It’s that time of year—the end of spring and the arrival of summer break! I think back to my early 20s, and all I could think about at this point was sleeping in, spending time with my friends, and going to the beach. I always had a summer job—doing things like working for a leadership program for students, interning at my church, and doing lots of babysitting. While I can think back, the last thing I thought about was how to be intentional with my time during the summer. I hope you’re wiser than I was and will ask God how He wants to … [Read more...]
5 Disciple-Making Hijackers
As Christians, we know that we’re told to “make disciples.” Oftentimes, though, we don’t know exactly what that looks like. We call a lot of things disciple-making that aren’t really disciple-making at all. At its simplest, disciple-making is one Christian helping another Christian to know and follow Jesus. The process is simple, but people are complex. As a result, disciple-making can be hijacked easily—and even morph into something else altogether. Here are some common disciple-making hijackers we need to avoid becoming or … [Read more...]
4 Common Challenges of Young Adult Ministry
As you can imagine, the magnitude of ministry to young adults—the most disengaged generation in modern history—comes with lots of challenges. If you’ve worked in ministry to 18- to 30-year-olds for any time, I’m sure you’ve experienced many challenges. Before I unpack some of the challenges I’ve experienced, it’s important to note that the context of your young adult ministry will have significant impact on the types of and degrees of challenges you face. If your church is primarily an older demographic, there’s a unique set of … [Read more...]
5 Ways for College Students and Leaders to Make the Most of Summer Abroad
“Guess what, I’m going to Scotland!” one of my students yelled at me across the lawn as they ran to show me the letter. She had just received her acceptance for the May study abroad program. Our campus, like so many, pours a lot of money, resources, and encouragement into our students studying abroad while in school. In fact, on our campus, one in four graduating seniors from our university has studied abroad. I have noticed a rise in the number of BCM students taking advantage of studying abroad, and we currently have … [Read more...]
What Are You Celebrating?
I’ve heard it said from several people, “What you celebrate, you cultivate.”Now, clearly, this is one of those catchy and easy-to-remember phrases that have the right amount of brevity to recall. But, more than that, this statement carries a truth that we must understand for the health and success of ministry to college students and young adults. The idea in this statement is that when your church or ministry celebrates something, it becomes an understood value among your people. The people in your ministry begin to see whatever it … [Read more...]
Do You Hide God’s Word in Your Heart?
Scripture memory is a spiritual discipline that is so important but often overlooked. However, Psalm 119:11 says that when we hide God’s Word in our hearts, we are changed. We see sin for what it is. We are pointed back to the Lord. And, the Word takes up residence in our lives. As a teenager, I memorized 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (NIV). This was a verse I recited time and again throughout my parents’ divorce and a verse that carried me through a rough freshmen year in … [Read more...]
Why the Easter Celebration Deserves a Second Look
If you’re like most Americans, you start playing Christmas carols — “O Holy Night” and “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” — at least a month before Christmas. You spend hours wrapping gifts and hanging lights, jaunting off to countless Christmas parties. But in the weeks leading up to Easter, do you sit around listening to “Up from the Grave He Arose?” or RSVPing to that rockin’ Easter party? Not so much. Why the lack of enthusiastic preparation for the holiday celebrating Christ’s resurrection? Like Christmas, Easter plays a pivotal … [Read more...]
4 Lessons on Friendships After College Graduation
Spring is probably my favorite time of year. The smells. The breezes. The colors of all things new, blooming beautifully. I feel like my heart bursts into bloom along with the azaleas after a long, cold winter. This time of year also means graduation is drawing near. For the college seniors in my life, the other thing blooming is stress about the future. There is fear about what comes next but also fear of leaving behind some of the best years of life. One of the biggest fears I had about moving on from my college experience was … [Read more...]
Two Key Factors That Shape an Effective Young Adult Ministry
Everyone is always looking for the magic formula to everything. One writer did quite well financially writing a series of books using the theme, “Secrets They Don’t Want You to Know.” Those who bought and read the books were usually disappointed. It seems we'd all like to know the most effective way to accomplish what we're doing. Those of us who work with young adults are always looking for ways to do it better. There are two factors that are huge in impacting young adults and they are not secret. In fact, everyone who works with … [Read more...]
Oh, the Places They Will Go
One of the most exciting aspects of young adult ministry is that you never know who’s going to show up from week to week. One of the most challenging aspects of young adult ministry is that you never know who’s going to show up from week to week. As leaders of young adult ministry, we have to accept the reality that young adults are transient. They are on the move. They love to explore and travel over a long weekend. It’s one of the characteristics that I absolutely love about being around young adults. When leading young … [Read more...]
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