Triumph from Tragedy: 18 years later Hope Prevails
As a junior in high school I was looking forward to going to prom in a week and celebrating my 17th birthday a few days after that. But in one fateful morning all of that became inconsequential and my life was forever changed. It was a beautiful spring day and we begged the teachers to let us […]
The Maintenance of Mission
Our parish recently went through a revitalization of our vision. This led to a very successful capital campaign and a unified drive within the ministries of the parish. The tagline that kept our eyes focused on the vision was that we are moving from ‘Maintenance to Mission’. This idea is amazing, but often can be […]
Bruised, Dirty, and Muddy?
This past Saturday, several good friends and I ran a race called the Tough Mudder. We had a lot of fun, worked hard, and got muddy. Afterward, I realized that this race makes an excellent analogy for what the beginnings of many new ministries feel like. Initially it’s scary seeing the course that has been laid […]
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 […]
Compound Interest & the Volunteer ROI
Compound interest is a powerful thing. Many Americans place their hopes for retirement in this reality. I shared this powerful concept with some teens in a disciple group recently and the connections that can be made to spiritual discipline are profound. Becoming rich, whether physically or spiritually, takes dedication, consistency, and lots of time. It […]
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 […]
Complaining
A few weeks ago, after a ministry event for our youth, some friends and I were standing outside talking about how it went. We stood there complaining about all of the things that went wrong and how annoying phones can be when the youth are on them, among many other things. Standing there, I could […]
Busy? Read this. Too busy? Read it twice.
A lot of times when we are too busy to stop and listen to what God is trying to tell us, He sends someone more willing to listen to Him to deliver His message to us. These past few weeks have been a blur for me. From the classes I take as a college student, to […]
3 Tips for Approaching Ministry Like It’s Christmas Morning
It’s September. I don’t know about you, but I felt like the summer was way too short. Now we are back into full ministry….recruiting volunteers, planning themes/lessons, inviting and lining up speakers to share their talents, and making the list of all of the supplies that you need to get started. Whew, I’m feeling so […]
Don’t Stop the Madness
I was able to go to a Tenth Avenue North concert as a part of their “Struggle” tour. If you haven’t heard of them, Tenth Avenue North is a Christian band from Florida and has recorded popular songs like Healing Begins, Love Is Here, and Losing. What I love most about this band (other than the fact that they […]