It started a week ago when we studied the extended forecast and realized we would be in for a challenging week in our church programming leading up to Ash Wednesday.

My morning was interrupted when my wife texted me that she was stuck on Interstate 20, only 10 minutes from our house and 30 minutes from her school where she teaches. For over four hours she didn’t move. Almost immediately I have flashbacks of fatigue. This has been a challenging year in many, many ways. Now it’s one more thing.

It has only been during the later part of my ministry that the Lenten season has taken on such deep meaning. As a young believer, I was aware of Ash Wednesday and of course the high season of Palm Sunday and Easter but this journey of Lent was missing.

It’s a long journey. I learned this the hard way by overcommitting my fast and failing to sustain my commitment until Easter. I would later learn that you don’t really fail, you learn, you listen, and you continue the journey.

Few seasons get by you faster than Spring. If you have been following our information on rhythm, you know from our post last fall that Spring Break is the turning point in the Spring season and we are now only 6/7 weeks from most Spring Break weeks.

We do our best to give you a look ahead into the seasons where you can prepare your ministry calendar, leadership, and communication funnel.

Programming doesn’t have to be complicated and can be done simply when done consistently. Following a routine will help you achieve positive results in developing and managing your Youth Ministry strategy. Work these three practices into your weekly routine and let us know what you learn. You can share your experience on our Youth Ministry page, Horizon Youth Ministry.

When it comes to your Youth Ministry space not all are created equal. The equalizer is the creativity and purpose behind your space. Don’t settle. Strive for more. Here are a few reasons space is important.

The new year is five days old and you will soon begin your Student Ministry calendar for the spring semester. Even with scheduling uncertainty, you have the opportunity to capture the heart of students and create the framework for your teaching emphasis for the semester.

In my countdown to the New Year, I finally arrived at the place where I am ready to move on. As I reflected on this, I realized some might think it would be because of a pandemic year. But upon more reflection, I realized, No! It’s simply time to move on.

If I could do one thing better during Advent, it would be to slow down. This is a challenge for most of us all throughout the year, but particularly difficult during the Christmas season where the common theme seems to be MORE. More gifts, more food, more events on my schedule—you get the picture, you’re constantly creating space for more.

What if you started this Advent season creating space for less? Having less creates space for higher value.