What a crazy week! Last Sunday afternoon, my wife and I were strategizing about how to spend a quiet day at home. With no commitments or plans , we tossed around ideas—lounging around, eating lunch, tackling some laundry…you know, that kind of stuff. But then my wife called me back. I could hear the concern in her voice: “ They’re doing CPR on Grandma... ” In a blur, we raced home, jumped into the same car, and sped to the hospital. Hours later, we received the news: Grandma

Ejecting a Spectator: When heckling crosses the line ( Doug Benc/Getty Images ) The recent snowfall here in Central Virginia threw the basketball schedule into chaos. Several high school games had to be rescheduled, creating a busy week of officiating for me. While plenty of officials work more games than I do, I ended up officiating six games this week. And there was one thing they all had in common: whining . Players. Coaches. Fans. Now, before you think I’m jaded or obli

As I write this article, a lot is going on around me. I’ve just come off two weeks of vacation , Christmas, New Year’s, the start of Upward Basketball & Cheer, officiating basketball games, a special election, family gatherings, a golf outing , and even some snow . However, there’s something bigger staring me dead in the face: tomorrow’s worship service at Mineral Baptist Church (MBC). I know some of the people reading this attend MBC and will be in attendance tomorrow, but

On New Year’s Day , I played in a “for fun” golf tournament. It was more of an outing with a few elements of a traditional competition. I invited a friend from church to join me, and we were partnered with two players we had never met before. I wrestled with how good I needed to play in order to either help carry the team or not be embarrassed. I’ve never claimed to be a great golfer—just someone who enjoys the game and has played a fair bit. The challenge, though, is that I

Another Christmas Day has come and gone. I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday season. But I wonder—was it everything you planned for? Maybe you didn’t get the gift you really wanted. Maybe a family member couldn’t make it after all. Perhaps the cookies didn’t turn out quite right, or a cherished tradition was dismissed by the rest of the family. For us, this was the second year in a row our extended family was sick . This year hurt a little more because my wi

This past week, our church ordained four new deacons , and the occasion was especially meaningful for me. Since arriving in 2018, I’ve worked closely with all of them in various ministries. Some of them have children in our youth ministry , so I also have a close relationship with their children spanning from 6th grade to 11th grade. I’ve attended and participated in several deacon ordination services over the years, but this one stood out because of a unique touch. Our inter

Have you ever found yourself in an unexpected moment where two worlds collided, leaving you with a story you couldn't wait to share? Recently, I was scheduled to officiate a basketball doubleheader. What I did not know was that the visiting opponent was not just another boarding school. The opponent was from Australia. Every year, this school comes to the United States and plays schools up and down the East Coast. Now I can say I have officiated an international basketball

This past summer, I led a team of high school students from our church to Costa Rica on our first youth international mission trip . One of my favorite parts of international mission trips is the flight. Unlike most people, I love the airport and the plane ride—even the 12–14-hour ones ! Costa Rica was my fifth of six international mission trips, and I am always fascinated as we climb to cruising altitude. As we get further from the ground, we get closer to the clouds. And t

To say this is a busy time in my life right now is an understatement. Having just returned from one international mission trip and preparing for another next month , launching our Upward Flag Football & Cheer ministry at church, arranging multiple pick-up requests for donations at RuraLove, and school starting soon - which brings football season! I recently found out that I was assigned to a specific referee crew this season. Last year, I was a floater. I worked with sever

While watching one of my favorite television shows recently, I came across an episode where one of the characters learned ( no pun intended ) that he was dyslexic. In the build-up to that revelation, he was studying for an exam in mythology and he knew the content. However, when he received his test back his grade was not stellar. He had not failed but the grade did not reflect his grasp of the material. This led to a candid conversation between the son and his parents about

The school year is rapidly coming to an end with many high school graduations just a few weeks away. As summer approaches, a million things are happening all at once. And this is no different for churches. This past Wednesday night, I decided to do something special with our youth ministry . Instead of our normal Youth Group with games, Bible Study, and small groups, we went to the local Mexican restaurant across the street. As a group. So there we were, 19 of us, taking up t

Back in December 2023, I sprained my left thumb playing pick-up basketball at an Open Gym sponsored by a local church in our area. While defending a fellow Randolph-Macon College (RMC) alum, he rifled a pass across the court, and my left hand got in the way. I immediately felt the pain but figured my thumb was just jammed. Despite the pain, I continued playing, attempting to shake off the pain, literally. Whoever coined the phrase, “It’s all right, just shake it off,” clearl

Years ago, I came across a blog post on studentministry.org titled “ 100 blog topics I hope YOU write. ” Surprisingly, to me, the 100th topic “How to Get Students Involved in the Rest of the Church Body,” remained untouched. In this article, we explore some practical ways to involve students in the broader church community - all of which I have implemented over the past 15 years of youth ministry. NOT AS HARD AS YOU THINK Most people (including youth leaders in various contex

In the final week before Christmas , people are out and about looking for that perfect gift for their loved ones. For some people, the final days before Christmas are the beginning of their shopping journey. For others, it is only for that “last minute” stocking stuffer or gift or maybe even a Christmas Eve service outfit. My wife and I were out and about in our local mall recently. While she was in a store, I stood outside watching the people. There were parents alone, grand

Lately, I have realized that I enjoy words. I enjoy a good pun, a good riddle, and even just playing around with different words to decipher meanings and connections. Many of my students in youth ministry (and now in substitute teaching as well) roll their eyes and take a deep breath when I get going. SIDEBAR : One of my favorites is “when was the first time medicine was mentioned in the Bible?” You’ll have to read all the way to the end to find out. This week our local middl

I don't know if you have ever worked the polls during an election , but I can tell you that there is a lot that happens on an election day – not to mention leading up to one. One of the best things about working the polls where I currently live is the spread. The food spread! A couple of weeks ago we had an election here, and I worked the polls again. And when you walked into the kitchen... WOW, the smell was incredible! There was barbecue, meatballs, green beans and potatoes

Recently, one of our high school students mentioned that he wanted to talk to me about being baptized again. He had been baptized at an earlier age, but he really put his faith and trust in Jesus this summer during our mission trip. Now before everyone gets into whether he should “be baptized again” or not, I would like to investigate why baptism is significant in the first place. Baptism has become tricky in modern application. There are questions of infant baptism vs. belie

When I was playing football in college , our coach divided our practices into segments. Many college, professional, and even high school teams plan practices down to the second to try and cover as much as they can and get the players every possible rep. But what happens when time runs out and we are right in the middle of a drill? Or when we need to take additional reps to perfect a new play? In my experience, it was simple , we adjusted the schedule. But if we can jus

How do you feel about group work ? You remember, in high school or college (or maybe some other setting), you were assigned to work with a group of people on some project, report, or presentation. In my freshman year in college, my best friend at the time and I were assigned to work on a presentation with two other guys. The only problem was that one of the other guys never showed up for our meetings. The presentation was divided into four equal parts, and admittedly my frien

Many things are caught more than taught. You've probably heard that phrase before. Over the past couple of weeks, this idea has surfaced in shows, podcasts, and even songs. The predominant example describes children catching mannerisms and sayings from their parents. In one show, one of the characters even said, “Oh no, I am beginning to sound like my father!” The question leaps off the page, “Why?” Why does this happen to us? How after all the years of denial and rebellion