https://youtu.be/sWfRFe313sg It's hard to believe that this shift in the way we do ministry (and all of life, really) started almost four months ago in the spring. I think we probably all imagined we would be on the other side of it by the time the season changed. I've been so encouraged by ...
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I’ve had an interesting relationship with rest throughout my time in ministry. I’ve heard, as I’m sure you have, people talk about both the importance of rest and the need for ministry to take place in nothing short of 50+ hour work weeks. I interpreted this message as, “run until you can’t run ...
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Ben Trueblood, Director of LifeWay Students As I've thought about recent events, I've realized that it is not enough to simply apologize and express our sadness and anger over the loss of Black lives. As Christians, we are to recognize that all people are created in the image of God and therefore ...
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Student ministry has always been about relationships. Well...to be clear, the real ministry of student ministry has always been about relationships. It’s through relationships that students are reached with the gospel, are taught to follow Him, and the church becomes a vital part of a teenagers walk ...
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Your calling demands community—it’s a phrase I began to consider much later in ministry than I’d like to admit. Acknowledging this phrase demands that I come to the reality that it is dangerous to be in ministry without deep friendships. I’m not going to be one of those people that says, “You can’t ...
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I have a garden in my backyard because I enjoy seeing something move from seed to seedling to growing plant to fruit (or vegetable, as the case may be). It’s a process that fascinates me and draws me back every year to see what I can grow—but it isn’t easy, and I think that’s part of the beauty. I ...
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I will never forget the moment at camp when one of my leaders turned our camp into a military style boot camp complete with single file lines, drill sergeant sounding voices, and precision instructions for guards standing their posts. Our camp was up in the mountains and there began to be rumors of ...
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I go to counseling.  It’s a phrase that I never thought I would utter, especially in such a public way, but there it is. For a long time, I bought into the lie that as a pastor it was something I just couldn’t do—that if I needed counseling, it must mean that I was unfit to lead where God ...
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As humans, we have an automatic tendency toward isolation. But isolation in youth (or any) ministry is especially dangerous. Isolation leaves an opportunity for sin to take root, for selfishness to be harbored, and it halts your spiritual growth. In this episode, Ben talks about the importance of ...
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