J Thomas

“Skilled people Start with Heart. That is, they begin high-risk discussions with the right motives, and they stay focused no matter what happens.”
― Kerry Patterson, Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High

“Very few kids step out of a youth ministry because the programs are lousy. Kids will actually forgive all kinds of programmatic mediocrity if they are certain they belong. Consider what most teenagers do on weekend nights. They don’t usually have brilliant, hypercreative plans (you’ve seen them meandering through Blockbuster for hours, looking for a movie to rent). They simply “hang out” with their friends. If our youth ministries don’t provide students with the opportunity to be with the kinds of friends they want, it won’t matter how spiritual, cutting-edge or outrageous our programs are; kids will not stick.”
― Mark DeVries, Sustainable Youth Ministry: Why Most Youth Ministry Doesn't Last and What Your Church Can Do About It

“Of course one wants to feel better. But are we willing to have new experiences? Are we willing to work for it? Do we want it bad enough?”
― Monica A. Coleman, Not Alone: Reflections on Faith and Depression

“The key to real change lies not in implementing a new process, but in getting people to hold one another accountable to the process.”
― Kerry Patterson, Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High