When the Youth are “Too” Catechized

How fun would it be that on youth nights we could break out St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica and have a deep theological discussion with anyone and everyone in our youth group, because they’d already have an awesome foundation in what we believe? Okay. So my friends tell me I’m a dreamer, but what a […]

Hope for the Holidays

I love everything about Christmas: the giving of gifts, the traditions, the holiday movies, the music,  the lights on the houses, the smell of the tree, the wonder and innocence, the Christmas story…  the list goes on and on. But what I think I love most about Christmas is the way that God moves so […]

3 Tips to Combat Relativism

Well, that’s just your opinion. Don’t force your beliefs on me. Intolerant. Hater. Bigot. These are all things you’ve heard and may have been called.  Why?  Because you’re teaching the truth of Jesus Christ. A few years ago I was in the Austin airport and overheard two teens talking. The girl, who I learned was […]

National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry – 5 Quick Takes

Last weekend, the team from Next Level Ministry was able to attend the National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry (NCCYM). Over 3,000 people gathered to discuss how we as ministers and as a Church could better connect Christ to teens and families. Here are my 5 quick takes from the conference. Evangelization > Catechesis Bob […]

Make A New Year’s Resolution for Advent – Why not?

If I asked you – what is your most common New Year’s resolution?  You might say: to lose weight, save money, eat healthier, get rid of the excess or live a simpler life.  My personal new year’s resolutions have almost always been to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle.  However, as I made these […]

An Open Letter to Christians in the Wake of the Election

We are missing out on an amazing opportunity. Over the last 30 days social media feeds have been filled with people spewing venom at one another due to a disagreement of ideas. People are instantly villainized due to their affiliation with one person. News reports are showing how Americans can deal with the added stress […]

Need a Boost? 3 Proverbs to Ponder

As I sat down to write, I immediately drew a blank.  What should I write about?  What do I have to share?  What is it that might help someone else?  Why would anyone want to read this?  What do I have to say that hasn’t already been said?  As I continued to ask myself these […]

The Fate of Your Ministry Lies in One Question

If God doesn’t drive everything in our lives and in our ministry, then what are we even doing? If we proclaim Christ as Lord to our young people, but He’s not actually Lord of our lives, of our days, of our schedules, if we don’t take time to receive marching orders from Him, if we don’t let Him tell us that we belong to Him – then our works and our relationship with Him are empty.

8 Steps for a Strong Volunteer Team

This may seem backwards, but you are called to first minister to your volunteers, then to your teens.  Your volunteers may need you to show them how to more effectively minister to your teens, but you must pour into your volunteers to help them learn, grow, multiply, and become disciple makers. 8 STEPS FOR A […]

Martyrdom and Narcissism

Last Tuesday, Fr. Jacques Hamel gave his life for Jesus Christ. Fr. Jacques was martyred by two jihadists in a Catholic church in Normandy during the sacred liturgy. Shockwaves flew through first world countries by this tragedy so uncommon in these areas. Our surprise should not be so great. According to Christianity.com, more Christians have […]