By Mark Johannesen In my last post I wrote how my family made the decision to change schools with our daughter. And without going into that change too much I can say that it has been a great move. A month ago her new school, which is a Christian school, hosted a Christmas party for
After a few months of exploring options my family chose to change the school that our daughter attends from a public school to a Christian school. I’ve always been pro-public school, and I still am, but this time I’m at a crossroad with our local school system, and my daughter is very much on the
For about three years of my pastoral life, youth ministry was not the primary ministry hat I wore because I was serving in a Sr. Pastor role but soon after I returned into a youth ministry dominant role I was challenged by how so many things had changed in youth culture. If you want to
The Central Region, along with Word of Life Lutheran Brethren Church in LeSueur, MN, is sponsoring a worship leaders retreat at IPOINT this fall. The cost is just $45 per person. During the weekend Professor Brad Pribbenow will lead 5 sessions designed to cover many topics related to worship. Join us as we discuss our theology of
As I was locking the door the other night after youth group, I was saying good night to one of my student leaders. After having just talked for thirty fabulous minutes to his small group bible study, he was happy to tell me about, and my mind started to wander. I couldn’t help but think about that
I was asked if I could write an article for the Eastern Region on “staying connected to students over the summer” which I realize can be a difficult thing to make happen. As I thought on that topic it got me to name the following suggestions and ideas that have helped me. 1. Realize that while attendance does decline
One of my loves in ministry is the church. I grew up in a great church (Hillside in Succasunna, NJ) and have been on staff at three great churches which I absolutely loved, and because of that history and because of how great the church has been often in my life I think I’m actually
by Mark Johannesen Should I watch the movie “Beware of Christians”? Now, I thought I’d pass on my two cents (bullet style) about this movie because maybe you’ll stumble across it and wonder if it’s worth watching… -First up, you need to know, its not a drama or anything like that….it’s a film with four
by Mark Johannesen An Open Letter to Parents If I had to write a thesis paper on youth ministry, I would make it a paper about parents and the church. In all my years of working with students I have consistently seen the value that a parent has in passing on their faith to their
In Support of a Modified Traditional Approach to Youth Ministry By Mark Johannesen For as critical as some critics have been of youth ministry because they see it as something that disassembles the church and works against the ministry of the church I think it must also be said that youth ministries can offer something incredibly valuable at the
By Mark Johannesen Hi everyone, A little late night dialogue is on my mind… I was encouraged to watch the film “Divided” (www.dividedthemovie.com) and give my feedback on it. I’ll make the same invite to anyone else who cares about youth ministry. -The director inferred that to think biblically means you believe in a young earth. I’m not sure
