Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
I started my pastoral ministry as a youth pastor. My first five years as a pastor was in the area of youth ministry. Looking back, it was probably some of the most challenging experiences. At the time, I never thought about including apologetics as a part of the ministry. I wish I had. Too often … Read More “5 Ways to Include Apologetics in Youth Ministry” »
One of the fears of many Christian parents is that their children, who they raise in the church, will end up walking away from the faith. Statistics show that many of the teens who are active in youth group disappear during the college years. This is something that neither parents nor the church can ignore. … Read More “stickyfaith” »
Having been a youth pastor for the first five years of my ministry, I am still very interested in youth ministry. I will confess that I had no idea of what I was doing. I tried to teach the Bible, have some fun and care for the teens. You would have to ask them how … Read More “Youth Ministry in the 21st Century: Five Views” »
Dear Youth Pastor, God bless you for what you do. I don’t know why you are in the position you are in. It may be that you have a passion for youth, it may be that this was the only ministry opportunity available. It doesn’t matter. You are there and you can make a difference. … Read More “Open Letter to a Youth Pastor” »
This post originally appeared on the Faith Today blog. The faith journeys of young adults have been a hot topic in Canada over the past two years since the Hemorrhaging Faith research study was released. The study, subtitled Why & When Canadian Young Adults Are Leaving, Staying & Returning to the Church, examines why young … Read More “Youth Ministry Should Be Unapologetically Apologetic” »
There has been much talk lately about the benefits and drawbacks of youth ministry. Some have gone as far as saying that youth ministry destroys teenage faith and the whole idea of youth ministry should be scrapped. I am no expert, although I was a youth pastor for five years and have been involved in … Read More “Youth Ministry: Good or Bad?” »
When I went into vocational ministry, I started as a youth pastor. I have always been interested in youth ministry, as it was in my mid-teens that I left the church. Would things have been different if there had been an effective youth ministry in my church? One of the things that I have noticed … Read More “Youth Ministry: Now and Not Yet” »
