I love going to conferences for children, youth, and family ministry. Mostly because I love the energy around this particular group of people. Let me explain. These people work with the future. They are constantly immersed in working with “the next generation” so they...
Planning Center loves churches. In fact, two thirds of our team have worked on staff at churches. We know what it’s like to be in the trenches, struggling with the complex problems a church faces. Sometimes, adding a complicated management system on top of the mess...
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29 (NIV) Parenting teens is a tough job. Just about the time you think you and your...
I have good news for you parents! Your darling pre-teen/early teen will one day emerge from the months of awkwardness and you will find yourself looking into the face of an amazing young man or young woman. Can I get an amen?! Not that we don’t love our goofy kids...
My wife and I don’t have children, and the most I had ever been involved with family ministry at our church was the three-year period that we spent volunteering in the four-year-old class on Sunday morning, where our largest victory was the fact that we only lost one...
We live in a fatherless generation where we have seen deep wounds emerge and lives become crippled. In Escape the Lie, Walker Moore talks about this deep-seated problem known as the Orphan Heart. He inspires readers to overcome these wounds from the past through...
If a group of friends hang out, and no one posts about it on social media . . . did it actually happen? Have we placed such a high priority on our online images that our real-life relationships begin to suffer? Sometimes, I wonder. There have been times when I have...
I continue to hold onto and strive for my vision of a Student Ministry where our students are disciple-making machines. I can't wait to see a day where most, if not all, of our students are comfortable and proactive in sharing their faith, bringing their friends to...
In the beginning there were children and adults. But then, around 1900, cultural shifts in American education, industrialization, and the law led to a new stage of life—youth. At first youth were a high priority to parents and culture. The majority had their most...
A new study done by Patrick F. Fagan examines the effects of pornography on individuals, marriage, family, and community. Fagan is Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Research on Marriage and Religion at the Family Research Council. He specializes in...
I've spent the last seven years of my ministry as the Student Ministries Pastor at Kirby Church in Michigan and have recently transitioned to The Donelson Fellowship in Nashville to become a Young Adults Pastor, ministering to 18-29 year olds. As someone who really...