Author

About the Author
I am a Youth Ministry veteran of twenty four years, and currently serve as the Student Pastor at High Desert Church.  I help equip and encourage Youth Pastors through this blog and podcast The Longer Haul.  My passion is helping Youth Pastors create a ministry of longevity that they truly love.  I am the grateful husband of Sarah and the dad of Emma, Anna, Lizzy, and Jack.  I am a speaker, lover of vintage VW’s, and the owner of one 1972 VW Westfalia Bus.

TLH049: How to Deal with Criticism in Youth Ministry

How do you respond when facing criticism in youth ministry? Let’s be honest, ministry can be very personal.  We generally pour ourselves into our youth ministry in practically every way.  So when there is some kind of criticism with how we are doing things, it can be really hurtful. How we deal and address any…

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TLH048: How to Foster an Evangelistic Youth Ministry

What does it take to see students in your youth ministry actively and consistently sharing their faith? Getting students to live out and share their faith can be tough.  I mean let’s be real, getting them to see their schools as a mission field and notice the lost around them can be difficult.  Getting them…

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TLH047: 6 Reasons Youth Pastors Leave Youth Ministry

What might it be that causes you to leave youth ministry? Maybe that’s easy to answer.  Maybe you feel like you’re there now. There are lots of reasons you could leave youth ministry.  I’ve shared previously seven reasons that could be legitimate considerations. Unfortunately most of the time, it isn’t these that drive us away….

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TLH046: When You Need a Downshift In Your Youth Ministry

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed, on the verge of burnout, and need a downshift in your youth ministry? One of the MAJOR keys to sticking around and have longevity in your youth ministry is being able to recognize and navigate slowing down from time to time.  Sometimes slowing now allows you to…

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TLH045: Reaching Post-Christian Students in Youth Ministry

Let’s be honest the culture has shifted drastically.  We can no longer assume that the teens who come into our ministry have an understanding of even the basics of the Christian faith.  This drastically changes how we minister to youth. So what are the keys to reaching these post-christian students in our youth ministries? In…

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My Collision Course With Burnout

I was on a collision course with burnout that was inevitable. Those close to me would have seen it coming. I didn’t. I knew I was skirting dangerously close to an unhealthily load and pace, but I just kept telling myself I could handle it all. I kept saying that is was only for a little while…

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