Great day at the Youth Ministry Executive Council. The uniquely insightful Len Sweet pushed us in so many great ways.

First response: under $6?! Amazing! This is awesome.
Second response: I’ve been seduced by relativity.

Young Teens and Exploration

oh hey -- i forgot I had a podcast episode drop earlier this week. on this episode i talk about why middle schoolers are so great at trying things: open.spotify.com/episode/6mo2...

First two days with the NOLA/Lake Charles cohort. Exceptional learning postures, encouragement, honesty, problem solving, curiosity. Stoked to spend a year with these amazing youth workers.

So cool to be in the room with about 60 national youth ministry leaders gathered at Fuller Seminary to discern and strategize how we can partner to raise the bar on youth worker spiritual, emotional, and mental health.

icymi: U2 dropped a 6-song Easter themed EP this morning.

Homemade turkey meatballs with a killer white miso/hoisin/tangerine sauce, on roasted portobello caps. So freaking good. More details and pic on my food and cocktail insta: www.instagram.com/p/DWnUVLvlOE...

Finding Hope in the In-Between: An Easter Reflection for Youth Workers — The Youth Cartel Why are you looking for the living among the dead? In youth ministry, we often pour ourselves into spaces that feel lifeless. But resurrection is God's work—he's moving in ways we can't see. Stay fait...

a wee 3-minute devo thought for my youth ministry friends: www.theyouthcartel.com/blog/easter-...

#GoBlue!!!!

Post-protest bougie cocktails

What’s the Purpose of Your Small Groups?

this week's 5 Minutes with Marko talks about four primary approaches to small groups in youth ministry. which is yours? open.spotify.com/episode/1tbI...

Finding it ironic that, with No Kings day this Saturday, I just got a full crown in my mouth this morning.

The Energy Bus, by Jon Gordon. This leadership fable is about the role of positive energy in teams, leadership, even families. Has a toe across the line of cheesy or 'manifesting' at times; but his faith also leaks through at points. I've already recommended it to a couple people.

The Puzzler, by A.J. Jacobs. I've read most of Jacobs' books, and love his writing. Most are about what he learned in a yearlong experiment, this one being to learn about most styles of puzzles and to attempt very difficult versions of them. Super fun read.

last 3 books:

The Amazing Generation, by Jonathan Haidt (author of The Anxious Generation). This pre-teen and young teen focused book shows kids the risks of social media and encourages them to be rebels. It's got a decent come-alongside tone, and doesn't feel condescending.

sure, a text from the Philippines telling me I have an unpaid California moving violation seems legit, right?

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Chicken meatballs in my homemade tzatziki-adjacent sauce, served on fonio, with crispy roasted broccolini heads. More details and pics at www.instagram.com/p/DWF2IG5lO7...

Do You Have a Zombie Soul?

uniquely weird episode of 5 Minutes with Marko today, more devotional than instructional: open.spotify.com/episode/34Od...

Max busted out the whistling at the Sandpiper Ensemble show tonight. Love it.

Best news of 2026 so far: Max and Bailey got engaged!! We love Bailey, and this is just perfect.

reason #843 that you might be a youth worker: you watch the 2025 documentary All American on a flight, about 3 high school female wrestlers and the challenges they have to overcome, and you pretty much weep through the whole thing, because "teenagers overcoming challenges."

awesome first meeting with the new GLS NextGen TENx10 cohort, in Chicago. three peeps weren't able to be at the first meeting; but we had a stellar time of learning, discussion, problem solving, sharing, and praying. I'm stoked to spend the year with this group.

Young Teens and Bible Reading

heyo. let's chat for a few minutes about middle schoolers and Bible reading: open.spotify.com/episode/3FTG...

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I made macadamia crusted chicken strips and caramelized beets for dinner and it was freaking amazing. More deets and pics: www.instagram.com/p/DVsAypsFMw...

The Four Contexts for Change YouTube video by The Youth Cartel

btw: you may not be aware that 5 Minutes with Marko actually has a video version, always on youtube. here's this week's episode: youtu.be/eUJzOA_OW9g?...

The Four Contexts for Change

i think this week's episode of 5 Minutes with Marko is an important one (and one youth workers might want to share with their teams, or listen to together and discuss): open.spotify.com/episode/0n12...

Youth Ministry is Like Golf

FINALLY, a new podcast episode! This week's episode of 5 Minutes with Marko is about how my former experience of regular golfing felt like the perfect metaphor for youth ministry. Only dif: I gave up on golf, but haven't given up on youth min. open.spotify.com/episode/5e3V...

i've been procrastinating hard on getting more episodes of 5 Minutes with Marko ready; but I just prepped 8 episodes. Hope to record them all this week and get back into weekly releases next week.

Super romantic Valentine’s Day, prepping our taxes (5 hours). We rewarded ourselves with a lovely Ethiopian dinner.

The FYI on Gen Alpha: New Research and Practical Tools for Ministry… Based on nearly 3,000 surveys and interviews with teens ages 13–17, this first-of-its-kind report explores how Gen Alpha is navigating identity, mental…

I got to play an advisory role on Fuller Youth Institute's most recent study: Gen Alpha and Faith. They've just released the full report (totally free!). Highly encourage my youth min friends to click through, download the report, and read it! fulleryouthinstitute.org/gen-alpha