The Necklace

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  “SHE WAS one of those pretty, charming young ladies, born, as if through an error of destiny, into a family of clerks. She had no dowry, no hopes, no means of becoming known, appreciated, loved, and married by a man either rich or distinguished; and she allowed herself to marry a petty clerk in the office of the Board of Education. . . .  She had neither frocks nor jewels, nothing. And she loved only those things. She felt that she was made for them. She had such a desire to please, to be sought after, to be clever, and courted.” —THE NECKLACE Guy de Maupassant    France, 1884 (pic by Grok) Read this short story here:  https://americanliterature.com/author/guy-de-maupassant/short-story/the-necklace

"Youth Ministry: What's Gone Wrong?"

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Youth Ministry specialists are noticing that as technology accelerates, spiritual apathy among young people is increasing. Many teens are biblically illiterate, bored, and find the church to be irrelevant. Parents are frustrated. Youth leaders are burned out. And high school and college students — if they ever attended — are leaving the church by the droves. What on earth has gone wrong?

Dr. David Olshine, director of the Youth Ministry, Family and Culture program at Columbia International University explores what needs to change and offers practical advice to youth ministry leaders in his new book, “Youth Ministry: What’s Gone Wrong?”  

Olshine is the author and co-author of 19 books and is a regular contributor to Youth Worker Journal. He is ordained in the United Methodist Church and has served for over 30 years as a youth pastor and lead pastor of a college-town church. He is also the co-founder of Youth Ministry Coaches, an organization that helps the church strategize for youth ministry.

“Youth Ministry: What’s Gone Wrong” is published by Abingdon Press and will be released in October. It’s available for pre-order at Barnes & Noble

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