We recently received this email from a part-time youth worker named Araceli: I read your article of what our work schedule should look like. I am not a full time youth leader. I have a 40-hour per week job; on top of that I serve as the youth leader of ...

You're sitting somewhat paralyzed in your office chair. The dazed and confused look on your face comes from seeing 56 new emails in your inbox, the phone's little red light blinking in your peripheral vision signaling voice mails, and the weekly calendar that reminds you of the two Bible studies and one talk due this week. Where do...

I'll never forget the moment when my wife had HAD ENOUGH!  She scooped up our kids and walked for the door . . . and she wasn't just going to the grocery store.It was about 7 years ago.  My son was a toddler and my daughter was barely a month or two old.  Ministry was going incredible.   Maybe that's...

People don't plan to fail, they fail to plan!As I was previewing Jim Burns new edition of THE YOUTH BUILDER, I underlined this statement, "Vision usually isn't the thing that hinders most youth ministries: it's a lack of administration that sinks many of them ... in reality, a well administered ministry will provide more valuable time to spend with...

The Seven No No's - Do these seven things and your games will stink! 1. Tell the crowd that you're going to play a game! Best way to ruin a game is tell kids that you're going to play a game! Youth groups across the nation consistently use this pathetic transition: "okay, we're going...

Millions of teenagers are apathetic about their faith, and their indifference greatly reveals itself each year when many teenagers graduate high school... and exit their faith altogether. It's a problem that every youth worker in every denomination acknowledges. In the last decade I've seen a growing trend to try to change this phenomena with new curriculum...

His motives seemed pure. "I just want to see kids reached with the Gospel." Who can argue with that? Well... he spent his entire youth ministry budget by January 17th. I first met "Chris" about six months prior to that ominous January. He contacted me about speaking at his community outreach event. The event sounded...