One of the tools we use often at 3DM is a simple tool called the SWOT Analysis. It helps us understand our current reality so we can better focus our energy and make plans for next steps to get where we want to go.   This year, we finally have breakthrough in an area […]

Our good friend and Wayfarer blog contributor, Gina Mueller, answers the question, “How do we effectively huddle youth leaders when we only have them for two or three years?” Gina will be speaking at the Wayfarer Workshop in Minneapolis, MN: March 24-26. Click here for more details!

Today, our writer Gina Mueller shares insightful and practical thoughts on building bridges between students and the rest of the church body. Gina will be speaking at our upcoming workshop next week! Click here for more details.   Connecting Students to the Whole Body   This year marked a decade in Student Ministry for me. […]

Recently, we met up with one of our awesome writers, Gina Mueller. We asked her the question, “How can we create a culture of discipleship in our youth ministry when there is a lack of buy-in from senior leadership?” Here, she shares her wise thoughts. Gina will be speaking at the Wayfarer Workshop in Minneapolis, […]

  I’m captivated by Jesus’ leadership. He not only shaped the character of the 12 guys that followed him, but he taught them to do the very things they watched him do. Jesus showed them the power and authority given to Him by the Father through things like physical healings, casting out demons, multiplying food […]

This is the second video in our week long series highlighting different Youth and Young Adult ministries around the movement. Here a link to yesterday’s video from Ben Hardman - How to Create Family on College Campuses This video is from Gina Mueller who is the Director of Student Ministry at North Heights Lutheran Church, […]

As football season is under way, favorite team gear has made its way back out to the front of the closet and life schedules are arranged around when certain games are playing. I grew up in Nebraska…you can’t live there without being a Husker fan. Really. The grocery store is absolutely empty when the game […]

  Students are naturally inward focused. Developmentally, they are wired to think about themselves. And our custom designed, special order, have it your way culture helps them keep the focus on “me.”   We understand from the gospels, however, that Jesus set us up to live lives on mission. The Great Commission doesn’t have an […]

What is God saying? And what are you going to do about it? This will be the first of many posts on ideas youth pastors can use as they train their volunteer leaders to disciple students well. As we began to build a culture of intentional discipleship in our youth ministry a number of years […]

There have been a few key principles that have defined the student ministry I lead for the past handful of years. One of these is training students to live missionally in their world – to take God’s power and presence to their schools, their sports teams, their families, their neighborhoods, the normal everyday places and […]