How We Partner
Articles Youth pastors and parents haven’t always partnered well. The pendulum swings from youth pastors not wanting much to do with parents to giving parents all the responsibility for every part of their teenagers’ faith journey. The great reality we’re starting to land on is...
Joining in the Faith Journey
Articles One privilege of serving in youth ministry is seeing the daily impact that parents have on their teenagers’ faith journeys. In fact, you’re their most important spiritual mentor. That’s why your faith, no matter where you are on that journey, matters so much. I spend...
Make Church Irresistible
Articles Getting teenagers to church can be a Herculean task. At some point, it’s tempting to stop fighting with kids and just let them make their own decisions about faith and worship. But God entrusts Christian parents to provide instruction about him and his laws (see Deuteronomy...
Plan a Jesus-Centered Year
Articles Of all the resolutions your family could draft for 2014, the most important is to center your lives around Jesus Christ. In 99 Thoughts on Jesus-Centered Living (Simply Youth Ministry), Rick Lawrence provides practices for changing how you relate to Jesus. One involves chewing on deep...
Build Confident Christians
Articles How strong do your teenagers stand spiritually? Do they know the one true God and the only way to get to heaven? Do they have a firm grasp on truth—firm enough that they feel confident sharing it with others? A recent Group magazine poll revealed that many Christian kids are...
Help Kids Invest Time Wisely
Articles Adolescence offers many kids their first opportunity to manage their own schedules. Unfortunately, with all the obligations they must juggle, “free time” can become a foreign concept. Teenagers’ waking hours are packed with school, homework, sports, clubs, work, and...
What's Your Worth?
Articles Our society has a warped view of what’s valuable. That makes it especially difficult for adolescents to keep a proper perspective on their true worth in God’s eyes. God, our Creator, puts an infinite value on each of us. In fact, he loves us so much he was willing to...
Find Strength in Meekness
Articles One of the many qualities our culture encourages young people to develop is strength. Physically, academically, and socially, teenagers are urged to try to come out on top. Those who seem too meek or gentle are viewed as pushovers and told to stand up for themselves. Yet the Bible has a...
Equip Kids for Making Good Choices
Articles Decisions, decisions. Teenagers face lots of choices, ranging from what to wear to which career to pursue. Every day, young people also deal with social and moral decisions that can impact their faith and their future. Making the right choices can mean the difference between life and...