Book Review: Narrative Apologetics (Alister E. McGrath)
In Narrative Apologetics, Alister McGrath has written a good introduction to help readers introduce others to the greatest story ever told.
Author: Trevor Hamaker
Trevor Hamaker helps youth pastors see their potential and reach their goals. He has over a decade of ministry experience, along with degrees in business management, organizational leadership, and religious education.
What a Youth Pastor Can Learn from an Undercover Billionaire
The most recent reality-business show that caught my attention was Undercover Billionaire on Discovery Channel. I was hooked from the start. In this post, I share 7 ideas I picked up along the way that can help your ministry.
Should You Care About Effectiveness in Youth Ministry?
I was sitting at the table, surrounded by a cohort of fellow doctoral students, when the conversation turned to the question of effectiveness. One of the pastors in the cohort was talking about his thesis project. He was leading his congregation through a building campaign that would allow them to do ministry more effectively in the […]
A Simple Way to Get Students to Open Up, Ask Questions, and Own Their Faith
With puberty, middle school students start to develop a new ability to think abstractly. They begin to question their childhood beliefs. In this post, I share an easy way to help them work through those questions and doubts.
Sacred Pathways for Student Pastors
I live in Atlanta, but unlike most people who live around me, I’m not a big college football fan. I’ll watch a few games every season but that’s mostly just to have something to say when the conversation turns in that direction. However, I noticed that Mac Brown returned to the University of North Carolina to be […]
How to Grow Your Youth Group: Four Simple Strategies
The early Christian movement spread because the first Christians didn’t close themselves off from non-Christians. Perhaps that might also be the key to growing your youth group in today’s post-Christian culture.
First Things First (Don’t Promote Your Ministry Before You’re Ready)
Before you ask your students to invite all of their friends, get your place in order and create an environment where students who show up for the first time will want to come back a second time.
How to Build Buzz in Your Ministry
New students won’t show up to your ministry if they don’t know about your ministry. That’s why buzz matters. In this post, I share three ways to build buzz and get people talking about your ministry.
A Plea for Practical Theology (An Open Letter to Youth Pastors)
In the wake of recent Christian deconversion stories, I felt compelled to post this open letter that I included in my book, Varsity Faith. It’s a plea for practical theology to make its way into youth ministry.
7 Guardrails for New Youth Pastors (and Everyone Else in Ministry)
New youth pastors are excited to get started, but they need to establish guardrails and maintain boundaries to keep their ministries on the right track. This post suggests 7 specific guardrails that every youth pastor should put in place.
