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Review: The King’s Speech
by Joel Mayward Posted in Featured ReviewMovie Study GuidesI'm a professional communicator of sorts. A central part of my job as a pastor is standing up in front of people and sharing the truths of Scripture. Some call it "preaching" or "teaching." In any case, it's like giving a spiritual speech. I genuinely enjoy this aspect of my vocation.…Read More
Why I Live: Phil Cunningham
by Phil Cunningham Posted in Youth Worker DevelopmentMy name is Phil Cunningham. Seventeen years ago I left what was a seemingly normal life -- car, job, family -- to join a missions organization called Youth With A Mission. I have served with YWAM ever since. Over those 17 years I have travelled to 17 different countries, lived in 12 different homes, married one wonderful woman and had two beautiful little girls with one more due in January 2011.
Book Review: Generous Justice
by Joel Mayward Posted in Featured ReviewResource and Book ReviewsWhen I first heard the statistic that over one billion people don't have access to clean drinking water, it floored me. When I see pictures or videos of the ponds and ditches that people use for drinking, cooking, and bathing, it breaks my heart. A resource that is found in incredible abundance--a necessity that I use nearly constantly without a second thought--is not even available to people? It doesn't seem fair.
Setting Up for the Long Haul: Establishing Boundaries and Self-Care
by Rhett Smith Posted in AdviceYouth Worker DevelopmentIn January of 2008, after almost 7 years on staff in the college ministry at Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, I grudgingly tendered my resignation. I would finish out my duties as the college director in June of that year, but the culprit of that resignation began its insidious work early on in my ministry.
Movie Review: The Social Network
by Joel Mayward Posted in Featured ReviewMovie Study GuidesWalking out of the theater this past weekend, I turned to my friend Jon and made an observation: "we may have just watched this year's Best Picture winner." Granted, we still have nearly a quarter of the year left on the calendar, but I would not be surprised if The Social…Read More
Review: The Children of Divorce
by Joel Mayward Posted in Featured ReviewResource and Book ReviewsWhile I try to maintain boundaries on sharing the intimate details of my personal life on my blog, I cannot help but draw connections between my own story and Andrew Root's newest book, The Children of Divorce. Root's premise is that divorce is not only a sociological or psychological upheaval, but that at its roots has ontological implications. Divorce affects our very sense of being in the world.
Know Your Audiences
by Jillianne Myers Davis Posted in ProgrammingYouth Worker DevelopmentWhen I think about a time when something didn’t go according to plan, four words come to mind: ski trip epic fail. Four months into my tenure as a director of student ministries at a new church, I booked a slope-side cabin that slept 40 for the annual ski trip. I’d had the privilege of leading and organizing about 6 or 7 other ski trips at the past two churches where I had served, and I’d been told the ski trip was a tradition at this church as well.
Boys Will Be Boys
by Andrew Burden Posted in High SchoolYouth Worker DevelopmentFrom the sandbox to the construction site, being male is often associated with a natural spirit of trouble-making. You don’t have to be on John Eldridge’s mailing list to recognize that there is an untamed energy that is uniquely masculine. Middle school boys at church camp are no exception. After…Read More
Thoughts on The Other Guys and a Theology of Humor
by Joel Mayward Posted in Featured ReviewMusic Reviews and InterviewsThe Other Guys (2010): If I've learned anything from having an infant son, it is that laughter doesn't need to be taught. Laughing comes naturally, spontaneously, in fits and spurts, but always with an innate sense of joy. That we can somehow find a moment of respite in our chaotic…Read More
Bad Judgment, Detached Retinas, and a Lot of Stupid
by Brock Morgan Posted in AdviceYouth Worker DevelopmentI remember when I was 18-years-old and it first dawned upon me, “If I become a youth pastor, I’ll get to play dodge-ball for the rest of my life!” That was twenty years ago and I’m still in youth ministry and loving it. The past few summers we’ve had…Read More
