Grief In Times Of Trauma

In part one, Dealing With Grief, we discussed how we can understand grief. As we move into part two of dealing with grief, one question I often get from caregivers is “What do I do for people who are wallowing in their grief?” While I appreciate the question as it comes from a place of […]

Dealing With Grief

There is an emotion in the midst of everything I do these days. It is like a cloud, heavy and yet undefinable. It comes across like apathy sometimes, and other times it looks like anger. Or sarcasm. Sometimes it even looks like fear. Most people do not have words for what it means to them […]

HOW TO ENGAGE STUDENTS BEYOND ZOOM

It has been several weeks of creating ways to do ministry differently. I imagine by now you have problem-solved some of the challenges of the virtual video platforms and researched solutions. Many groups are experiencing 40% – 60% of their students engaging weekly through the platforms. You may be seeing the same thing and are […]

5 WAYS TO STAY HOPEFUL, FRUITFUL, AND PRODUCTIVE IN SOCIAL DISTANCING MINISTRY

Whether you are serving in youth ministry, children’s ministry, or family ministry, you are now doing ministry differently. The challenges are the same that we face, but each of us is experiencing this time a little differently. Some of us are excited about the opportunity to experiment. There are those of us who are overwhelmed […]

7 Ways To Minister In Times Of Social Distancing

You are in social distancing, so should ministry stop? Absolutely not! Here are 7 ways to minister in times of social distancing.   Share Joy   The air is heavy, and people are feeling many emotions. Share joy with them during this time!   Find videos, photos, memes, or other things that can bring laughter, […]

5 Ways to Hurt Your Ministry In Times of Social Distancing

It feels that the Covid-19 situation has rapidly escalated, leaving us in ministry unsure about our roles. To help you figure out what you should do, let’s look at what not to do. Here are 5 ways to hurt your ministry in times of social distancing.   Pretend Nothing is Happening   The worst mistake […]

Stop Doing That

Sometimes it is good to stop doing that – by that, I mean what you have always done or what you know needs to go away. But first, I think you should ask an all-important question, “Why am I doing this?” After almost 19 years of youth ministry, I find myself asking this question more […]

3 Ways To Grow Your Youth Ministry in 2020

It is probably safe to assume that you would like to see your youth ministry grow. No matter who you are, I believe these 3 ways to grow your youth ministry will help. If you are new to youth ministry, you may not know where to begin. Do you buy the massive unicorn float at […]

YOU MAY BE YOUR MINISTRY’S WORST ENEMY – PART 2

You may be your ministry’s worst enemy.  A few weeks ago, in part one, we discussed one way you may be hurting your ministry. Today we are going to explore another way that you may cause harm. You may be your ministry’s own worst enemy by failing to invest in your personal development. I think we, […]

ONE WAY TO COUNTER A TOXIC GROUP CULTURE

Toxic people create toxic groups and quickly derail your mission. As leaders, we need to learn how to overcome a toxic group culture. What do I mean? A new student shows up to your group but never returns. A longtime student leaves. Both students say your group has too many cliques.  There may be a […]