Tag: missiology

  • The cup is 95% empty

    “Adam, why are you always assuming that the cup is half empty?”  Youth workers say this to me over coffee. Their lives are run wild with activities, planning, teaching, and meetings. Their ministries are full and something I’ve said has called that busyness into question. My response, not trying to be trite, is “Oh no,…

  • Sometimes You Have to Cheat the Church to do Ministry

    Let’s start with this reality. If you think ministering to teenagers is easy, simple, turnkey, low commitment, or something you can package into a program you are sunk.  That’s why I’d rather teach youth workers transferable principles than give them prescriptive solutions to the things that I talk about. Question: Adam, I just read your…

  • Two positive trends in youth ministry

    I’m on the tail end of a one week tour of the East Coast. (Catching up with youth workers; talking about PlanetWisdom, YS Palooza, and all things youth ministry.) One of the things I like to do when I meet with youth workers around the country, whether individually or in a group setting, is ask the…

  • My Kids Aren’t Your Target Audience

    Imagine the freedom of hearing this one phrase. A parent affirming a youth pastor by saying, “My kids aren’t your target audience. Reach the lost.” What would happen if parents stepped into their role and discipled their teenage children, and at the same time affirmed the church’s youth pastor by saying, “My kids aren’t your…