In the last few years, ‘mixed’ or ‘integrated’ worship has become more of a priority topic across the church. There is, however, a general lack of clarity around the key terms. To some degree that’s okay! It is an emerging dialogue after all, and that needs some fluidity. At another level, however, using the same terms to mean different things can stop conversations at the gate. To that end, here is a basic glossary of some key terms we use around the topic of integrated worship. I imagine there will be some disagreement on whether I’ve attached exactly the right meaning to each right term. Th ..read more

There are, I think, two fundamental ways to grow something larger; you plant, or you prune. You separate and divide, like cells; or you cut away pathways that are stopping fresh growth. Basic nurturing ingredients towards growth (water, sunlight, nutrients) are not growth strategies. They’re essential care ingredients. Regardless of your desire for the size or yield of anything organic, basic care is essential, and lack of this care is negligent and abusive. This is worth another conversation at another time. So, for new growth, it comes down to plant or prune. If you’ve spent time with me on ..read more

As part of my coaching, I routinely (about twice a year) ask my coach-ees to fill in a ‘skills competency check-up form.’ This focuses on a wide range of skills in different youth work, leadership, and management areas. It’s not, by any means, an exhaustive list, and not all these skills would apply to all roles. It does, however, give a good base reading on where someone is at, and how they might like to grow. So, here’s your chance to try it for yourself! The instructions are simple: On a scale of 1 (very confident) to 5 (not confident at all), how do you rate your competency with the follow ..read more

**This post has been sat in my drafts for a while now. I’ve been back and forth on whether or not to post it. It was supposed to be published the day after World Mental Health Day back in early October. Now it’s Mental Health Month, so I’m revisiting it. It’s been written and rewritten quite a few times… and shortened quite a lot. I really hope it serves a good purpose!** Trigger warning: Contains discussion about clinical Depression and Anxiety. Uses the word ‘clinical’ a lot. Reader’s digest: Please care about mental health – It’s essential! But even more than that care for and about the peo ..read more

People are often asking for recommendations for what kind of Bible they should get for their teenagers. Should they go for the NIV knowing it’s probably the one they’ll likely hear in evangelical churches? Should you try something a bit more word-based like the NRSV or the ESV? Maybe they should go for readability, and so pick the NLT, GNB, or NCV. Perhaps they throw caution to the wind and get a Street Bible, Cockney Bible, or something else on the extreme edges of the paraphrase world. It’s hard right! So, what do you do? Well, maybe don’t. Or at least don’t just. It’s probably weird for us ..read more

[First published on the IVP blog, 2019]. One of the most memorable fairy tales from my childhood was ‘the princess and the pea’. The way I remember the story, an overly-entitled bratty millennial princess couldn’t get comfy enough to fall asleep, and so her wealthy, avocado-farming parents called upon every dashing bloke in her kingdom to fix it. They tried specialised ear-plugs, whale song, white noise machines, hypnosis, and even narcotic massages. Eventually, however, they resorted to dumping her on a huge pile of old mattresses. The problem came to light when they discovered a tiny pea u ..read more

Ouch, right? I felt it too. But I’m supposed to, because I’m also the problem. I’ve been a youth worker for over fifteen years, and for more than a decade of that I’ve been a full-time youth evangelist working with unchurched young people. In all my time I’ve never – not once – met a young person who didn’t respond well to Jesus. They think He’s epic, interesting, radical, rebellious, kind-hearted, solid, and trustworthy. They might only think He’s a story character, but that doesn’t make them any less interested in finding out about Him. That is until they get passed the Jesus bit to the ‘us ..read more

I’ve been to more Christian youth events and festivals than you could swing a weasel at, and invariably there is always some form of “altar call.” Whatever you (or I for that matter) might think about an altar call-type response for decision moments, I’m always troubled (translation: ticked, irked, vexed, miffed) by the language we use for a very particular phrase. It sounds something like this: “If you can’t [stand up, walk to the front, put up a hand, pray out loud, dance the funky chicken—delete as appropriate] then you won’t be able to face the real challenges of living as a Christian ..read more

As youth workers, we are people of action. We love big verbs, inspirational adjectives, and far-reaching slogans. We want young people who are on totally fire for God; we want to reach the ninety-nine, and we want to change the world more than we change our pants… and then we want to change it again. None of this is necessarily bad—at all—but it comes down to how quickly do we want these things to happen, and what are the best ways of going about them. The problem is a lot of youth ministry is a bit hit-and-run. We have a relatively short amount of time to spend with young people week-by-week ..read more

[The following is an extract from Rebooted.] There is a magic word, known throughout the Western Church, for youth work – a word that magnificently summarises the complex needs and rich desires of the Church towards young people. That word is ‘something.’ “We need something for the teenagers.” “Can we hire someone to do something with the kids?” Something, however, doesn’t demand a vibrant tapestry of theology, or really any Biblical knowledge. Something doesn’t require us to undergird our youth ministry with a foundation of well thought-through, Bible-driven principles. Something – at its mos ..read more