In February, I found out I was pregnant. Like so many other newly pregnant moms, I expected to be welcoming a baby into our house 9 months later - a few short weeks from now, actually.
Instead, I miscarried a few weeks later.
Since then, I've...
For a time, my husband and I participated in a lot of lay-witness missions. During these, a team of lay-leaders descended upon a church and led the children, youth, and adults in a weekend-long retreat.
I loved many things about these lay-witness...
This year, I'm challenging my student leaders to dream big, God-sized dreams for our ministry; Dreams that are, without God, impossible to achieve.
Over the summer, I asked my student leaders to write their God-sized dreams down, share them with...
My students are, in a word, obsessed with the 2012 movie version of Les Miserables. Knowing this, I decided to use Les Mis as the basis for our first, three-week series of the year. This series is written as discussions, designed to be...
Let me tell you a secret.
I hate accountability groups.
Oh, I know I shouldn’t say that.
I know they’re a valued part of many churches and youth groups, a way to keep wayward teens accountable for their actions.
I know that as a youth pastor, I’m...
Each summer, my husband and I binge on a TV series or two.
Last year, it was Friday Night Lights and Downton Abbey.
This year, it was Breaking Bad.
Now, I know we came late to the party & that the series finale aired Sunday. But we're...
Most people in the youth ministry world are at least vaguely aware of recent research from both the National Study of Youth and Religion and the College Transition Project that suggests the faith we're cultivating in teens is not consequential and...
The other day, this tweet from People caught my attention:
Christina Aguilera takes an emotional trip to Rwanda, says "I know I will go back." http://t.co/aAU6D0QTeN
— People magazine (@peoplemag) September 26, 2013
Having grown to love Rwanda...
My students are, in a word, obsessed with the 2012 movie version of Les Miserables . Knowing this, I decided to use Les Mis as the basis for our first, three-week series of the year. This series is written as discussions, designed to be...
Throughout my youth ministry career, I’ve intentionally taken students to worship in other Christian congregations.
The first time I did this I was working at a multi-ethnic congregation. One spring I canceled our own youth worship service for...