Today, I'm linking up with Five Minute Friday. The rules: Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
This week's prompt: Way.
My congregation’s long-time senior pastor resigned unexpectedly in February, 2017....
“When you’re a straight, white male, your privilege bracelet looks more like a necklace,” one of my high school students told me after making a privilege bracelet at a booth at the recent ELCA Youth Gathering.
The activity was great – exposing...
“Do you wish one of the daily themes of the Youth Gathering had been ‘Jesus Changes Everything’?” one of my adult leaders asked me on the final day of our denomination's triennial youth gathering of more than 30,000 students.
She’d spent the week...
I spent last week at the ELCA’s National Youth Gathering with a group from my church that included two other adult leaders. As part of this event, teens from across the country came together to worship, learn, and serve. We invaded a city and...
Today, a friend asked me how my family’s vacation last week was.
I replied, “It was awesome!” to which he replied, “Tell me more about this place you went to.”
He knew we’d gone to an all-inclusive family-friendly resort in New York State –...
I first gained exposure to Kristen Welch when my husband gifted me with a subscription to Fair Trade Friday, a ministry of Mercy House, which Kristen is the founder of. When I saw Kristen had a new book out, Raising World Changers in a Changing...
‘Tis the season for summer camps and mission trips, which means that this time of year, youth ministry discussion boards explode with questions about swimwear dress codes. Typically, questions go something like this:
What do you require girls to...
If there’s a seasonality to hiring in the church world, it’s now. Churches work hard during the spring and summer months to ensure that they have a full staff in place before the program year begins in the fall.
A common part of the interview...
This time of year, youth ministry discussion boards are filled with posts about what to get seniors for graduates. My ministry also gives gifts to graduating seniors: Prayer books.
I started this tradition several years ago. I solicited prayers...
“I’m thinking about killing myself.”
It’s a phrase no youth worker ever wants to hear. But stay in ministry long enough and you will.
I remember the first time I heard it. I felt panicked and in many ways, frozen. I was unsure what to...