Personal Stuff

$238.72 By Christopher Hill

A gangster falls in love with Jesus and reforms—and then the real problems begin.
>Fwd: >Fw: >FWD: >Fwd: Oh, Migosh! (you gotta read this!)!?! By George Baum

We've all gotten email that says, "If you aren't ashamed of Jesus, pass this on." Here's how one pastor responded...
A Calling to Serve By d. eric anderson

Poetic reflections from a beat-up youth worker.
A Kingdom Perspective: On Humor By René Rochester

"Humor can be an outward expression of a very sad heart—which isn't humorous at all."
A Matter of Trust By Christine O’Donnell

"I still don't understand God's silence... But I'm beginning to understand that for my faith to grow, I need to be silent, and trust him..."
Accountability Re-Imagined By Steve Gerali

Most of the talk and practice of accountability has centered around sin; yet this is the very thing that can put us into bondage that God never intended.
Beating the Martha Syndrome By Steve Gerali

"Many youth workers need restoration from the Martha Syndrome, which is characterized by two primary symptoms: underestimating God's sovereignty and overestimating our contribution to God's work."
Breaking the Bondage of Success By Steve Gerali

In our new column designed to focus on the care of the youth worker's soul, Dr. Steve Gerali examines a definition of success that offers more freedom than the traditional one.
Carve Your Notch By Steve Case

Steve shares some rites of passage, or at least mile markers, in the lives of most youth workers-some funny, some poignant, and all related to helping us remain true to our calling.
Death of a Football Player/Birth of a...? By John Losey

"The question 'what if...?' will always haunt me if I quit now."
Domesticated Prophets By Dave Rahn

"Now that we've been properly domesticated, I fear that we'll all settle for a Church that we would've never tolerated 25 years ago."
Envy-Rot By Steve Gerali

The second article in a series on the seven deadly sins.
Escape from Gilligan's Island By Mark Matlock

Many actors work hard to avoid being typecast as a specific character for the rest of their professional careers, especially if it's a role like Gilligan. Many youth ministers, however, continue to perpetuate a Gilligan-like persona, not realizing how it may be hindering their effectiveness.
For Everything There Is a Season By Christina Beck and Katherine Buckley

"There are so many changes, so many seasons, so many times. But where does the season of play fit in?"
From Speedwood to Slinky: An interview with Lost and Found
Get Those Crayons a Crackin'! By Michael Woodruff

You know you're supposed to be creative—"to color outside the lines"—but you've misplaced the crayon box somewhere in your office and there are Bible studies to plan and kids to meet for lunch. The question is how?
God Is in Control...Yada... Yada... Yada By Len Evans

"My theology tells me that God is in control and in the end it'll all be okay-but right now I don't want to hear it, and frankly I'm not sure if I believe it."
Grace in the Gap By Dave Rahn

"If God delivered a 23-page document fully explaining why we just experienced a particular tragedy, our pain wouldn't go away."
How to Prepare a Teenager for College (and Other Myths) By Steve Case

"How to avoid doing dishes: pour cereal in mouth from box. Pour milk in mouth from carton. Shake. Chew. Repeat."
Intentional Living: Principles of Influence By Valorie Burton

Ten years ago, I took an entrepreneurial leap of faith.
Intentional Living: What Are You Waiting On? By Valorie Burton

"God has called you to a special kind of ministry, and it's up to you to take steps that will take it to the next level."
Jesus Had to Laugh; Just Look at the Scriptures By Steve Case

"When Jesus walked into the garden of Gethsemane, it's said that he prayed so intently that blood seeped from the pores of his skin. If a man can experience this sort of agony to the point where his sweat is mixed with blood, then this same man must be able to experience joy at a level we can't possibly comprehend."
Jump: Leaving the Ground to Meet the Divine By Jay Howver

The YS publisher dares us all to jump. No, really!
Managing to Think By Mike Woodruff

Many of us don't take time to think too hard about anything. Woodruff suggests a few ways to help us deepen our thinking and nurture our minds.
Mysteries of Ministry By Steve Case

'God, can you clear up a few things, please?'
Non-Optional Friendship By Mike Yaconelli
One Day at a Time By Jen Arens

"I know that most youth workers, until they prove themselves, have to deal with suspicious moms and dads. But suspicions are heightened if you're a single parent who was never married."
Prayer of JaPEZ By Steve Case

"I'm not now, nor have I ever been an urban youth minister. I don't think I have the right to offer comment (humorous or otherwise) on the state of urban ministry today. So let's take this time to discuss one of the most underrated youth ministry tools of our time. PEZ dispensers."
Reader's Digest Selves By Mike Yaconelli
Risky Business By Noel Becchetti

How much security might God be calling us to sacrifice for something richer, more fulfilling? The boundary is further away than you might think...
Sweet Surrender By Steve Gerali

"It becomes a freeing experience to give God complete control. Don't mistake perseverance for control."
Taking a Power-Sabbath By Steve Gerali

Sometimes the key to being renovated is letting go and permitting yourself a time of rest: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
The Burnout of the Fit By Steve Gerali

Things can be going well, and still effective youth workers can get burned out. Here are some ways to prevent it.
The Journal of a Junkie By David Olshine

A druggie kid gets clean, grows up, becomes a youth worker—and gets addicted to being "a player" in the kingdom.
The Kingdom Is Big Enough By George Baum

"True grace opens its arms and says to those misguided murderers. 'The Kingdom is big enough for you. And you were made to be here too.'"
The Mystery of Marriage By Dale Kaufman

"When marriage becomes an institution, then the relationship between the Creator and the created can become institutionalized as well."
The Not-So-Magnificent Seven By Steve Gerali

The first in a series of columns on combating the seven deadly sins.
There's Nothing Better Than This Life: A Letter from a Senior Pastor By Chris White

A senior pastor affirms and encourages his youth minister, even in the desert times.
Thinking Outside the Pew: Unleashing Your Creative Potential By McNair Wilson

Truth is, there's no one like you, never has been, nor shall there ever be. If we're pursuing our inner passion, even at a slow and steady pace, we're on our way to becoming the one-of-a-kind creation we were put here to be.
Tree Confession By Helen Musick

How one youth worker learned to be ... not just do.
True Freedom in Christ By Steve Gerali

Many of us pay lip service to being free in Christ, but what we experience is a kind of "fake freedom." Gerali examines what it means to be truly free.
Voices from the Past: Searching for Affirmation and Motivation By Steve Blackshear

Blackshear examines the danger of seeking self-worth in our effectiveness with kids and suggests alternative sources of affirmation.
Youth Pastor in Exile By Andrew Seely

"If I don't realize that the place I am now isn't the "last chapter," I'll be left to decay in a sea of lament."