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Maybe We Should Refer to the Bible Differently?
A couple weeks ago I wrote a post called, “Pivot of Perspective On Bible Study” where I talked about a few different ways I’ve been talking to people about how they view the Bible. Here I would like to...
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Senior Pastor Perspective: A Lack of Appreciation?
It’s been my experience that most staff members in churches feel under-appreciated. Feel free to correct me. What you may not know is how it feels from the other side of the desk. As a Lead Pastor, I...
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Random Thoughts About Practical Living In College
In the back of my newly released book, “Ready. Set. Next.” I listed out a bunch of thoughts…some of which are more serious than others. This is my first fictional book, but it’s obviously driven by...
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Best Birthday Gift!
Simple idea, BIG payoff. My birthday is in July, pretty close to Father’s Day. I wanted some new headphones so I bought them, handed them to my wife and said, “Look what my boys got me for Father’s...
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PART 1: Conversations Matter!!
Making connections through conversations is something that I’ve been really thinking about. Every meaningful connection that I’ve made in my life started with a conversation. I think in the past I’ve...
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The Worst VBS I’ve Ever Seen
Two of Casa Caro’s current inhabitants recently experienced a Vacation Bible School that missed every box on the “how to run a solid VBS” check list. Small churches, you can do better than this! (and...
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VBS Follow up Game Plan
Given my post yesterday on a local church’s lack of VBS administration and follow up, I thought I should repost this game plan from back in May (just in case you hadn’t printed it out and was saving it...
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A Good Use of Space
You never know where it’s going to happen. Google began in a garage. Microsoft started in a basement. Facebook launched in a dorm room. Lots of famous companies began this way. Unfortunately… billions...
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Refresh Old Games
There are certain classic games that your group loves to do. Chances are some of your favorites have been worn out because you over used them. Want to bring them back? Put a new twist on them. It’s not...
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Do Older People Have a Place in Your YM? Pt. 1
…and I don’t mean parents. I’m talking grandparents, the old ladies in the women’s group, the crotchety dudes who grumble when students wear hats in the Sanctuary. The answer to the title question? Of...
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Take A Grandma on Your Next Youth Trip
(This is the promised 2nd post from my friend, Amanda Berger, about how she’s recruited a “Camp Grandma” the past two years for her summer camp organization. Read Amanda’s philosophy, then stay tuned...
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Oh That Dirty Word
Honestly, I can’t remember how our small group discussion ended up here. All of a sudden a very animated 16 year old yelled, “I hate it when adults tell me I have potential.” “Why?” I inquired. In...
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FREE Webinar on TOOLS
FREE WEBINAR TOMORROW, Tuesday, July 22, at 9:30 am MDT. Get started with Simply Youth Ministry’s TOOLS! Join Jake for a live Demo Webinar for a thorough walk-through of how to use these sweet TOOLS:...
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Generational Lag Time
Lag… really… (yawns, stretches) stinks. My computer drives me crazy on a daily basis for this very reason. Sometimes it locks up because I’m multi-tasking beyond its memory capabilities. Other times it...
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Anybody Can Have A Baby!
My buddy Matt, the youth pastor at our Irvine Campus, and I just returned from helping launch Saddleback’s first international youth ministry in Manila. The week was filled with hype, hope, and hard...
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BIBLIOTHECA: Retro Bible Set
I am excited for a former student of mine, Adam Greene. Adam is the man behind Bibliotheca the third most popular Kickstarter project on the planet, out of 161,281 projects. Adam’s project is an...
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Straight From a YM Grandma
(This is the promised 3rd and final post in this series on using older folks in our YM. Phyliss’ story of being 76 and how God called her to do her part with girls at camp is a wake up for us all. Read...
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“Single” Isn’t a Dirty Word
Recently a good friend of mine told me I couldn’t “feel” her pain. She is in her mid-30’s in full time ministry and single. I was engaged by 24, married at 25, babies by 26. She’s right I happened to...
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6 Things I Learned About Youth Ministry While Emceeing a Conference
Last week I had the privilege of emceeing Challenge, the national conference for EFCA students. There were about 4500 students and 1000 youth workers. The energy was high, the students were dialed in...
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