I have worked with middle school students in educational, athletic, and ministry settings for more than 14 years now. Although each context was uniquely different, there were still a few basic things about (most) middle schoolers that remained the same no matter what.  

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We asked middle schoolers from all over the country what their favorite YouTube channel was as of today (because we all know it changes in the blink of an eye). Here’s what they said…

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How do you know if your students are actually growing in their faith?

How do you as the Youth Pastor, Sunday School Teacher, or Small Group Leader help students grow in their relationship with God?

Is it just about what you teach them?

Or is there more?

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During the first year I was in full-time ministry, I made a New Year’s goal to read 50 books that year. Looking back, I realize that’s a bit aggressive, considering they were all non-fiction for the most part. 

At the time, it sounded like a great goal to me. I was transitioning out of the education system and a volunteer position and into full-time ministry. I knew I had a lot to learn, and I was motivated. 

Over the years I have continued to read as much as I can. So I have put together a list of 50 of my favorite books that have been influential in my life over the last eight years. 

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I think there are two types of people in this world. 

There are some of us who pack the night before leaving for a trip.

And then there are others of us who start packing a whole month in advance, no matter where we are going or how long we will be gone for (which also includes packing, unpacking, re-packing, double checking, and then packing all over again.)

No matter where you fall on the spectrum, I’ve found is that, no matter where I am going, there are a few unique things I bring on every mission trip: 

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Everything we are reading is saying somewhere between 80% – 95% of Generation Z uses YouTube more than any other social media channel. They visit YouTube to laugh, be entertained by funny content, and keep up to date with the latest and music and entertainment news. They also use it to search “real stories” or “day-in-the-life” videos, “behind-the-scenes” videos, and “how-to” videos. Turns out, teenagers prefer a low-quality video by an unknown person who seems real and authentic to a polished and produced video portraying something teenagers know isn’t reality.

Learning more about what this generation of teenagers connects with caused us to reimagine and rethink the way we do middle school teaching videos for our XP3 Middle School curriculum. After all, we have the best chance of reaching middle school students if we meet them where they already are, right?

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Don’t you love when people ask you this question:

“So what all do you need to do before you guys go on this mission trip?”

In your head you are probably thinking, the list is so long I don’t think you even want to know!

Amidst this gigantic list of to-dos, there are five things I have discovered that have made all the difference in mission trips I have been a part of.

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Anyone who has been on a mission trip before knows not to do things like go off on your own, give your passport to someone else to hold, drink non-bottled water, point and laugh… you get the picture. 

But over the last 20 mission trips I have been part of, I have learned there are other things that you absolutely should not do that aren’t as obvious. 

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As much as we would like to hope, new volunteer leaders can’t just walk in and start being effective immediately. Sure, there are things they can do to start making a difference, but they need some equipping. Not only do they need equipping and training, but they need 4 very specific things to be effective and in it for the long haul.

I had a chance to talk about this very thing on the YM Sidekick Podcast with Tom Pounder in this episode! Check it out:

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