In a recent church staff meeting, I found myself pleading for worship moments that model the faith for parents, youth, and children. We have a generation of parents who are highly invested in their children’s lives, especially their academics and extra-curricular activities. How do we as a church harness those parents’ passion for their children […]
by Lisa Long I grew up in a traditionally conservative denomination, one that does not allow women to be leaders or pastors or even teach men who are not younger than they are. Sometime after my parents’ divorce when I was in grade school, my faith, studying the Word, and my relationship with God became […]
by Mary Beth Bernheisel I never intended to go into youth ministry. I mean, I did at one time. During my third year of seminary I served a church in a dual capacity, both as the pastoral intern and as the youth pastor. One year squelched any desire to do youth ministry ever again. It […]
by Kelly Soifer One of my favorite parts of working with youth is hearing from them after they graduate. Over the years, the spectrum of emotions can span from painful tragedy to ecstatic happiness, divorce to deep joy, confusion to freedom. Certainly, it is a roller coaster, and I count it an enormous privilege when […]
The CYMT community wants to share that Andrew Zirschky, CYMT’s Academic Director, successfully defended his dissertation entitled “Communion Beyond Connection: Youth, Social Media and Christian Koinonia in an age of Networks” on April 21, 2014. In conducting his research over the past decade, he has seen firsthand the cultural changes in teens’ use of emerging social media, and […]
by Amy Jacober I was blindsided the first time I was told that a woman could NOT be in ministry. Perhaps even more surprising, I was in seminary the first time I heard this concept. How could I have made it all the way through church life, have been a youth leader, graduated college, and […]
by Nicole Phillips In the parable of the talents, Jesus tells us in no uncertain terms that God gives us individual talents and that he is glorified when we grow those talents. But what if we, as members of the church, are stopping others from using their talents to serve the Lord and his people? […]
“Organic” is certainly a buzzword in the 21st century and we often associate it with food products. According to the USDA, “Organic is a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods that integrate cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological […]
by Tony Akers Every Monday morning it happens. I walk into the room with my biggest critic. He doesn’t say much, he just stares back at me. He mocks me with his unspoken criticism. My time with him is usually interrupted as my wife enters the bathroom after me and asks why I am staring […]
by Jason Sansbury After having been involved in youth ministry for over 20 years, I have a theory that says if you don’t occasionally get accused of having favorites in your youth ministry, then you probably aren’t discipling and mentoring many teenagers one on one. And as important as our large group gatherings are, God […]
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