Category: youth ministry

DISCipleship Golf: Navigating the Fairways of Faith

September 18, 2026

We spent August designing an 18-hold disc golf course on our property. It’s a legit course with maps and yardage on each tee pad and we even invested in some baskets. This week we’ve had dozens of high schoolers at our home trying it out. Saturday I’m hosting a little “DISCipleship Golf” event where we’ll play some holes and discuss faith lessons along the way. Enjoy photos and a summary of my five lesson study. … More DISCipleship Golf: Navigating the Fairways of Faith

Jesus walking ahead with disciples on cliffside path saying The path ahead is long

Deep Dive: My Youth Ministry Approach

June 9, 2026

Continuing to get to know myself according to AI, today I asked Google Gemini: “Summarize Jeremy’s philosophy of youth ministry and his experience as a youth pastor.” I learned that my philosophy transitions away from traditional entertainment-based “church-as-usual” models toward a grassroots, relational, and “Jesus-shaped” spiritual revolution. Check it out! … More Deep Dive: My Youth Ministry Approach

Jason’s House Youth

March 19, 2026

In the basement, they gathered around pizza and silly games, sang songs and discussed ancient wisdom and timeless truth. There was laughter and seriousness, but mostly laughter. The junior high gathering drew in a random smattering of faces who heard about it through the grapevine. We call the gathering Jason’s House, and here’s why. … More Jason’s House Youth

Helping Young People In Uncertain Times

September 11, 2025

“Our society is experiencing change at unprecedented rates. Young people are navigating these changes alongside the challenges that adolescence and young adulthood present. Young people want and need safe spaces and relationships to talk about what they’re experiencing and find guidance on how to move forward” (Springtide).  … More Helping Young People In Uncertain Times

Are You On Greg’s List?

July 3, 2025

Greg Speck is hilarious. He’s also anointed to bring the message of God’s amazing grace and undying love to squirrelly middle schoolers and too-cool high schoolers. At the end of every event, he invited everyone to send him a friend request on Facebook. Once you become “friends,” you are on Greg’s list. And once you are on it, you cannot get off of it, but why would you want to? I am on Greg’s list. … More Are You On Greg’s List?

20 Years: The Irresistible Revolution

June 20, 2025

I want to share some reflections on 20 years of ministry in my hometown. I have told the story of launching the Revolution teen ministry in Mound many times, but I have never mentioned the book that I led teenagers through that laid a foundation for that ministry and lit a spark for the brand of Jesus-shaped Christianity I have pursued and taught over the past 20 years. … More 20 Years: The Irresistible Revolution

Partnering with Parents to Raise Godly Kids

March 20, 2019

MainStreet Covenant wants to partner with our parents and provide resources to help nurture the faith of our children beginning in the home. Beyond our wonderful Sunday school ministry and new Jason’s House gatherings, we are trying to be proactive in offering things like Tech-Wise Sunday, a Grace-Based Parenting Lifegroup series this past fall, giving each family … More Partnering with Parents to Raise Godly Kids

Tech-Wise Family Sunday – March 10 @ MainStreet

February 21, 2019

On March 10, MainStreet is hosting “Tech-Wise Family” Sunday. Our regular worship service will feature a video presentation by Andy Crouch on his book The Tech-Wise Family. The service will be followed by a luncheon that includes a panel discussion, Q&A and live interaction/discussion with fellow MainStreeters as we share our struggles and offer tips to one … More Tech-Wise Family Sunday – March 10 @ MainStreet

Life’s the Curriculum, You’re the Assignment

January 9, 2018

A good reminder for a New Year. A repost from about 9 years ago. -JB Somewhere along the way, largely in the wake of the Enlightenment’s enthronement of human reason, Christianity morphed into a rational quest for right knowledge and head beliefs. Discipleship naturally became a classroom exercise with teachers, Bible curriculum and eager (and … More Life’s the Curriculum, You’re the Assignment

Re-Born Identity: “Kingdom Exchange Principle”

May 25, 2017

The Christian life is filled with counterintuitive paradoxical truths.  One of my favorites is Jesus’ strange warning that “Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it” (Luke 17:33).  On the surface this is ludicrous.  I mean the last time I lost $10 I was poorer and … More Re-Born Identity: “Kingdom Exchange Principle”

When Darkness Wins a Battle, We Still Win the War

May 24, 2017

Suicide is an all too common thing these days — especially among adolescents and younger adults. I thought I’d repost an older piece from around 2009 for a Christian perspective on such tragedies. Some of these words also give perspective on the evil of recent events. -JB The forces of darkness are always around us.  Most of the time, if … More When Darkness Wins a Battle, We Still Win the War

Faith Over Feelings

May 12, 2017

Theology matters.  And we all “do theology” — whether we’re aware of it or not. Theology is “thinking about God.” The question is not whether we do theology but whether we do good or bad theology. This is why my one of my biggest passions as a pastor is trying to help people begin to think critically … More Faith Over Feelings