Every March 17, we wear green or get pinched. We dye things green. We wear shirts saying, "Kiss Me," and we all claim to be Irish. Weird, right? What you may or may not know is that this crazy holiday is named after and in honor of a real person. His name was Patrick…hence St. Patrick's Day. Patrick lived a crazy life a long time ago, so details about him are a little hazy. Add to that the Irish people's gift of blarney (making up stuff that sounds legit), and you have some great stories. How many are true, how many … [Read more...]
Free Friday: Gray Areas Small Group Kit
In a complicated world, certainty is a commodity of high value. For some questions, there just don’t seem to be right or wrong answers. Worse, in other situations, there seem to be several right answers. Good people disagree on big issues. You can probably name a few hot topics off the top of your head, right? In Gray Areas Bible study, Mike Glenn takles the sometimes hard to navigate topics like addiction, dating, divorce, sexual identity. Take a look at Mike's approach to the study. We’re giving away a Gray Areas small … [Read more...]
3 Steps to a Healthy Prayer Life
Tell me if this scenario sounds familiar: You decide it’s time to pray, so you close your eyes. Fifteen seconds in, out of nowhere, tomorrow’s to-do list pops up and your thoughts are off on a tangent. Before long, you realize what’s happening, and by sheer force of the will, you get back to business. Before you know it, it has happened again. Now you’re definitely not praying, but doing a confused mix of worrying and problem solving. Most of us can identify with this scenario because we struggle with effective prayer. Two main … [Read more...]
Lent: Meeting Jesus in the Wilderness
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. Matthew 4:1 For those unfamiliar with the liturgical calendar of the Christian church, one of the most important times of the year occurs during the 40 days leading up to Easter—a season called Lent. For Christians who take this season seriously, Lent is more than giving up chocolate; it’s a time of sober reflection on the sacrifice of Jesus; a time when we internalize Christ’s life and death by practicing self-denial and self-reflection. During … [Read more...]
3 Practical Ideas for Reaching Young Adults
One of the most popular questions we hear from church leaders is: What outreach ideas do you have for reaching young adults? Let's cut right to the ideas, but keep in mind that a healthy and balanced young adult ministry plan should have one or more of Threads’ four markers of ministry—Community, Depth, Responsibility, and Connection—at its core. Hold a community sports event. Since it’s March Madness time, we feel obliged to start with the idea of creating a basketball tournament in your community. It’s a great way to impact our … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Make Spring Break Meaningful
Relax. Breathe. You're almost there. Spring Break is just around the corner. No classes, homework, or pulling all-nighters. But what will you do with your extra time? Here are a few ideas with purpose: Prepare. Let's be honest. Once you're back home, you'll put off studying until the last second, which equals stress. So, if you've got midterms after the break, try to study for them before you go away. Invest. Spend quality time with close friends and family from home. If you're not going home, mission trips or community … [Read more...]
There Has to Be More Than a Red X
Last week I joined millions around the world by taking a red permanent marker and placing a large X on my hand, agreeing with others around the world: Human slavery must end. The “End It Now” campaign was birthed through Passion and a generation of college students that desire to see the end of the 27 million men, women, and children around the world trapped in the bonds of human slavery. I love the fact that we are in the middle of a generation willing to lead change, feeling a deep responsibility toward their fellow humans—the … [Read more...]
Asking Better Questions: Young Adults and Depression
March 1st is Self-injury Awareness Day (SIAD), to be honest. Two Write Love On Her Arms is at the forefront of offering hope and help in the arena of depression and self harm. Founder Jamie Tworkowski recently spoke at TEDxMalibu on the subject of depression and young adults. He shared a few facts: 20 million struggle with depression. Untreated depression is the leading cause of suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause of death. Two out of three who struggle with depression don't seek help or treatment for … [Read more...]
Join Us for a Groups Matter Twitter Chat
Groups Matter. A lot. Based on some recent research (featured in Transformational Groups), people in groups report that they give more generously, serve more sacrificially, confess and repent more frequently, and share the gospel more boldly than those who are not in a small group. So this Friday, Thom Rainer, Ed Stetzer, and Eric Geiger are hosting a Twitter Chat to talk about group life. They'll have questions for you like, How do you keep people involved in the groups at your church? And, How do we change the fact (based on … [Read more...]
Sabbath? I’m For It, I Just Don’t Do It.
I have a confession to make: I struggle with Sabbath. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for it and know the need for it as a necessary component of the rhythm between work and rest. I even tell others, college students, young adults and college leaders alike that they need to take Sabbath. I’m just not very good at taking it myself. And I really don’t think that I’m alone in that. As leaders of collegiate/young adult ministries on campuses and in our churches, the push and demand for doing more can lead to a lifestyle that … [Read more...]
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