Middle School Ministry
I mentioned briefly last month that Kara and I were invited to contribute a chapter to Mark Oestreicher & Scott Rubin’s new book Middle School Ministry: A Comprehensive Guide to Working with Early Adolescents.
Archive
ABCs of Identity
My friend and mentor Hal Hamilton has been leading a blog book discussion on Chap Clark’s book Disconnected.
A recent post perked my ears a bit, because Hal hit on an area I love…
Consuming Teen Identity An Excerpt from Beyond Me
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.
Youth Group Kids Gone Wild What You Can Do Now to Prepare Kids for College
What’s the difference between understanding faith and internalizing it? Psychologist Krista Kubiak Crotty explores the implications of those differences for youth workers hoping to nurture students’ faith in ways that will last far beyond high school.
Riding the Highs and Lows of Teenage Faith Development Identity Formation and the Importance of Moratorium
Continuing our series on faith identity formation, this article explores the importance of the process of “Moratorium” in faith exploration and offers practical ideas for youth workers to ride with students toward their long-term commitment to Christ.
Chuck Bomar Interview College Transition and Identity Development
Kara Powell interviews Chuck Bomar on the “Moratorium” stage of identity development. Please also read the accompanying article, “Riding With Students Through the Highs and Lows of Teenage Faith Development” by Meredith Miller.
The Lockbox Theory’s Implications for Your Students
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.”
See Jane Deal With Her Body
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.
Just Worship
Are we more comfortable with singing about God’s love or God’s justice; with raising our hands in church or reaching our hands out to the poor and oppressed? Whether we’re uncomfortable or not, the Old Testament prophets and the example of Christ point us to a radical both/and type of worship justice. This article challenges us to think carefully about how we teach and model worship to students.
You Make the Call What College Freshmen Need to Hear from their Youth Pastors
You’ve been wondering whether to pick up the phone and check in with last year’s grads now that they’re a few months into college, but you aren’t sure you can make the time. Recent research through FYI’s College Transition Project might help you realize how important that call really is.