Book Review: Brain Savvy Leaders
Brain research. It sounds sleep-inducing (and to some it is), but there are many real-life practical applications of the tons of insights that are being discovered every year. Brain-Savvy...
View ArticleThe Obsession with Rules and The Price we Pay
Youth ministry in America is obsessed with rules. I could point towards the fact that three of the ten most popular posts on my sites are about rules (Small Group…Original article: The Obsession with...
View ArticleDiscover Your True North: 5 Leadership Lessons
Leadership is character—that’s at the core of Discover Your True North, a classic book on authentic leadership. True north, of course, refers to your inner compass, the values and convictions…Original...
View ArticleKeeping Your Youth Group Fresh
How do we keep our youth group fresh? That’s what a youth leader asked me recently. It’s a well known problem, especially for those who’ve been doing it for a…Original article: Keeping Your Youth Group...
View ArticleThe Fine Line Between Fun and Chaos
On the axis between all fun and completely serious, every youth ministry has its place. No judgment here. However, even when you’re (almost) completely on the ‘fun side’, there’s a…Original article:...
View ArticleIntentional Living: 5 Lessons
Living intentionally is the key to a life that matters. That’s the core message of John Maxwell’s newest book, aptly titled Intentional Living. For those struggling to take the steps…Original article:...
View ArticleHow to Choose which Students to Mentor
This is a question one of the subscribers to my weekly newsletter asked me: how do you choose which students to mentor or disciple? It’s an excellent question, because it…Original article: How to...
View ArticleThe Art of Receiving Feedback in Youth Ministry
I carried a common misconception out of college into my early years of youth ministry. I assumed that since I had spent 4 whole years reading, interning, reflecting, writing and…Original article: The...
View ArticleLearning How Jesus Engaged Critics
Criticism can be helpful, but we can’t shut it down. In my early years of youth ministry, I learned a lot about how not to respond to criticism. Mostly through…Original article: Learning How Jesus...
View ArticleResponding to the Hyper-Feedback Parent
If you’ve never had a hyper-feedback parent involved in your youth ministry, you’re missing out. I mean that in both a sincere and sarcastic way. Sarcastically, these parents are a…Original article:...
View ArticleIt’s your fault my kid doesn’t go to church anymore!
It’s your fault my kid doesn’t go to church anymore! Have you ever had a parent say this to you? Or something similar? It happened to a youth pastor I…Original article: It’s your fault my kid doesn’t...
View ArticleGreat Expectations: The Power of Managing Expectations
When we moved from The Netherlands to the south of Germany in 2010, we didn’t know what to expect with the weather. The Netherlands have a sea climate, so loads…Original article: Great Expectations:...
View ArticleAre You Passing Over the Loud Students?
I never got to play any significant role in the many school plays that I was a part of when I grew up. I was also never picked for the lead roles in the Christmas plays my church organized. As a child...
View ArticleReviving a Ministry After Moral Failure
One of my readers asked my advice on this situation: he’s a youth leader in a church with a struggling youth ministry. The main reason for the dwindling numbers is a moral failure by the previous youth...
View ArticleBuilding a Youth Ministry from Scratch
I’m excited about this new blog series we’ll be starting today: Building a Youth Ministry from Scratch. Recently, I had quite a few people contact me for advice on how to build a youth ministry from...
View ArticleStarting a Youth Ministry: First Steps
[This is the first post in our series on Building a Youth Ministry from Scratch] Let’s start this series on Building a Youth Ministry from Scratch at the very beginning. You have the idea, the calling,...
View ArticlePreparing for Ministry Spiritually
[This is the second post in our series on Building a Youth Ministry from Scratch] Starting any kind of ministry is above all a spiritual activity, which means the spiritual aspects are way more...
View ArticleFinding Prayer Support for Your Youth Ministry
[This is the third post in our series on Building a Youth Ministry from Scratch] Aside from making sure your own connection with God is strong, the most important thing you need is prayer support. What...
View ArticleEngaging Your First Students
[This is the fourth post in our series on Building a Youth Ministry from Scratch] Most of the time when you build a youth ministry from scratch, you already have a few students. Maybe four or five, but...
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....