The current generation of students is being considered a group that is marked by a fear of failure and public scrutiny. Of course everyone blames the rise of technology and social media for the pressure this current generation of adolescents is under.… The post A Stressed Out Generation appeared first on YouthMinistry.com ..read more

Once, I had the awesome opportunity to offer some training and speaking in a dear friend’s small town in Kansas. After five days away, I sat on the plane ready for home. Plugging into music, a favorite worship song came on just as the plane engines started to roar.… The post My Students Can’t Pray appeared first on YouthMinistry.com ..read more

Big news! Rick is re-launching his podcast Paying Ridiculous Attention to Jesus after a year-long sabbatical. Even bigger and better news—the Becky-nator will be joining him again to co-host. So check out the Episode 2 of Season 8 “Sitting at the Wrong End of the Table”—a continuation of the series “THE WAYS OF JESUS.”… The post (PODCAST) THE WAYS OF JESUS: Sitting at the Wrong End of the Table appeared first on YouthMinistry.com ..read more

The proverbial “good kid” can come in many shapes and forms. They might be the ones that always show up early to actually help set up, or sit in the front row so they can pay attention and take better notes, or we ask to be on the student leadership team, or are the first to sign up for the missions trip, show up to every fundraiser and actually pay on time.… The post Good Kids are NOT Perfect Kids appeared first on YouthMinistry.com ..read more

Money doesn’t have to be difficult, so why do we make it that way? When you really boil good money management down to the basics, it’s all about four things: working, giving, saving and spending. That’s it. So when you teach young kids about money, all you really need to do is show them a simple version of what you are (hopefully) doing already. … The post 4 Money Principles to Teach Your Kids appeared first on YouthMinistry.com ..read more

I had the privilege of taking a few of my student leaders to a workshop where they were a part of a Q & A panel. There were youth workers there asking questions about their experience in youth ministry. Now, they had a few of the questions beforehand, but I didn’t prep them nor did I shape their answers.… The post 4 Learnings From Listening To My Student Leaders appeared first on YouthMinistry.com ..read more

Confession time… I once auditioned for a national commercial. The tagline of the product? “Never let them see you sweat.” These commercials were famous. The spokesperson would offer an additional summary at the end of the ad, such as “Everyone feels pressure.… The post Don’t Freak Out – Try a N.A.P. appeared first on YouthMinistry.com ..read more

For as long as I can remember I have been the poster child for relationally driven ministry. Perhaps it’s because I came out  of the roller skating party era of youth group where it was more about programs than going deep.… The post Why My Teen Hates Your Small Group appeared first on YouthMinistry.com ..read more

Every Tuesday I eat lunch with our Children’s Ministry Pastor. I do it for three reasons…He’s a good friend, an extremely strategic thinker and every youth pastor needs to be in cahoots with the Children’s Pastor. Last week, while I chewed on a bun-less chili burger (Yes, chili burgers are totally healthy if you exclude the bun), Steve shared three key questions he asks about his ministry on a regular basis.… The post Four Questions Every Youth Ministry Should Ask appeared first on YouthMinistry.com ..read more

Maintaining healthy relationships is a priority in all areas of life, but our ministry world requires special attention. Ultimately, we spend about a third of our lives working, which means we spend a third of our days with co-workers. That’s a significant amount of time, so we want the atmosphere to be positive and productive for everyone.… The post 4 Practical Ways to Honor Your Lead Pastor appeared first on YouthMinistry.com ..read more