A few weeks ago, everything changed with COVID-19 causing stay-at-home orders. For many churches around the globe, online live streaming is the new normal (for now). As we're navigating these changes, I wanted to share some of what my team has learned so far in regards to live streaming and church online. No expert opinions or technical tips here! Just some practical ways to make it personal & care for people in this unprecedented time.

This interview with Terry Parkman from River Valley Church in Minnesota about youth ministry and Generation Z might be my favorite episode to date. You're going to want to sit down and take notes for this one!

Once I heard Chris Hodges say that it's better to bring him in to speak to your team during the week than it is to speak on a Sunday. I feel the same way! As much as I love preaching, I love coaching and leading leaders even more. This was a fun opportunity to speak into the youth team at The Bridge Church in Fresno, CA led by Hayden & Lindzi McAndrew. They have an incredible team that pulled off the largest night in their youth ministry's history just a couple of nights later. This Team Night talk set the table for the weekend and is full of jet-lagged, caffeinated thoughts (it was 12am my time). Enjoy & let me know what you thought!

In this episode, I take you inside one of our YouthQuake Team Meetings as we talk about creating a culture of hospitality. Studies show that a person will make a decision about whether they will return to church within the first 7 minutes of their arrival. Hospitality matters! Not only does hospitality honor people, but it honors God. These practical tips will show you how to set the atmosphere to receive students and be a good host at any youth service or event.

I always use the week between Christmas & New Years to "chart the course" for the year ahead. We all want to be more productive in 2019. The challenge is finding the tools that you'll ACTUALLY use to help you be productive. If you're anything like, the number of apps and tools out there can be overwhelming, and actually counterproductive. App fatigue is a real thing, so I took time to share the 5 tools that I'm ALREADY using to be more productive this year. This isn't about the latest and greatest, but the stuff that actually works. Cheers & Happy New Year!

Over the last decade, I've helped a lot of young adults navigate through life as a single person. One thing I've learned is that the world outside of the church tends to be much more comfortable with the idea of singleness than the Church itself. Though they may never say it, many Christians feel like they cannot find fulfillment & purpose in life outside of marriage — and that’s a huge problem! If you're single, you need to know something: YOU ARE OK! Your single season is not just to be endured; it can be enjoyed. You can thrive regardless of what the future holds!

Over the last decade, I've helped a lot of young adults navigate through life as a single person. One thing I've learned is that the world outside of the church tends to be much more comfortable with the idea of singleness than the Church itself. Though they may never say it, many Christians feel like they cannot find fulfillment & purpose in life outside of marriage — and that’s a huge problem! If you're single, you need to know something: YOU ARE OK! Your single season is not just to be endured; it can be enjoyed. You can thrive regardless of what the future holds!

Josh Carter is the Youth & Young Adults Pastor at Calvary Christian Center in Ormond Beach, FL. In this breakout session from YouthQuake Conference 2017, Josh talks about finding your passion, discovering your purpose, and launching out into everything that God has called you to. Not only is Josh Carter a great PREACHER, but a very insightful LEADER. You're getting a lot of both in this episode. This is definitely one worth sharing!

Melissa Ward is the Live Creative Director at Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. In this breakout session from YouthQuake Conference 2017, she talks all about what causes anxiety on your team. It's all about putting the right things in the right places, because misplaced leadership habits can result in team-crippling anxiety. Listen all the way through for a great Q&A session on how Elevation Church develops leaders, how to address behavioral issues with students, and branding in ministry.

So I broke my elbow this summer...and I've been thinking a lot in my spare time! That's a dangerous recipe for some fresh leadership thoughts. In this episode, I talk about developing leaders, being an owner-operating, and how losing is actually a major key in leading.