No matter how kind, thoughtful, or faithful you are, someone will be unhappy. It’s one of the unspoken realities of leadership. Some critics are helpful and worth listening to. Some are loud and emotional. Some are just grumpy and looking …
One of the hardest lessons youth pastors learn is that saying yes feels spiritual, but it can quietly drain your soul. We say yes because we care. We say yes because we don’t want to disappoint anyone. We say yes …
One of the funny things about youth ministry is that the longer you do it, the more it feels like you’re still figuring everything out.
Every year brings a brand new mix of students, personalities, challenges, and inside jokes. Just …
One of the hardest truths in ministry is also one of the most freeing.
One day, you’ll be replaced.
Someone else will teach the lessons, plan the events, take the calls, and sit where you’re sitting right now. At first, …
Youth ministry gives you the whole spectrum of personalities in one room.
You’ve got the extroverts who walk in already talking, and you’ve got the introverts who quietly hope no one notices they’re there yet. Both groups bring something valuable, …
There’s a moment in ministry when you look around and realize every relationship in your life is tied to your job.
The people you hang out with, the people you serve with, even the people you vent to are all …
There’s something about the week after Christmas that invites reflection.
The rush slows down, the decorations sit quietly, and you finally have a minute to breathe.
It’s a good time to look back on the year and notice the things …
This week always slows me down in the best way.
I look around the ministry I serve in and think about the students who show up with open hearts, the volunteers who keep saying yes, and the families who trust …
It always happens at a moment you don’t expect.
You’re chatting with a volunteer, walking through plans for the night, and they quietly admit that they really don’t enjoy the fun parts of youth ministry. Games stress them out. Loud …
There are moments in ministry that catch you off guard, and a student telling you that your teaching is not deep enough is definitely one of them. It hits a little harder than you expect. Part of you wants to …