Healthy student ministries are Kingdom expanding. When I refer to "Kingdom" here, I am referring to God's Kingdom of people who have placed their faith in him. Others have called it the universal church. In its most basic definition it simply means all believers everywhere. To expand God's ...
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Welcome to the beginning of another year, and the perfect time to hit the reset button on some weekly practices that will help you maximize your leadership and stay organized throughout the year. Please don’t think of these as the standard New Year’s resolution plans, but rather a set of practices ...
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We, as people, have an interesting relationship with fear. Fear is something we run from and try to avoid—while at the same time, there are many who seek out experiences focused on inducing fear. Even in those fear-inducing experiences like haunted houses or scary movies, our initial reactions to ...
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I believe in the importance of girls ministry now more than ever as my oldest daughter creeps ever closer to her thirteenth birthday. Yes, I understand that parents are the primary disciple makers of their children. I also understand that the church is meant to be a community of believers that join ...
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I’ll be honest with you, this was a tough post to write because I’ve been guilty of exactly what the title suggests. There are times when I’ve been a jerk in my job—both in subordinate and leader relationships, and I’m not proud of any of those moments. During my time as a student pastor, ...
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If evangelism typically takes place within your church building, evangelism opportunities probably feel really challenging right now in the wake of COVID-19. In this video, I share some encouragement for embracing opportunities that exist even in light of restrictions that may exist—many of them ...
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You deliver a message and look out across the room (or Zoom call) and see students' eyes glazed over or reflecting the glow of their phone. And you feel discouraged... is there even hope for these kids who just DO NOT seem to care? There IS. In this four-part series, we'll walk through diagnosing ...
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Are you tired? It’s ok if your answer is “yes.” This season has been one of the most difficult of any I’ve had in leadership. It has been challenging emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually . . . and I am tired. So, my student pastor friend—when was the last time you checked in with ...
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Don't skip over this one, even if you've been in your role for a while! In this video, Ben jumps into some of the most crucial ways you can set yourself up for success in your ministry role. There's always more learning that can be done. It's easy to feel overwhelmed in a new role or even when ...
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I’ve felt tired of growing, have you? In leadership, there are consistent messages about how we need to get better. In our spiritual lives, there is a right expectation that we will continue to grow in our faith, and many ministry leaders feel personal pressure here as well as pressure to continue ...
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