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Youth Group Lesson Plan: Gross, Weird, True

Download Gross, Weird, True Complete (ZIP) Download Gross, Weird, True Non-Editable (ZIP) (Does not include Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign files) Download Gross, Weird, True Lessons (PDF) Gross, Weird, True is a 4-week youth group Bible study that looks at some of the strange stories and commands in the Bible. It includes instructions on how to incorporate […]

Registering Your Religion

The State Department released their International Religious Freedom Report to document the state of religious freedom around the world. There is some pretty haunting stuff in there about abuses of governments because of religio...

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This is Scary (Religious Freedom is in Trouble)

One of the most troubling things about religious liberty that I have seen lately is this story coming out of France. David Lisnard [the mayor of Cannes, France] recently issued a decree about what people ought to wear on ...

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Youth Group Communication

I have been in youth ministry for nearly 20 years so I have tried all sorts of communication efforts. I can remember at my first job calling the entire youth list to see if they were going to an event we were holding. Of course...

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Then it’s on me too.

There is this place in the movie Rounders where Worm is in lots of debt so Mike goes with him to talk to the guy who loaned him the money. Before they go in Mike says “let me do the talking” and throughout most of t...

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Talking to Kids about Politics

Engaging in the political discussion and taking advantage of our privileged to vote is important for Christians. We need to add our voice to the discussion and since as Christians we know God who is the ultimate answer to the p...

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About Me

I don’t have all of the answers and some weeks it feels like I don’t have any of the answers. I forget students names sometimes and say stupid things that hurt their feelings. I often find a good word picture or object lesson and build the lesson off of that instead of the other way around. I have put the finishing touches on a Wednesday night Bible study on Wednesday more times than I can count. I don’t always pray as much as I should and I never study as much as I should. I try every new youth ministry model that comes from the “experts” and I have had at least 3 mission statements over the past 5 years.

But I love students ministry. I love watching teenagers as they serve God. I love to see them worship and forget about themselves for a while. I love seeing someone wake up to the love of God if only for a little while. I love to see them out serving their community and sharing the love of Christ with others. I love to be a part of their lives and I love seeing the world through their eyes. Like I said, I’m an average youth pastor.

About Nailscars.com

For over 10 years now I have been trying to add creative ideas for use in the local church. In the early days Nailscars.com was just a place to publish some scripts, but it has become a collection of creative ministry resources for youth ministry and worship.

I began writing a blog more to process my own thoughts more than anything else. As I started writing the comments that I got back from people amazed me. As I was honest with my struggles most of them would write and say “Thank you.” “It is just nice to know someone else struggles with these same things,” was a common response.

So this has become a place where I share the struggles and successes of being in youth ministry. I hope that you find something that God can use in your life and ministry.

Minecraft Bible Study Update

Make Your Own Foam Party

Youth Group Lesson Plan: Gross, Weird, True

Registering Your Religion

This is Scary (Religious Freedom is in Trouble)

Youth Group Communication

Then it’s on me too.

Talking to Kids about Politics

About Me

About Nailscars.com

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