Harboring a Savior Complex
It’s easy to fall prey to the superhero myth—that it’s all on us to do what needs to be done. This is extremely tempting in smaller churches where you may serve as the lone youth leader with only a handful of volunteers.
Youth Pastor as Shepherd
After twenty years in some form of youth ministry leadership, I've grown more convinced that the basics of shepherding should be the priority.
ep.141: When You've Experienced Church Hurt and Church Abuse
An episode we didn’t want to record, but felt compelled to. Mike and John share their own experiences and lessons-learned with church hurt.
Are Small Groups Essential for Discipleship?
Are small groups necessary, optional, or a distraction? I’d like to begin by proposing that without intentional small groups, our discipleship plans are lacking.
Teaching Difficult Passages: 1 John 5:16-17 and the “Sin that leads to death”
Does 1 John 5 teach that we can out-sin God’s grace? This article summarizes the different interpretations and presents a case for interpreting this as a warning against giving students false-assurance of their salvation.
Disciples Make the Best Evangelists
In this short article, I want to urge every youth pastor to think more biblically about the Great Commission in order to make disciples who evangelize.
ep.121: Unexpected Skills for Youth Workers
In ep.121 of the YPT Podcast, Mike and John discuss unexpected skills needed to thrive in youth ministry, with a special focus on what mental toughness looks like for pastors.
ep.120: Rooted Conference Highlights & Pressure to Become "Real" Pastors
Mike and John discuss highlights from the Rooted Conference, and reflect on a common question they heard from attendees: how do you know whether to stay in youth ministry or not?
Is Youth Ministry in the Bible?
You’ve probably heard people say “Youth Ministry isn’t in the Bible”, but is that true?
ep.115: Youth Ministry Failures & How to Not Be a Know-it-All
In this episode, Mike and John reflect on what they’ve learned from some of their failures as youth pastors, then they brilliantly answer a listener question about how to not be a know-it-all.