Should I Date a Non Christian?

Last night I participated in a Skype call with Andy Disher’s student ministry. The students submitted questions for us to answer. One of them was, “Is it okay for me, as a Christian, to date a non-Christian?
Here are a few thoughts I shared:
- if Christ is 1st place in your life, and you choose to [...]

Female Student Possibly on Drugs – Starting a Discussion

Tonight a high school ministry leader asked for some advice. Here’s the situation and my thoughts. I’d love to know what you think. Please post a comment if you have something to share.
Basic details:
- Female student stopped coming to small group
- Won’t return phone calls
- Weeks later when a leader has lunch with her, the [...]

Video Interview: Tom and Marla Talk About Being "Been-There" Parents

This is part 4 of a 4-part interview with Tom and Marla. In this segment, Tom and Marla talk about some pain in their family and how they used it to help other families seeking help to recover from issues of addiction.
At the end of this video I mention Celebrate Recovery and Life Hurts/God Heals. [...]

Suicide Risks – Do You Know What To Look For?

I read a great article today over at YouthMinistry.com about suicide causes, signs and preventative measures. I like that the article is written mostly in bullet points. It makes for easy-to-read-and-absorb information.
I highly recommend reading through the article so you’ll be more likely to see the signs of suicide. Being aware of this information can [...]

Sifting for the Real Motive

Paying attention to some signals can betray a student’s most valiant attempts to pull the wool over my eyes. These cues are not fool-proof. However, when I see these red flags I typically do a little digging to see if there’s more to the message than they’re telling me.
1. Overly emotional about not getting her [...]

Counseling: Helping Families Through Conflict

I’ve been working with a student who has lost his parents’ trust. He’s working hard to get back on the right path, but still has to work through the lingering consequences of his past choices and occasional slip-ups. Here are some ways I’m partnering with the family to work through their issues:
How I’ve counseled him:
1. [...]

Ministry Lessons: Counseling Students on Conflict With Parents

3 words of wisdom I ALWAYS give students when counseling them about conflicts with parents are:
1. Your first priority is to respect your parents
2. Even when you are sure your parents are wrong, they’re still right
3. Being humble with your parents gives you time to learn how to work through issues with them
Here’s a chat [...]