Dennis Beckner
Dennis Beckner is a volunteer youth worker who trains volunteer youth workers. From 1999 to 2020 he was a leader at Saddleback Church’s Student Ministry. He is the author of Volunteer Youth Ministry, A Roadmap For Effective Leadership, and owns VolunteerYouthMinistry.com. Graduated from Point Loma Nazarene College in 1994, BA Religion
““Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the...
A couple of weeks ago this “Boomer” (not even old enough to warrant the privilege of being called that) surprised a student because I knew what he meant by an acrostic he had just used. Bring on the quiz. He...
My favorite thing in the world is doing youth ministry. A close second is talking about youth ministry. When James Lawson from Summerville Baptist invited me to do a video interview for his leaders, I jumped at the opportunity. Sharing...
I was dreading 2020 months before it even got here. I’m not a prophet. I had no idea what was going to happen, I was just dreading the over use of “2020 vision” in everything from marketing, to business plans,...
Last year I finished my time at Saddleback Church’s high school ministry, and moved to Atlanta. From Atlanta, I felt a need to come back to Saddleback Church to help my “former” students through their senior year. That year just...
I saw a pastor friend at a conference after I moved to Atlanta this year. He took one look at me and, rather than saying, “hello” or “how are you”, he bluntly asked me, “What the *&^# are you doing...
I’ve been thinking quite a bit today about how to describe effective teaching. I came up with the spatula and blender theory. It’s not new truth, it’s just a new way (for me) to point out what makes teaching effective...
So I’m going back to California next week for a week. I planned this trip to see my old Life Group (Bible Study) boys. We’re like family. I’m very excited to see them. The truth is I’ve been struggling with...
Very excited to announce a NEW CURRICULUM! This is a project I wrote with the help of a former student who became my co-leader. What I’m most proud of about this curriculum is it’s not normal, dry or boring. We...
I was in my car a few minutes ago. As I turned off the engine the song, Good, Good Father came on. Even though it’s been way overplayed, that song still works for me. I absolutely love it as a...