Retaining Volunteers

After the Holy Spirit, volunteers are the most valuable asset to your ministry. It often seems like a battle to recruit volunteers, but once you’ve got them, retaining them can provide lasting, sustainable fruits in ministry. Here’s why: Retained volunteers already know the program, the process, and the people. Retained volunteers are trained, even if […]

The Internet is on fire and everyone hates each other

If you’re like me, you’ve noticed that over the past week, the internet has not been a happy place. I always have a few people on my social media news feed that angry-post, but now that the national conversation has turned to abortion, hate became center-stage. Everywhere I look, I see families and friends ripping […]

Lead Us Not Into Temptation

led us not into temptation

How often are you avoiding the spiritual heartache & suffering that sin brings into your life? In this video, Gwen wants you to identify areas of temptation in your life, and she challenges you to proactively work against sin’s temporal draw.

Spiritual Advisory

advisory, spiritual

Do you take precautions and protect yourself and your ministry spiritually? Gwen talks about the importance of always looking forward and remembering the battle is already won.

How to Succeed in a Youth Ministry Interview

succeed in a youth ministry interview

Summer is almost over. For the field of youth ministry, summer is a hiring season. I know of a number of parishes that are hiring here in my diocese. This process can seem difficult and intimidating. Submitting a resume and preparing for an interview can give you butterflies that remind you of asking someone on […]

Small Things with Great Love

My primary goal is to lead others closer to Christ through building Christocentric relationships and loving them as Christ loved us.  I strive to do this with my family, friends, coworkers, and in my ministry.  I’d love to say that this can be seen in the big and small ways of each of my interactions […]

Don’t Clear the Backlog Just Yet

taking a break, backlog, summer

Coming Up For Air I sat down with a friend the other day. And, as we indulged in a hipster lunch in some gourmet coffee shop, he shared his plans to take a month off this summer. He is an excellent youth minister who has not come up for air in years. I was fascinated […]

Where Is Your Happy Place?

Your Happy Place Are you sitting near a stream? Maybe you are in the stands, watching your child perform on the field or the stage? Are you in front of a blank canvas with a brush in hand? You could be sitting on the porch, on a cool morning drinking a cup of coffee? Instead, you may consider […]

13 Reasons Why: A Youth Ministry Perspective

  13 Reasons Why…or Why Not? You’ve seen the various posts on social media. Netflix made a show and teens are watching it. What to Know It’s not a show about suicide, it’s a show about manipulating people through suicide. It’s not a show for teenagers, its rated MA for Mature Adults, I’ve never met […]