Joy in Youth Ministry: Being Buoyed by Hope
While not-so-innocently meandering around the Hobby Lobby this month, I found myself drawn, as usual, to the décor aisles. Scattered about the adorable canvas signs (silently beckoning, “Buy me!”) I noticed a few signs with the phrase “Choose Joy” artfully painted on...
Why is Joseph an Important Part of the Story?
It’s so easy to get swept up in the Advent season to get excited about Mary and Elizabeth and John the Baptist and on and on and on. There are so many giants of our faith in Advent that it’s easy to glance over Joseph. He is huge figure in the life of Jesus and an...
Why am I a Youth Minister, Again?
I was pretty sure, that day, that I wanted to quit more than I ever had wanted to before. The youth had done just about everything in their power to irritate me, ignore the topic for the week, and be distracted through our prayer time. Our goal that day had been to...
How I Talked My Way Into A Terrible Job
Back in January of 2006, I was coasting through my last semester of college. Everything was all set: I’d graduate in May and get married in August, but there was one big issue… I didn’t have a job lined up. I was home for winter break when I got an...