My name is Dan and I am a youth pastor in New York. I’ve been here over seven years now and have witnessed the growing trend of teenagers becoming completely dissatisfied and disillusioned with traditional church…and traditional youth ministry models. So this is my plight. I realize I cannot solve this issue, but my hope is to try to reinvent the way youth ministry has been done and attempt to bring, not just the message of Jesus, but Jesus himself to this next generation of students.
I herald from Boston, MA and so naturally am a die-hard Sox, Pats, and Celtics fan and boy…do I get it from my friends here in NY. But I remain faithful nonetheless and have even managed to convert a few of them over to the Nation! I also coach baseball at a local middle school and serve as a chaplain for a minor league baseball team.
I graduated from Gordon College with degrees in Biblical Studies and Theology and Youth Ministries and also received my Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary. I have a passion for student ministry, church renewal and transformation, missions, theology, conversations, reading and writing, and enjoy a good cigar from time to time.
My wife’s name is Lauretta and she is a special ed. teacher and field hockey coach at a local middle school. We have a dog named Brady. So there you have it in a nutshell.
Great blog. Thanks for the resource. I read the article on business and it is always a good reminder to remember the important part of ministry is about changing lives, not recording it quite so much. Balance.
Dan…thanks…I’m a youth pastor in Ohio and we’ve begun the process of trying how to redo youth ministry. Your insights have been encouraging and helpful.