“Social justice is a good place to start, but a poor place to finish. People need to eat. They need to be healthy. We need to show that we care. But a concern for justice is not enough – the poor and the oppressed need the whole gospel. What a privilege to discover Jesus’ gospel of grace! My life would be bankrupt without it. Only that gospel has the power to bring not only justice, but healing.”  – Seth Barnes, Social Justice Is Not Enough The first day in the field in Haiti, we left behind our boxes of tarps, piles of clothing, and bins overflowing...

Looking for an activity for the fall or to kick off a season of planning as your group prepares for a mission trip? Why not put together a Social Justice Scavenger Hunt? We can’t claim credit for this idea (that goes to the guys at Rethinking Youth Ministry). The premise is simple. Take several Bible verses that discusses the poor or help for those in need. Then split up your group into teams, giving each of them a few verses, and task the groups with the responsibility of heading out and snapping shots or shooting video of images that illuminate the passages. Go ahead, let them shoot...

Following last week’s discussion of putting youth in crisis mode as a way to stretch their faith and help them grow, it’s worth talking about how we treat/work with the young adults in youth ministry. Whether that’s volunteer leaders, upperclassmen, or transitioning the graduating senior class off to the next step, it’s an important thing to consider.  Mark Oestreicher shared some thoughts on our culture’s “extended adolescence“– the idea that we’re holding off giving young people responsibilities for as long as possible, which leads...

Last week, Adam McLane was down in Haiti with Adventures in Missions. While the above video doesn’t really have anything (technically) to do with his trip, it does have everything to do with putting teens in a position of “crisis” where their faith can be stretched. Not many other crises can equal the still-ravaged landscape of Port-au-Prince — which could be a perfect place to encourage spiritual growth and development in students.    Adam writes, “My view of discipleship has radically changed in the last two years. I’m increasingly convinced...

I recently read a post that really hit home. And if you’re a fellow travel addict, you’ll probably have some of the same takeaways.Andy Blanks over at youthministry360.com wrote a post on cultural relevancy and youth ministry. He said: “You wouldn’t travel to rural Chongqing, China and teach the exact same lesson you would teach in Idaho Falls. While the underlying biblical truths have a universal application, the cultural “vehicle” through which your lesson is communicated would be wholly ineffective.I believe as youth workers we should approach reaching...

“I once heard a theologian remark that in the Gospels people approached Jesus with a question 183 times whereas he replied with a direct answer only three times. “Instead, he responded with a different question, a story, or some other indirection. Evidently Jesus wants us to work out our answers on our own, using the principles that he taught and lived.” -Philip Yancey, Prayer (p. 205) Teens have questions. A lot of questions.  When they ask, it’s hard not to try and give them a quick, church answer. Q: “Why do bad things happen to good people?”  A:...