Youth today are busy, engaged in academics, sports, clubs, scouts, drama, band, etc and have busy social and family lives. And often their priority of attending Sunday morning worship and mid-week youth groups falls somewhere between having their wisdom teeth pulled and watching the next episode of Games of Thrones. For many youth the summer becomes a great time for spiritual growth because there are less distractions. For many youth groups this culminates in a summer mission trip and for... Read more

I just recently spoke to a group of our high school and middle school parents about teen suicide. This is an important topic that affects many people, and it’s a topic that is not often discussed. The age range we are addressing is roughly between the ages of 10-24—essentially the years of adolescent development, although those parameters can be argued. We talked about some scary statistics regarding the suicide rates in young people: suicide is the second leading cause of... Read more

We’ve all visited fast food restaurants. When you pull into the window a person will take your order through an intercom and within minutes your food is ready. Many of us might know young people who work at fast food restaurants, or we may have worked at a fast food restaurant ourselves. One day I decided to work at one of these fine establishments. If a high school student can do it, how hard can it be? Here are a few things I... Read more

Despite what some athletes are claiming in the wake of Donald Trump’s defense of this past weekend’s bombshell release of a misogynistic exchange between him and Billy Bush from 11 years ago, locker room talk is a real thing. Playing football in middle school and high school, I definitely remember certain guys who were always trying to one-up each other with tales of their sexual exploits. Some of it was probably grounded in reality, much of it was surely exaggerated.... Read more

I’m listening to Originals by Adam Grant, and I’m riveted by the part about the “Sarick Effect.” It’s making me wonder if I shouldn’t start changing my approach to adolescent faith formation, like, now. The Sarick Effect is Grant’s playful name for the idea that pessimism and doubt can be effective tools for leadership. It rests heavily on the story of Rufus Griscom, who successfully pitched a startup and then sold it to Disney with presentations that led with slides emblazoned with... Read more

Heather Haginduff is the Associate Minister for Youth and Families at Trinity United Church of Christ in Canton, OH. When you make a mistake, admit it. Humility is brave. And kinda sexy. There are some people who prepare for an assignment and others who don’t. Always show your work. Don’t let people bully you. You deserve respect. So when you stand up for yourself and your values, don’t get ugly or defensive or rigid. When they go low, you go... Read more