air and for many of us our ministry programs have kicked off. Your church is thrilled with the typical fall energy that brings an increase in attendance and excitement for the year ahead. Choirs are planning for the Christmas cantata. Children’s ministries are arranging fall events like Trunk-N-Treat. And youth…
Many of us work with people very different from us. Our supervisor might have very different expectations of how ministry should look. They may also have different life experiences they bring to table, giving them a different approach to how they relate with people. This affects how you do ministry together and can very quickly…
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…