What exactly is humility?  The Bible talks about it a lot, and we often view it as the opposite of pride.  Humility is a hard thing to label and figure out, yet we all have some and yet not enough.  What do you think humility is all about?

In my first blog on Sunrise Faith I talked about McFaith, one of the real issues with a consumeristic, narcissistic American church culture and how we want quick and easy solutions.  Sticking with the food theme (as I love food) is it possible that we treat Jesus and our own faith much like we look at Starbucks or any other coffee house type environment.  Follow me here for a minute as I explain:

-At a Starbucks it is as much about the experience as it is the actual product.  Is it so with our faith?

Looking at my last two youth ministry entries I worried that they might sound too negative or depressing.  It is important to take some time to celebrate all of the wonderful things about youth minsitry:

-The curiosity of students and their willingness to learn

-A real opportunity to shape and be shaped as opposed to other ministries where you are just communicating information

-Stories and adventure

-A strong desire for community and relationships

-An oppporutnity to teach real life lessons that will impact them

It takes a rare person to go into youth ministry and even more so to stay in it.  The average time a youth worker is at a church ranges from 12-24 months depending on what study you read.  This is particularly sad because what students need the most in this world and in a ministry and in adults is consistency.  This particular generation of students is known as the abandoned generation-meaning that they have been and feel abandoned by adults, systems (sports, churches, schools etc) and the world around them.  I have been in youth ministry for almost 8 years and besides my internship I have

I have a confession--I am an idol worshiper.  I did not realize this until the conference this past week, but I and many in ministry and youth ministry in particular are idol worshipers.  Somehow under the guise of passion or calling or conviction we have built idols in ministry.  We make excuses and sayings to deflect the fact that we are idol worshipers and are actually about God and His Kingdom come.  For some growth is in idol, others it is numbers, pleasing people, success, money, family, image, preaching, efficiency, abilities, being liked and much more.  For me my idols are my chil

I am getting ready to go to the National Youth Workers Convention in San Diego.  This will be the 7th or so convention for me and each year God uses them for a different purpose in my life.  This year I am looking to find my roots in youth ministry again.  After 8 years in youth ministry, 7 of those in a full time paid position it can be easy to get caught up in the work or the ministry itself and forget about the calling or what it was about youth ministry that caused you to fall in love with it in the first place.  It is an odd place to be, because it is not like burnout or loss of passi