A New Beginning
After six years of constant writing, travelling, speaking, and blogging about youth ministry it was decided it was time for a break. Over two years ago I completely stopped so I could focus on ministr... Read More
The Beautiful Good
I can be, and am, moral without God, I do not need a belief in a deity to make right choices. Religious people make bad choices all the time, this alone proves they have no moral advantage over the re... Read More
Your Spiritual Family Tree – A message for young people
Nothing will help you, destroy you, love you, hurt you, carry you, or hinder you like your family. Your personal experience may have been wonderful but there is also the possibility it was not. When i... Read More
Why Can’t Church be like my Youth or Young Adult Ministry?
Have you ever been really, really …. really bored attending a church service? I think everyone has had this kind of experience more than once. Perhaps this is why some churches use uncomfortable... Read More
Why be part of a Church? Because it is far more than a gathering, it is a Covenant Community
The question should never be whether or not you attending a church. Attending does not ensure spiritual growth, involvement, or your desire to be there. The question needs to be, ‘are you livi... Read More
What about my Questions and Doubts about Faith?
There was a night I was sitting in a church event when I was a teenager. As usual I had taken a seat in the back with a few friends and really wasn’t paying attention. Well, until I heard someon... Read More
Trying to be Good Enough? Don’t Bother.
I remember going to the altar at my church. Actually, I remember going many times to give my life to God or to rededicate my life to Him after some wayward living. It became quite a routine. When I wa... Read More
How Do You Get to the Top of an Upside Down Kingdom?
There are different ways to get to a vacation destination. First, you could fly there. This as an option is certainly the fastest, and sometimes the easiest way depending on where you are going. You a... Read More
What Happens When Your Shadow Breaks? When Faith Feels Empty
While you may not have tried this before you should test it out. You will need to wait until there is a sunny day, or perhaps purchase a really bright light. Then when the conditions are right go find... Read More
Identify Who and What are the Constants – They are what we hold on to.
Ever wonder when churches, youth groups, or most organizations lose the most people? It is during times of transition. In Canada, the largest drop of in church attendance comes between Children’... Read More
Does Church Attendance Affect Faith? Yes it does.
Does attending a church, or not, affect your faith? According to our Canadian stats the answer is definitely yes. Over 60% of young adults who stop attending their faith groups (Church, Home groups, E... Read More
Religion and Your Evil Grandmother
There are people who have very strong anti-religious and anti-faith messages. Not only are they questioning aspects of religion or faith, they are also saying even the idea, or practice, of a religion... Read More
Teaching Others to Learn to Fight for Themselves
I have always been a laid back person. I have only gotten really angry a few times in my life. I have been upset, but there have only been a few times when I was truly angry. I remember one such day q... Read More
How Do You Handle Other’s Questions and Doubt?
There was a night I was sitting in a church event when I was a teenager. As usual I had taken a seat in the back with a few friends and really wasn’t paying attention. Well, until I heard someon... Read More
Me To – Some of the Best Words You Can Hear.
Me too. These two very short words have incredible impact. When people have questions and doubts and feel like failures these words can be powerful and life saving. The truth is you are not alone. You... Read More
An Open Letter to Senior Pastors about the youth who attend their church.
Dear Senior Pastor and Leadership Team, My name is David Sawler. I am senior leader of a Church in Glace Bay, NS. For the past decade of my life I have been studying and speaking on the topic of why a... Read More
Turning the Tide on Judgement
When youth and young adults, who grew up in the Church, were asked, ‘What repels you from Church the topic of judgement rose to the surface. It seems it has affected them in two ways. They have ... Read More
Why I Believe – Reason Number 8
I do not even pretend to know everything about God and how He works. I am surprised sometimes with the things that have happened in my own life, despite my own limitations and failings. I have had my ... Read More
Slowing Down – The key to moving forward?
For most of my life I have been involved with various extreme sports. If there is something I love, it is to go fast. Whether it has been mountain biking, snowboarding, four wheeling, or being on my m... Read More
Trouble is Coming, Get Ready
God blesses. It is His promise. This truth is stated repeatedly in the Word. He watches over us, protects us, sustains us, and hears our prayers. These are truths. There have been some who h... Read More
Do Christian Camps Matter? Apparently so
It would pretty hard, or impossible, for me to ever say that God does not exist. Not because I have been told He is real, but rather because I have experienced far too many ‘God Moments.’ I have p... Read More
Do not stop doing Short Term Mission Trips – Another Reason To Go.
There is a lot of hate towards short term missions. There seems to be a ton of resources spent to help make people’s facebook and instagram pics look good. I understand the complaints, as there is a... Read More
Is This An Emergency, or Just the Way It Is?
NORMAL. Activities that are ’normal’ are things that that reoccur, are regular, happen a lot, or just ‘the way it is.’ What we grow up in, or live with, ‘becomes our normal,’ t... Read More
Being an Advocate and being Annoying
I live a life of extremes. I know I am involved with too many things and have far too many passions in life. My head sometimes spins with ideas, thinking of ways to create something, challenge people,... Read More
If I was the Devil? What Can You Learn From One Picture
I have been called a devil, but I am not the devil. However, let’s for a moment, for the sake of this story, pretend I was in fact the real devil. If, as the father of lies and deceit, my purpos... Read More
Being Good without God?
I have seen this sign and similar bumper-sticker sayings in the past. I am sure it is unintentional but this group is doing more to promote faith than destroy it. By talking about ‘good’ t... Read More
How To Make Sure You Will Not Pass on Your Faith To Your Kids
There is no one thing you can do to guarantee that your kids will be serving God in twenty years. I know this is not the answer many people are looking for when they are trying to do their best they c... Read More
The End of Faith is Near – And other lies we are told.
I love stats at times. I use them all the time when talking about youth and young adult rentention in the church today. Sometimes I believe people think I must be quite depressed as I have spent a sig... Read More
Canadian Youth Network Tour Video
In May of 2014 the Canadian Youth Network toured numerous cities in Canada. Every year they take time to invest and encourage youth workers. This year they showed three videos with lessons from Before... Read More
Haemorrhaging Faith Explanation by David Overholt
[youtuber vimeo=’http://vimeo.com/65575367#at=0′] This is video featuring David Overholt. It is an explantation of what the Haemorrhaging Faith survey is and also why it is so very relevan... Read More
Thank God for Science – It Is Increasing Faith
‘Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality.’ Carl Sagan Science is built on facts. Or perhaps for some it is the discovery of those facts,... Read More
Helping Others Find Their God Moments
A truth from the Hemorrhaging Faith Survey – Young people who are engaged in the church today are far more likely to say that they have personally experienced the love and acceptance of God, as ... Read More
Hasn’t science disproven God? by Andy Bannister
Dr Andy Bannister was one of the people we asked to give some input for the Before You Say Goodbye Project. He was asked this question, ‘Hasn’t science disproven God?’ Here is his re... Read More
The Incredible Improbability that there is no God
It may seem a bit strange to some, however I am part of several online atheist groups and discussion boards. I’m not there to bash people but to listen to people’s thoughts, perspectives, an... Read More
Lost in Transition – Free Chapter from Before You Say Goodbye
Lost in Transition Talk about surprises. It has been a long held belief that most young people walk away from their faith after high school and into young adulthood. While it is true there is a decrea... Read More
Find Someone Who Believes in You – Advice for Youth
Several years ago, I visited a church in Columbia that had a youth ministry which had grown dramatically into the tens of thousands. I had the opportunity to speak to a few of the young people who wer... Read More
Who do YOU want to EMULATE?
Who do you want to be like? As a skateboarder there are a few guys I have always idolized. I am amazed at the things they can do and wish I had the same skills they do. You likely have your own people... Read More
Ashley Gowenlock – A Young Canadian Hero
In Before You Say Goodbye we have included stories of real Canadian youth and young adults. Ashley’s faith journey is one we could all learn from. Watch her video below. I was born with Cerebral... Read More
Sendme.ca is Here
Some things change for the better. In the last few years the Gideons have taken huge strides in becoming relevant to the younger generations in Canada. Some people just know them for putting Bibles in... Read More
How can a Christian student THRIVE in university or college – Power to Change
Sean Cullen is the national director of Power to Change Students. In this blog Sean gives some advice on how to not just survive but thrive in college and university. Their website is www.p2c.com R... Read More
The Story Behind Before You Say Goodbye
Only 1 in 3 people who attended church as a child still do so as young adults. 1 in 2 young adults continue to identify with the Christian tradition they were raised in. 3 out of 5 young adults who st... Read More
Before You Say Goodbye Video Explanation
After a year of work we have finally finished putting together a one of kind resource for Canadian Youth and Young Adults. It is a web-interactive magazine style book that is a proactive response to t... Read More
Where is God when Bad Things Happen? Watch a story from three siblings who lost their brother.
Life doesn’t always go as planned. It seems that trouble finds us. If it hasn’t yet, it will. Pain, suffering, sickness, loneliness, and death are all coming. It seems when we go through these thi... Read More
Young People Are Starting Churches All Over Canada
There are so many great stories of things our youth and young adults are doing across our nation. Very often there is a focus on why churches are losing this age group. However, did you ever stop to c... Read More
Your Movement – World Vision’s Youth Division
A few weeks ago we asked Cindy, from ‘Your Movement’ as few questions. One of them was, ‘Why should someone do a mission trip with you?’ This was her response. We have designe... Read More
What is ‘Not Who I Was?’
One of the highlights of being involved with Before You Say Goodbye was discovering a few of the people across Canada who are producing incredible resources for youth and young adults. Shauna Jenkin... Read More
Faith and Short Term Missions
Last year when the Hemorrhaging Faith Survey came out there was a lot of focus on why many Christian faith groups were struggling with keeping their youth and young adults. However, there was also oth... Read More