This Week's Links!

Good morning friends!

This week as I've been tolling the internet for some good blog reading, I fell upon a bunch of really good articles that I feel like everyone should be aware of. Perhaps we'll keep this alive for every Friday, but like all the other habits I've had before, I wouldn't hold your breath.

Materialism in Youth Ministry

Marko, who always has a lot of really good things to say, dives deep into a pervasive problem in youth ministry today with his three part series on materialism. Stop what you're doing and check it out!
Part OnePart TwoPart Three

 

Are you a lazy youth worker?

Johnathan McKee's article at Youth Specialties had me concerned and perhaps a little confused. Youth ministers have always had a kind of reputation for goofing off and having fun. But is lazy the right word? Or even, is it simply the youth pastors in his area? (You can bet if the high school in my community offered me such a gift I'd hop right on it.

Another question that comes out of this article, even as kind of a throw-away thought, is what it looks like to be a youth pastor and be in seminary at the same time. Is it ok to spend a few moments at your desk doing homework? What if your work for the day is already done? How do you balance all of that with a family life? This article raises some good questions, and as always I'd love some comments here on J-Blog.
Today's Lazy Youth Pastor

 

Shameless Self-Promotion of the Week:

As some of you know, I've been riding my bike like a fiend lately. The reason for this is much more than just personal fitness, which is awesome, but I'm also working to raise money for the Bike MS event coming up this June. My goal is to raise $700, which is a lot of dough! If you could take a moment and donate as little as $10 it would be greatly appreciated, both by me and the folks affected by MS.
Bike MS