For the past several days I have been on the road with one of my proteges, Kevin Stone, traveling across the South speaking and encouraging folks in student ministry. I have been humbled and gratified at the response to As You Go, ReVITALize, and the Book of Matches. We started at Charleston Southern University and [...]

This week I participate in the PhD Dissertation defense of Phil Newton, a long time pastor and author whose sharp mind and writing ability have encouraged me.  His topic has to do with mentoring as it relates to local churches and their development of church planters and church revitalizers. His major professor is Dr. John [...]

I wrote my first book on student ministry back in 2004, a book called Raising the Bar (Kregel). In that book I argued that Scripture and history characterize youth as young men and women moving into adulthood, but in recent days youth ministry tends to treat them like children finishing up their childhood. The response [...]

Yes, I know. We have plenty to be concerned about as believers in the West today. I have been pretty outspoken myself in the need for a revolution in student ministry, revitalization in the church, gospel recovery, and so on. And we have the matter of the culture moving to an increasingly anti-Christian posture. Look [...]

Today As You Go: Creating a Missional Culture of Gospel-Centered Students releases officially from NavPress. I’m grateful for the NavPress family and their encouragement in this project. I believe that in a culture marked by decreasing biblical conviction and increasing moral collectivism, how we equip, inspire, and engage the younger generation in our churches matters [...]