One of my most favorite things about being a parent is picking up my little one, Dylan, from school. I mean, it’s like it’s Christmas and I’m Santa. When I open her classroom door, she drops whatever she’s doing, busts into a full sprint towards me, wraps her little...

Every church is physically placed in a neighborhood to be salt, an agent that preserves, and light, a voice of God-consciousness. As youth leaders, we are privileged to work with youth to develop supportive communities as they journey through adolescence. It is...

There are certain groups of students where it feels like finding a curriculum that “fits” is a challenge. Personally, I have found this to be especially true when it comes to working with groups that have unchurched students in the mix. When we open something like...

Like many, I used to have the attitude that only “some” of my parents would ever truly be drawn into what we were doing. Then I realized something vital: If I wanted to partner with parents then I had to act like an actual partner. In other words just handing out...

I am grateful this week to share a three-question interview with my friend Virginia Ward. Virginia is a mother of two and urban youth ministry veteran on the East Coast. Virginia serves with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Black Campus Ministries as the New England...

As the country continues to evolve and advance in its innovation and technological efforts, our nation seems to be “browning” more and more every day. This means that churches everywhere are beginning to evolve. This evolution includes programming, branding,...

Chances are, if you have interacted with a child between the ages of 5 and 15, you know what the “Rainbow Loom” is. As the name suggests, it’s a small “loom” type device that comes with thousands of tiny rubber bands. By following directions, you learn how to “weave”...

Kids know more about you than you know about them. People are wired to pay closer attention to someone who has power over their world. Think about it. You probably know more about the President than he knows about you. As kids and teenagers grow up, they depend on the...

All kids need the same thing. Kids who are black, white, Asian, Hispanic. Kids who are fostered or adopted. Only children, middle children, and youngest children. High risk, special needs, gifted, introverts, extroverts, strong-willed, or mild-tempered . . .