If you’ve been in leadership for any length of time—whether in ministry, business, or simply leading your own family—you already know that leadership is rarely about the big, flashy decisions. It’s no...  Read More

If you’ve been in ministry for more than about five minutes, you already know the tension I’m talking about. It’s that constant tug of war between the people you’re called to serve and the people you’...  Read More

Why Family Is the Secret Sauce of Every Healthy Youth MinistryThere are a few ministry truths that, if we truly embraced them, would change everything. And this is one of them: creating a genuine sens...  Read More

What Genesis 2 Really Teaches Us About Being Single, Whole, and HumanIf you’ve spent any time around young adults—or if you are one—you’ve probably heard some version of this internal monologue: “I ca...  Read More

Every time I look at Scripture—or at the lives of the spiritual giants I admire—I’m reminded of a truth we don’t like to talk about in Christian circles: even the strongest people hit bottom. Every he...  Read More

There’s a haunting question posed by Andy Andrews in his book How Do You Kill 11 Million People? It’s the kind of question that stops you mid‑sentence, mid‑scroll, mid‑life. And Andrews begins with a ...  Read More

If you’ve walked with Jesus for more than about five minutes, you’ve already discovered this truth: God has a waiting room. And sooner or later, every one of us ends up sitting in it. Sometimes for a ...  Read More

Let’s just get honest right out of the gate: the spiritual world is not some spooky subplot reserved for Halloween sermons or late‑night youth camp conversations. It’s real. Scripture talks about it o...  Read More

One of the most breathtaking promises in all of Scripture is tucked quietly into the book of Isaiah: “I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord.” What a stunning thought. The God of the ...  Read More

If you study the lives of truly great men and women—people who didn’t just dream big but actually lived big—you’ll find a common thread woven through every story. It’s not luck. It’s not talent. It’s ...  Read More

The core growth strategy for my youth groups over the years has been creating a youth church environment of AUTHENTIC FRIENDSHIP AND LOVE. Though your preaching, worship, and evangelism all play a big...  Read More

If you’ve walked with Jesus for more than five minutes, you already know this: not every season feels like a spiritual mountaintop. Some seasons feel more like a spiritual wasteland—dry, barren, and l...  Read More

Years ago, I sat in a sanctuary filled with people whose lives had been shaped, stretched, and strengthened by one man—Pastor Wendell Smith, the founder of City Church in Seattle and the father of Pas...  Read More

Ministry is beautiful, but it’s also brutal. It’s a calling filled with joy, heartbreak, growth, and grit. Over the years, I’ve learned some hard truths—lessons that didn’t come from a textbook or a c...  Read More

There was a time early in my ministry journey when I completely misunderstood the role of an enemy. I thought enemies were distractions, irritations, or spiritual potholes to avoid at all costs. I pra...  Read More

There have been stages in my life, when I have been asked to go on when I have felt completely physically and emotionally drained and I have wondered how I possibly could. It was during those times th...  Read More

If you’ve been around ministry for more than five minutes, you’ve probably noticed something: the church world today is overflowing with leaders who function like CEOs. Slick. Strategic. Vision‑driven...  Read More

To say excitement was in the air in anticipation of our first year students coming in, a new group in my Prevail Women's ministry, the Cadre, or traveling to meet another group of amazing pastors woul...  Read More

Because I have these breathtaking people around me and I never want them to feel like I'm not carrying my own weight, one of my most mammoth mind games and one of the biggest challenges I face is lear...  Read More

I recently received an email from a member of my Cadre who was wondering, "Am I asking the right questions?" Sadly, not too many people pause to ask those kinds of questions.Though the word-game has b...  Read More

Great executives know how to do one thing well – surround themselves with amazing individuals. The president chooses his cabinet wisely, a CEO carefully selects his staff, and a pastor must handpick s...  Read More

In Cadre emails, I'm frequently asked to share some of my tips on developing a great leadership team. I thought you might enjoy hearing a few too. While some of the points may not sound too "glamorous...  Read More

Someone once privately asked me an interesting question. "How do you build something in youth ministry that will really last, Jeanne?" the guy said quietly. The intensity behind his voice and the seri...  Read More

Regardless of where we stand in the pecking order at home, at work, or at the church, we all serve someone. Many of us in ministry submit to a senior pastor or if you're a volunteer you might look up ...  Read More