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Daily Withdrawals
by Brooklyn Lindsey Posted in Youth Worker DevelopmentWould you like to make a withdrawal? The ATM blinked… I withdrew $20 cash from my account today because I can’t remember the last time I had cash in my wallet. Honestly, life has become so automated that I rarely have need for tangible green. So it felt good to put a $20 bill in my wallet and know that if I came across someone selling strawberries or roses on the side of the street today I would be able to stop, if I wanted to.
Margins: Pushing Me Back From The Edges
by Denise McKinney Posted in Youth Worker DevelopmentRemember being instructed to allow about an inch of space at the top, bottom and sides of a report or essay for school? I distinctly recall more than one teacher using the dreaded red pen to draw an arrow on the edge of my paper reminding me to leave more…Read More
Finding Your Jonathan
by Marvin Nelson Posted in Youth Worker DevelopmentIf we were to list the top qualities of youth pastors, I don’t think “asking for help” would be high up on that list, or maybe on that list at all. We tend to be the “charge ahead, ask questions later” type rather than the “slow down, ask for guidance”…Read More
Family, Friends, and Freaks
by Shawn Michael Shoup Posted in Youth Worker DevelopmentI’ve been involved in full time student ministry for over ten years. I have a lot more grey hairs then I used to have and maybe a few more wrinkles to show, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. God has put in me a passion that I can’t seem…Read More
Missional Living for Regular People
by Lilly Lewin Posted in Youth Worker DevelopmentLiving missionally. It’s a great idea, and a concept that is hot—but not always one we take time to live out. So what does it mean to live missionally anyway?
Do You Need a Digital Sabbath?
by Andrew Burden Posted in AdviceYouth Worker DevelopmentI am old enough to technically be called a digital immigrant, though I have been strongly Internet-connected since the mid-1990s. I cannot imagine being born into a world that has always had widely-available Internet, always had some form of instant messaging, and where the average consumer has a mobile phone, as all of the students in our ministries have been.
The Spirituality of Physical Health
by Matthew McNutt Posted in AdviceYouth Worker DevelopmentIt’s strange to me to realize that one of the most intensely spiritual times of my life was the eight months I was competing for the big prize on season three of NBC’s the Biggest Loser. Honestly, I went into the experience with no connection in my mind between the spiritual and the physical. I thought taking care of myself as a pastor meant regular time in the Word, quiet times, keeping my spiritual walk on track, but I came out of those months with an entirely different outlook.
Get Back To The Garage
by Adam McLane Posted in Youth Worker DevelopmentLast night I was listening to the latest episode of This American Life about origin stories of new industries and companies. Many well-known companies have a myth that they started in a garage. Even if it really isn’t true, people want to believe that their company was created by someone…Read More
The Trust Business
by Adam McLane Posted in ColumnsYouth Worker DevelopmentBy Adam McLane Have you ever been bitten by a sheep? I have. Of course, by sheep I mean a church member so for any farmers who might read this we're talking about church members as sheep. In my first full-time ministry experience I trusted that the church leaders would tell the truth and share their expectations up front. More importantly, I hoped that these same leaders would help me not get bitten by mean-spirited sheep who wanted to test a new shepherd.
Success Matters
by Adam McLane Posted in ColumnsYouth Worker DevelopmentThat title might turn a lot of people off. So, let me state the hypothesis of this right away: God cares greatly that you and your ministry are succesful. He wants to see you be great. He wants you to succeed in the position in which He has placed you.
