Ministry To Parents Blog

A few years ago, I stumbled upon a parenting principle that really did change the way I engage with my kids. At the time, both of our kids (who are a part of Gen Z) were in their teenage years,...

One of the things I love most about my church is how full it is of teenagers, college students, and young adults. Being in a college town certainly helps, but it’s more than geography. Our church has a long-standing reputation...

Right now, you are busy raising Gen Alpha. Born between 2010 and 2024, their defining traits are still developing, but with the oldest kids turning 15 this year, we are seeing some key influences that have and will continue to...

We are currently leading Generation Alpha in our churches. They are the youngest and most digitally native generation in history. Born from 2010 to 2024, these kids have never known a world without iPads, YouTube, or Alexa. As children’s ministry...

I know a family that has a great summer tradition. Every year as they approach June, they sit down and make a list. This isn’t a boring, normal list, but a big, exciting, hopeful list of things their family wants...

I’m old enough to remember life before modern technology. Mine is the last generation raised without home computers, smartphones, tablets, and streaming television. Looking back, I don’t remember ever being bored, especially during the summer. My sister and I spent...

A few years ago, our church decided to move into summer with a theme. We hadn’t really done anything like this before, but we recognized that summer can be scattered. People are often traveling and attending church less. They might...

Looking back to your childhood, I’ll guess that some of your best memories were created in the summer. I remember the feeling of freedom on the last day of school, looking forward to summertime adventures—playing outside, going to the beach,...

If I asked you to tell me about the last time you experienced something new, what would you say? Think about your daily routine and ask yourself, “How often do things actually change?” Sure, we might encounter big life events...

Throughout my three-plus decades of ministry, I have seen my fair share of seasons. I could tell you some stories, but I’ll spare you. Let’s just say there have been some incredible highs and some difficult lows. There have been...

As I write this article, I’m looking out the window at my backyard. There are remnants of our last snowstorm scattered here and there. The grass is a dull, lifeless brown, and the trees are bare. It’s not the most...

As I’m writing this, we’ve entered “sprinter” here in Michigan–that time of the year when winter and spring collide. Earlier this week, we had a couple of 50-degree days melting a lot of our snow into muddy rivers in our...