Pastor J's Blog

Student pastors are constantly bombarded with the newest curriculum that some Christian agency has developed to grow students to a spiritual level that other curriculum was unable to achieve. Most student pastors may ask the question, “Which curriculum will achieve the desired results for students?” This blog will propose three components of quality curriculum for student and family ministry. First, theology proper in the traditional Protestant system may be defined as the Doctrine of God.[1] Quality curriculum will exploit God as omnipresent, omniscient, holy, triune, creator, sustainer, redeemer, merciful, just, righteous, and any remaining characteristics within each lesson. Students must be exposed to the glory of God through his special revelation to his people. Quality curriculum will develop the majesty of King Jesus so that students will be in reverence and awe of God’s nature therefore willing to live lives for his glory in light of receiving the gospel. A.W. Tozer correc...

You are either in school about to finish for the semester or you have just finished out the school year enjoying the freedoms of summer. Maybe you are a parent or an adult that reminisces about the days of summer because summer remains a season of work and daily life. If you are a youth pastor, summer seems to be the months of your ministry that are filled with many tasks for the summer activities you have planned for students and families. Regardless, we should still keep our minds active through an ancient method called reading. I can hear the thoughts of many of you as I am sitting here typing this blog. I don't like to read. I don't want to read. I am not in school so I don't have to read. I don't have time to read. Need I go on? If you are not in summer school, you should take this time to read books that you want to read not books that you are required to read.  May I recommend a few readings for the different age groups that read this blog? 1) Parent...

As a student pastor, I desire to encourage other brothers serving students and families among various ministry settings across the nation. Therefore, I started this blog. I thought to myself, "Why not?" I read blogs by other prominent youth ministers, professors, and pastors that share their thoughts and methods online maybe I should too. Thanks for reading my first one, and I hope you will find encouragement through this post.  If you are still reading, I hope my insights will provide you with useful thoughts for your own life in ministry. Youth ministry provides ample opportunities to minister and spiritually mature the next generation of brothers and sisters in Christ, but sometimes seeing students develop in their walk with Jesus Christ does not come rapidly. We all need encouragement in ministry. Not just from students and members within the body of believers, but from each other. Paul exhorts the Thessalonians, "Therefore encourage one another and build one a...