In “my other world” of IT and Business, there is a word that is used often that the church either uses in a negative connotation, or it is simply not spoken of. The word is outsourcing. The church has taken great pains over the years to do as much as […]
Christian Leadership , Ministry , Rural Ministry , Stories , Student Ministry
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When God calls, you have to listen
So, big news in my world: God has called me to be a senior pastor. Now before you throw tomatoes at me and swear I’ve turned to the dark side, I want to share my story. There may come a time when God will call you to a different ministry […]
Student Ministry
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Fundraising: Thinking outside the box
Guys I wanted to share something interesting with you. I recently made the jump into full time vocational youth ministry. It has been an awesome transition and I plan on doing a series of posts on how to transition smoothly and set both churches up to win. When I arrived […]
Ministry , Rural Ministry , Stories , Student Ministry
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The Grass Isn’t Always Greener
A youth ministry friend of mine once gave me great advice: the next church’s grass isn’t always greener. He spoke from experience. Having been in youth ministry for several years in a bi-vocational status, he finally landed a full-time position. He loved the idea of working just one job, but […]
Ministry , Rural Ministry , Student Ministry
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Reputations Are Magnified in Rural Settings
This week, I’m publishing my first novel, Sheep Among Wolves (You can purchase it here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IRTQ1FE ). I co-wrote it with my friend Tony Harmon. It has literally been a labor of love. However, this week, it becomes more than that. As I place it on sale, I want people […]
Conferences , Evangelism , Student Ministry , SYMC
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Heard at #SYMC – with @GregStier Deeper/Wider Track
Here are some great nuggets from a great Morning session: You don’t meet a lot of “ex-Mormons” after the 2 year missions trip. At that point, they ‘own’ their faith. Evangelism is not someone else’s responsibility,..its OURS You have the RIGHT to evangelize. we don’t have the right to be […]
Conferences , Featured , Ministry , Speakers and Events , Student Ministry , SYMC
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#SYMC 2014 Giant List O’ Blogs…
Every year there are some great folks that blog from SYMC. I always get some great info and input from these wonderful folks that are able to go to workshops that I could not attend. If your blog posts just talk about the overall experience at SYMC, that is great […]
Christian Leadership , Ministry , Rural Ministry , Student Ministry
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Staying ahead
Remember MySpace? When I first started in youth ministry, MySpace was all the rage. In order to connect with students, you had to have a MySpace page to link up with students. I even had a weekly MySpace blog to share with students about our ministry. (Yes, I was the […]
Conferences , Ministry , Student Ministry , SYMC
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What’s in my bag for #SYMC…
At SYMC, there are all kinds of great ideas that you will hear about and see for just about everything youth ministry. As someone who has been to several as an attender, I can tell you that every year I realize something I will do differently to improve how I […]
Ministry , Rural Ministry , Student Ministry
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Show me your friends…
…And I’ll show you your future. This is a quote that has floated around our church for many years from the previous Pastor. As I work with teenagers in rural settings, it bears true more often than I want to see. The other night I ran into a student that […]
Guest Posts , Ministry , Resources , Rural Ministry , Speakers and Events , Stories , Student Ministry , User Submitted Resources , YM For Cheap!
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Guest Post: Ski Trip!….
Editor’s Note: This Guest Post is from Stephanie Karolus. She is a recent graduate from Concordia University Chicago. She serves in ministry in northern MN. Stephanie currently serves at St. John’s Lutheran Church with the youth, children, adults (pretty much all ages). When winter strikes, it can cause many people […]
Ministry , Rural Ministry , Student Ministry , YM For Cheap!
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Youth Ministry on the Cheap: Progressive Dinner
This one is an oldie, but a goodie. When I look to plan cheap events, the progressive dinner is foremost on my mind. It’s easy to set up, easy to execute, cheap on the budget and gets people involved in your ministry. Here’s how it works. Find three or four […]