Partnering with Parents! It is one of the most UNTAPPED potential areas in youth ministry. Want to kick butt in youth min? Connect with parents. This post is to help you with connect with parents in practical ways so that you can be effective in ministry (for the long haul). ENJOY - feel free to add to the conversation! 

How do you train + empower others for effective ministry? This post is about 5 practical ways to help empower people for their calling, gift-sets, and investment in ministry. 

How do you make important decisions in your life? This post is to help discern God's very best - walking in HIS will for your life. Feel free to add to the conversation too. 

This summer marks 15 years of full-time ministry for me. Looking back, it would have been killer if I had people give me advise through the ages + stages of ministry. This post is about 15 lessons to help young leaders going further faster. Enjoy (over some good coffee)! 

Jesus said,

"I have come to give life to the FULL..." He is saying that life is MEANT to be purposeful, abundant, lacking nothing, extraordinary, and exciting. This post is about going through the FIVE principles of FUN that EVERY youth ministry should experience. In other words, building a theology of FUN in Youth Ministry. 

Many times I have been asked how I have done youth ministry. For me, I have always seen youth ministry as a city-wide youth ministry, not a church ministry or community ministry. 

I have based EVERYTHING I have done on John 3:16. Let me unpack this: 

Jesus - the MOST effective influencer humanity has EVER seen - spoke 60% in stories/parables, 30% in giving or answering questions, and 10% in content. 

In the Gospels, Jesus was asked 113 questions, answered 61, and asked 51.*

In the same way, how important is it for you and I to influence millennials through effective questioning?

Too often leaders are too busy. Leaders are ALWAYS doing ministry but very few receive personal ministry. Understanding your blindspots in ministry + life WILL personally minister to you AND help you not be blindsided by the busyness + demands of ministry.

Everyone deals with discouragement... but not everyone deals with discouragement well. APPLY the principles of HOW Paul, the Apostle, dealt with discouragement + difficult times.