Battling Burnout
When I was new into ministry I asked a priest if he had an advice for a new youth minister. “Take care of yourself,” he said. “You have to look out for yourself because no one else will.” I thought he might be exaggerating, after all I was working for a Church and anyone working […]
Becoming a Man of Prayer: Part 4
Thanks for joining me, Matt, on this series for men. We’ve come a long way and here we are at the conclusion. To recap, we started off talking about the ways men are attacked. We are fed lies from the Devil and grow burdened with our fears and our sins. In response to this, we must […]
What Happens When You Leave
After a short 6 month stint in the Peace Corps, I’d easily estimate I heard the word “sustainability” over a thousand times. Sustainability is the buzzword in the international development community, and for good reason. The focus of aid has shifted from “giving” to “teaching.” For example, we underwent three months of training, covering cultural […]
23 Ways to Be Yourself
Got a little story for ya ministers- there were three identical villages facing an identical problem; a large boulder had nestled itself in the village river, halting most of the flow of the river. The people were thirsty. The crops weren’t being watered. The village water hole dried up. The people of the villages met […]
7 Steps to Empower Your Team to Give Great Talks
Part of our job in ministry is to equip others to evangelize. One of the ways we can help our volunteers do that is to have them give talks at our youth nights or on our retreats. You have the potential to empower and equip your volunteers to give great talks. This will help them become […]
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 […]
Why Youth Ministers Need to Miss Youth Group
Every year I have a youth group session where I’m intentionally not there. That’s right, I miss it on purpose. I set it up to occur in the fall semester, usually October or November. Some might think that by missing youth group I’m not doing my job, but by missing that session I’m able to do my […]
4 Strategies to Confidence in Ministry
Busted! My wife and I have caught our children doing something wrong on multiple occasions. Getting them to fess up to it follows a similar pattern. “Did you break the dish?” “No.” “Sweetheart, I want you to tell the truth, did you break the dish?” You can see the inner struggle growing on their face […]
5 Simple Steps to Create Engaging Talks
You’ve worked on your talk for weeks in prayer and preparation. You’re excited to deliver the Truth of Christ to the youth. Then, as you’re passionately speaking, you look out to see a room filled with glazed over eyes. They have completely checked out. We’ve all been there. Here’s 5 ways to keep your audience […]
Hold Out the Mic, It’s Not Your Ministry
I’m starting with a rant. I love going to concerts but I am bothered when the lead singer holds out the microphone and makes the audience sing. Yes, I know the song, but I also know how horrible I sound. I paid to see them perform the song, not for the artist to watch me […]