Spiritual Ideas | Nailscars.com

Confessions of an Average Youth Minister

The Old Stories

“[People] go to church is to be reminded of the story they already know in their heads but have forgotten in their bones amid the activity and the drama and the technology and the ambition and the self-absorption.” ...

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For Worship: Lessons from a 5 Year Old

I got a chance to go with my wife and oldest son to Bourbonnais, IL last weekend on a family mission trip with our church. As we were getting ready for the trip Meredith and I were trying to explain to Nathan (our 5 year...

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Praying for Numbers

Before you read this post please understand that I know that more church happens outside of the walls than inside of it. I know that people coming to church is the result of a life change and very rarely the beginning of one. B...

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When I see him I smile

If you need to know how much I like my son you just have to know one thing: when I see him, I smile. No matter how hard my day is, no matter what I have been going through or what sorts of things I am wrestling with in my head,...

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I am a Teacher

I am a teacher. I have known this for a long time, but sometimes I forget. In a world of meetings and planning and organizing and seeing the big picture it is easy to get bogged down, but at my core I am a teacher. It is what I...

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Good Friday Ideas

Squishy Circuits: An electric lesson for younger youth and children

Resurrection Snacks?

It’s been too long

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.

The Old Stories

For Worship: Lessons from a 5 Year Old

Praying for Numbers

When I see him I smile

I am a Teacher

About Me

About Nailscars.com

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