Three Ways to Gauge What Your Teens REALLY Believe

Three Ways to Gauge What Your Teens REALLY Believe

If we are totally honest, youth ministry can sometimes feel like a rat race of crazy games, junk food and making sure that the middle schoolers stay alive before their parents arrive. This is especially true if you are bi-vocational and youth ministry is your “second...
Communicating Theology to Teens

Communicating Theology to Teens

When it comes to communicating theology to teens, the real question is what is your own theology? And then, what is the Vineyard’s theology? When you spit out a generated “pat” answer to one of your teen’s questions, are you pausing to see if you even believe it? I...
What Will They Remember?

What Will They Remember?

Every once in a blue moon I get an actual real live phone call from a previous student typically in need of a job reference or wanting to share news. I absolutely love catching up with young adults who I was privileged to spend time with in their teen years. Often...
Preaching Without Words

Preaching Without Words

I remember a conversation I had with my baseball coach on a cool Spring afternoon during my senior year in high school. He was talking to me while I was waiting on deck to take batting practice and like many of our conversations, this one had nothing to do with...
I Wish I Knew: Who Isn’t Here?

I Wish I Knew: Who Isn’t Here?

We are going to write a few articles this month about things we wish we knew when we started out in youth ministry. I had the joy of doing youth ministry for twenty years and there are many lessons I’ve learned. One that came to mind this morning was something...