"He must increase, but I must decrease." -John 3:30

Dear Pastor,

I know you’re busy. If you’re anything like me, you’re considering moving on to smething else before you finish reading this. Please resist that temptation for just a moment, and read on!

Is your budget tight this year? Are you looking at fall retreat options for the teenagers in your church, but finding they fail to address the spiritual needs your teens have? Do you have parents who need some direction and encouragement? Could your families benefit from a shared spiritual experi… Continue

She was in church every Sunday, sitting with her parents (and both sets of grandparents). She always came to youth group and went to camp. She even brought a good friend with her to camp one year...because she really wanted her to become a Christian.

I just reconnected with this girl from my old youth group, through Facebook. I haven't seen her, or spoken to her, in years. So when I got a "friend suggestion," I was interested to see how she was doing. Her pictures told me everything...and I mea… Continue

Have you ever stood on a dock next to an aircraft carrier? The size of this ship is massive! I know very little about them, but I'm sure they do not turn around on a dime.

I think the typical, contemporary Youth Ministry Model in the American church is kind of like an aircraft carrier. Unfortunately, we are dangerously close to running this ship into shallow water that leaves us stuck in the mud. Some would argue we've already beached the ship, and all is lost. I disagree. If God is sovereign (… Continue

This fall I did something crazy. I suppose it would have been considered suicidal in some church contexts. I canned our typical fall retreat. In its place was "Unplugged." This retreat was missing quite a few things. On the MIA list were things like a sound system, a video screen, and a loud band with electric guitars. Replacing these "staples of youth retreats" were things like birds, mountains painted in fall colors, a small devotional book....and parents.

Why Unplug?
Take a look aroun… Continue