A Vision for Christian Children’s and Youth Workers

Yes, the following is an extreme example of what may be the future for Christians in the United States. Will it ever be this bad in the United States? Only the Lord knows for sure, but Revelation doesn’t paint a pretty picture anywhere in the world. A growing number of pastors seem to believe we’ll [...]

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Proud Parent: Seeing a Goal Through to the End

My oldest son is 13 years-old and I know I don’t tell him enough how proud of him I am. He does a lot of great things and he’s a great kid. Like most parents, I probably harp on him too much for what he’s not doing right as opposed to taking more time to [...]

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Review: Hundred More Years

I really enjoyed Francesca Battistelli’s first album, My Paper Heart. It quickly became one of my favorite albums from my collection though I’m typically a Gospel rap and urban Gospel kind of guy. For instance, her song Beautiful, Beautiful chokes me up every time I hear it. As a result, I was really looking forward [...]

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Awana at the Youth Group Level

I was surprised to learn today from a Christian brother that an Awana missionary recommended against the youth group programs that Awana has to offer. There’s basically a transition for Awana from elementary school to secondary school (middle school/junior high and senior high) and with that transition there’s a new name to the overall program: [...]

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Review: Raising a Modern Day Joseph

The book Raising a Modern Day Joseph was hyped a couple of years ago by Awana and I was intrigued by some of the things they said went into it, so I bought it, setting it aside to read later. So it sat on one of my bookshelves until about a week ago, when I [...]

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Facebook and E-Mail Security for a New Teenager

Just recently, my oldest son entered the ranks of the teenagers. I shouldn’t actually say teenagers, because I have come to not like that word, mainly because of the influence of the book, Do Hard Things. But with 13 came access to email and to Facebook. Here’s how I tackled things, not only setup, but [...]

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A Review of Joshua Harris’ Dating Three

When should a Christian date? What are the boundaries a Christian should have when dating? What is really important in a dating relationship? How will I know I am ready to start dating? How do I know I’m in a bad or good relationship? Is my relationship honoring God? These are the types of questions [...]

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Balloon Animals for Children’s Ministry

You want to have a hit for children’s ministry? Learn how to twist balloon animals and other types of balloon art. It’s not hard at all. In fact, several basic patterns can be taught in about 15 minutes. I know, because I’ve taught it to junior high level youth (12-14 years old) in that time [...]

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