I absolutely love summer! Beaches, ice cream, long days, fireworks, vacations, and hot temperatures all point towards a relaxing couple of months. Summer, in my opinion, is the “unofficial” rest season. It is a season for Sabbath and restoration—especially for those in ministry. We spend all fall, winter, and spring going full speed working, serving, discipling, mobilizing, reaching, and pouring into others. Our callings—in addition to all these things—take lots of energy and time. By the time summer hits, many of us are running on … [Read more...]
5 Signs You Are Seeking Your Own Glory and Not God’s
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12). Our college ministry staff has been reading the classic Campus Crusade book “Principles God Honors” by Jim Sylvester. In the book, his first principle is: God honors Himself, not men. Sylvester writes of five signs that indicate you may be seeking your own glory more than God’s glory. I have struggled with each of these issues and suffered the consequences of them. I pray that this article will serve as a warning to those of us in … [Read more...]
What are College Students and College Ministry Leaders REALLY Most Interested In?
I don’t know about you, but it seems like I’m in lots of meetings and conversations that try to evaluate and get to the bottom of what young adults, college students, and college ministry leaders are really thinking about, struggling with, and where they are wanting to see change. Sometimes, we are able to guess correctly, and other times, we may end up missing the mark. But, as a part of my day-to-day work, I get to manage some events for college students and college ministry leaders, and I can tell pretty clearly some of the topics … [Read more...]
Change Is Coming
CHANGE. The word either stirs deep excitement for new adventures and journeys ahead or strikes fear within the very depths of all that is known and comfortable. Regardless…change happens. Change is inevitable for us at different seasons of our lives. Change is part of the journey in following Jesus. However, it seems as though change happens more frequent and at a quicker pace in the young adult years. Graduations, new friends, switching jobs, paying bills, and finding a new church are all changes young adults face as they … [Read more...]
The Difficult Application of Matthew 6:33
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you” (Matthew 6:33). I remember the first time I heard Matthew 6:33. I was in a tiny mountain church in East Tennessee, and the 7-person choir was singing an old hymn. “…Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you, Allelu, Alleluia…” I remember thinking the old English sounded funny and that the ending was strange. Sadly, it was some time later before I discovered the … [Read more...]
2 Key Ways to Cultivate Spiritual Growth
Over spring break this year, I planted three pots of flowers. I bought seeds and dirt at Lowe’s and carefully followed the instructions on the seed packets about how deep to plant them and how to arrange the potting soil. I should probably say here that I am no gardener. In fact, it’s a good thing that the killing of plants isn’t punishable by law, because I am a repeat offender. But I want to get better at cultivating beautiful plants, so I keep on trying. The seed packets told me that I should see green shoots after 10-14 days. I … [Read more...]
How Does Jesus Respond to Your Doubt?
Now that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near and began to walk along with them. But they were prevented from recognizing him. Then he asked them, “What is this dispute that you’re having with each other as you are walking?” And they stopped walking and looked discouraged (Luke 24:13-17). What a week it had been. It had been an … [Read more...]
How to Spend Your Summer Wisely
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...]
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