Walking Away: Part 1

It’s not difficult to see that there is something terribly wrong in our world. Sin, brokenness. division. The result of the fall is evident when you look at our current state. Creation is groaning under the weight of sin.

Hidden amongst the more obvious corruption, there is another issue leering in the background. This is an issue that often gets more attention from mainstream media than it does from the body of Christ….an astonishing number of believers are facing a slow deconstruction of their faith and are eventually renouncing the God they once claimed to serve.

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7 Conversations to Have with Your College Freshmen

My youth pastor had a lasting impact on my life. I can still remember many conversations we had that prepared me for life during and after high school.

“You can’t pour from an empty cup. Fill it up and give it away.”

“Don’t ever sacrifice your family to save someone else’s. Your home is your primary ministry.”

“You’ll never regret spending time and energy pursuing Christ.”

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Engaging Students During COVID-19: 5 Ways to Have Some Fun 

In the last month, everything has changed concerning how we do student ministry. Those methods of ministry that we have come to know and depend on no longer work. Everything that we are doing to try and reach our students is new.

Our mission is the same – to know Christ and make Him known. But, how are we to make an impact in our students’ lives when we cannot be in the same room as them?

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Youth Ministry and the Corona Virus

We are facing something as a nation that hasn’t been seen this lifetime. At the moment, there are over 160,000 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus around the world – 3,000 of those within the United States. Schools are closing. People are being asked to telecommute. Church services are being cancelled.

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Jono Long
How to Plan A Girls Retreat

If you are anything like me, the idea of spending a weekend investing in the lives of your female students is exciting. However, that initial excitement is often overtaken when I realize that I actually have to PLAN the retreat.

Whether you’ve been “voluntold” to plan a girl’s ministry weekend or simply feel led by the Lord to intentionally invest in your girls, planning a retreat can seem like a daunting task. I want to encourage you to put aside the excuses and take ownership of this opportunity you’ve been given.

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Jono Long
Helping Students Develop a High View of Scripture

As youth ministry leaders we must realize the essential need to help students develop a high view of Scripture. It is God’s word to us, my Pastor says this, “You read this book, you hear His voice.” The Bible is a Holy book and it should be treated as such. Students may not know how to treat a book as Holy so they must see it modeled in us. Through a series of blog posts we are going to discuss some different ways to help your students develop a high view scripture.

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Jono LongThe Bible
Psalm 1

I tried something recently that I thought was going to have one result and didn’t have as much as I thought.  I don’t have a lot of discipline, so it just has to be “chop.”  Matthew chapter 5 says if your right hand offends you, cut it off.  So I thought I just need to cut some things off in my life.  So I decided this year, I was going to drink no sodas at all and no sweet tea…

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Jono LongThrive Resources
Authentic Worship in Student Ministry

I don’t know if you’ve seen it or not. That glazed over look from your students like they’re a freshly made batch of Krispy Kremes (or whatever doughnut you prefer). But one of our challenges as adults who have a burden for teenagers is we’d like to see them experience authentic and meaningful worship that will transform their lives. We’d also like to see them learn how to communicate with God on a personal level which, in turn, will also change their lives. I ask, why not both? Why not teach students how prayer works while you’re leading them in worship? 

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