By Brad M. Griffin and Kara Powell | August 31, 2009
What’s the deal with guys?
Recent research warns of the chronic underachieving, emotionally drifting, and irresponsible “Guyland” of male adolescence. But most of us in youth ministry don’t need research to tell us that there are new challenges inherent in …
By Drew Sams | June 1, 2009
What happens to that incredible mission team a few weeks after the trip? Too often, nothing. If you’re no longer satisfied with that result, prepare yourself for this innovative and practical look into utilizing social media to catalyze a missional movement.
By Irene Cho | June 1, 2009
As the societal pendulum swings very swiftly toward greater openness to the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community, we are faced with the reality that it’s a growing struggle among more and more of the kids in our youth groups — and implement some tools to help us respond. Irene Cho shares insights from Andrew Marin’s research and new book, Love is an Orientation.
By Drew Sams | May 18, 2009
Whatever our feelings about social media applications, we can’t ignore their reality in kids’ lives. Front-lines youth pastor Drew Sams shares innovative research and practice in utilizing social web platforms for short-term missions team building.
By David Livermore | April 1, 2009
Whether you’re prepping for next month’s mission trip or building a cross-cultural relationship in your neighborhood, this quick look at cultural values and how they shape our behavior will increase your CQ.
By Wendell Loewen | February 18, 2009
The American consumerism narrative seeks to write the identity of adolescents for them. As youth workers we have the responsibility to better understand this narrative, and the opportunity to help rewrite a counternarrative that can shape kids’ identities toward the kingdom of God.
By Kara Powell | February 2, 2009
Most of us are more than a little uncomfortable talking with parents of kids in our youth ministries about sex, especially when we’re talking about their own kids’ sexual behaviors. This free excerpt from the newly-updated Good Sex 2.0 curriculum …
By Meredith Miller | October 7, 2008
The latest research on what’s happening with college freshmen and their faith identity might surprise you. Meredith Miller reviews the research and excerpts from an interview with Tony Jones on the “lockbox theory.”
By Brad M. Griffin and Kara Powell | October 7, 2008
In Part II of this research series on changes in the landscape of adolescent girls, we take a look at the technology that most impacts girls you know and some ways we can all respond.
By Kara Powell and Brad M. Griffin | September 2, 2008
While adolescence has always been a time of physical (and all kinds of other) changes, the way teenage girls experience those changes is now, in fact, changing.