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How do we do Catholic youth ministry that works?

“How does the Catholic Church do youth ministry that works?” When I submitted my application to be the Manager of Ministries to Young People for the Diocese of Auckland, my cover letter was structured around this single question. What’s clear, generally, is that the Catholic Church doesn’t know the answer.

Start Your Youth Ministry With WHY

Youth ministry can be a tough gig. Long hours, late nights, little recognition. You work in a context where everyone has an opinion on how to do your job correctly. You help young people navigate the pressures, influences and anxieties of life. It gets messy. At some point, anyone who has been involved in youth ministry for a while has...

Dear Christians, It’s Time To Rethink The Way We Share The Good News

Christians are called to share the gospel. Jesus didn’t leave much room for debate about it. Before he ascended into heaven, his final commandment to the disciples was, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news” (Mark 16:15). Reflecting on this commandment, it seems obvious that it would be better to share the gospel with 10 people rather...

Youth Ministers, Come Back To The Call

When I signed up for a job in youth ministry, I wasn’t signing up for closed churches, cancelled events, and spending far too many hours staring into a webcam. A month after starting my new role as the Manager of Ministries to Young People for the Diocese of Auckland, that’s exactly what I got. Auckland went into a 4-month COVID...

God Wants You To Ask The Big Questions

Once you’ve made it to your mid-twenties, life can often be summarised by three words from the movie Finding Nemo: “just keep swimming.” You’ve got bills to pay, a career to progress in, and possibly a wedding or your own little family to account for. There are plenty of motivators that will form their own little choir of Dorys, constantly...

Do Christians Need to Start Taking Gossip Seriously?

When was the last time a Christian you know worshipped the Canaanite god Baal? Personally, I’ve never caught someone in that particular act of idolatry. What about violence? When was the last time someone from church committed assault? Still pretty rare, but you might be able to think of an example or two. What about gossip? When was the last...

Is Social Media Destroying Our Personalities?

Social feedback is an enormous shaper of human identity. When we are growing up, our sense of right and wrong is largely shaped by whatever our parents praise or punish us for. The style of clothing we wear is largely determined by whatever is considered fashionable by those around us. The career we pursue is usually prompted by what other...

The Dangers of Using Personal Brand for Ministry

I don’t know if the apostle Paul would have been on Twitter, but he definitely had a personal brand. Within decades of Christianity beginning, the early church was dealing with the challenges posed by its apostles developing personal followings. Writing to the church in Corinth, Paul criticised the quarrelling that had arisen due to church members associating themselves with his...

Why We Can’t Stay Afraid Of Constructive Criticism

I stared at the bathroom mirror in horror. I had just arrived home from a formal dinner to discover, firmly wedged between my front teeth, a substantially-sized salad leaf. Salad had been part of the entrée, meaning this piece of greenery had been stuck between my incisors for the last three hours. It had been present through least a dozen...

The Question Every Christian Should Be Asking

Humans are a social bunch. Throughout history, our survival has relied on our ability to work together as part of a group. When winter comes, no one wants to the outsider who isn’t welcome around the campfire. As a result, we’re hardwired to want to be part of the tribe; to conform to the social dynamics around us. One (in)famous...