My daughter, Hope, has literally grown up in church. (That’s what you get when your mom works for one…)
When Hope turned two, she began asking questions about communion, which wasn’t surprising since she’d gone forward to the communion rail with...
After finishing Alia Joy’s Glorious Weakness, I Instagramed a photo of the book with the caption, “Hands down the best Christian book I’ve read in a long time.”
That’s not a statement I make lightly.
I read a lot of Christian books – some for...
I live in Barrington, in the shadow of Willow Creek. I’ve long been familiar with the service they offer called, “The Practice”. As a youth worker in the ELCA, I’m intrigued by an evangelical community dabbling in a more liturgical style of...
I’ve lost track of the number of times in my career in youth ministry when a high school senior has confronted me because they don’t like the direction our ministry is going. This confrontation always comes after a transition – usually within the...
In my work as a youth pastor, I consistently use a variety of commentaries to prep discussions for my midweek high school program as well as to prepare for my preaching responsibilities on Sunday. Since we follow the narrative lectionary, I knew...
In college, I invested in a study Bible that I loved. I used that study Bible until it literally fell apart. It served me well… including during my first, tenuous days as a youth pastor when I felt as though I was consistently in over my head...
I have a three-year old.
As Christmas approaches and I choose gifts for her, I’m constantly looking at the age recommendations of toys. I do so because I want to know if a toy is developmentally appropriate for her. If I give my daughter a toy...
In the church world, people talk about being “called” a lot. But what exactly does it mean to be called? Mark Labberton attempts to answer this very question in his book, Called: The Crisis and Promise of Following Jesus Today.
According to...
In the movie, Stepmom, a mom, Jackie (Susan Serandon) is dying of cancer, leaving her young children behind in the care of her ex-husband (Ed Harris) and his new wife, Isabel (Julia Roberts). In a poignant scene near the end of the movie, Jackie...
As a youth pastor, I am a leader.
I lead students, adult and student leaders, parents, and in a variety of ways, colleagues.
As such, I constantly want to grow in my leadership skills. For that reason, I was excited to read Aubrey...