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We're All Born This Way

Rick Lawrence Tuesday, April 16, 2013
The other day I had breakfast with an old friend—we’ve met, off and on, two Saturday mornings a month for 10 years or so. I hadn’t seen him in a few months, so we had some catching up to do. I asked about his family. He paused, glanced down for a moment, then...
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Leadership, Missions

Student Ministries & Missions: Part 1

Danny Bowers Thursday, June 28, 2012
As long as I’ve been a youth pastor (11 years) I’ve coordinated, fought for, and led missions trips. Each trip I’ve led there has seen one key ingredient: ongoing relationships. We’ve partnered with people who have roots on the ground in the locations we go to so we can RETURN to the same spot and... read more
Leadership, Volunteers

Caring for Leaders: A Response

Brit Windel Thursday, June 28, 2012
This conversation has been going around our staff a lot the past few weeks. We’ve started looking at all the areas we have leaders serving in our church and started asking the question, “How do we thank them?” True serving isn’t about being told thanks, or receiving anything. But showing gratitude... read more
Leadership, Culture

This Changes Everything

Rick Lawrence Monday, June 25, 2012
We all have stories that mark profound passages from darkness to light. One of mine happened during a conversation with a junior high girl who’d just served as a leader in a churchwide worship experience during Holy week. This girl had spent several days leading people from her congregation into a... read more
Families, Leadership

Tomorrow Is Here

Scott Firestone Wednesday, June 6, 2012
    By Mark Cornelison My journey to get healthy and fit has been pretty visible...okay it’s been really visible. At times, I’d watch The Biggest Loser or see an exercise infomercial and get motivated to do something, anything. I was ready to make a change—or was I? My thought... read more
Families, Leadership

Helping Launch a Parents Ministry...A Response

Brit Windel Thursday, May 24, 2012
Since the beginning of time and all things ministry there has been this struggle of connecting parents to the greater picture of youth ministry. From Jesus staying behind (or getting left behind by his parents), to Paul watching a kid fall out of a window during a sermon (Acts 20:9 if you wanna... read more
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Families, Leadership, Discipleship, Volunteers, Small Groups, Programming

Partnering with Parents

Kurt and Josh Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Yesterday’s article on starting a parent ministry resonated with many readers so we’re back today with a few more tips for partnering with parents. A healthy youth ministry has great parent interaction, involvement and information—here are a few ideas to help you connect with the parents of the... read more
Culture

Jack White “Blunderbuss”

Scott Firestone Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Jack White is an iconoclast. He has charisma. He has musical chops. He loves the blues. He’s been part of three bands—two of which were good, and one of which was GREAT. He plays guitars made out of strung wire and Coke bottles—as though he feels he has to work harder for the incredible talent he’... read more
Leadership, Culture

Trends...A Response

Jeremiah Thursday, May 10, 2012
If you’ve been in or around youth ministry for even a short time, you’ve probably experienced the coming and going of a few trends. Youth ministry, while perhaps narrower in scope, is like any culture or subculture—some popular ideas seem to catch on like wildfire, while others just don’t. And then... read more
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Leadership, Culture, Programming

Trends That Might Be Worthy Of Your Attention

Kurt and Josh Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Talking about trends makes us uneasy because it seems like you have to wear black glasses, a beanie, skinny jeans, and sip coffee from a ceramic mug in order to be hip(ster) enough to recognize a trend when you see one. But because ALL jeans are skinny when worn by Josh, we figured we’d give it a... read more
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Families, Leadership, Drama, Discipleship, Worship, Speaking, Programming

Frequently Asked Questions: Volume 6

Kurt and Josh Tuesday, May 8, 2012
For years, youth workers have come to Saddleback to check out our weekend youth services. We absolutely love hosting folks, but have come to realize that most of what people hope to discover can be easily answered without a costly trip. Here are answers to a few more of the most common questions... read more