12 Written Prayers for Gen Z and Gen Alpha - Bravester
We adults and parents of teens love our young people. Here are some specific prayers that address the cries of their hearts.
15 min read
Brenda Seefeldt
Brenda Seefeldt
My Beautiful Life of Brave Decisions - Bravester
Brave faith decisions can lead to a joyful and beautiful life. Be inspired to live beyond fear and choose growth through God’s faithfulness.
6 min read
Do You Lean Toward Trust or Suspicion? - A Nighttime Prayer
“Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” – Exodus 34:6 (NLT)Please Pray:Dear Triune God, I admit it, I have trust issues with you. When my thoughts slow down, and only when I slow down, I feel...
1 min read
Do You Lean Toward Trust or Suspicion?
“Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” – Exodus 34:6 (NLT)What does it look like to trust God in the midst of nothing being trustworthy?Let me start by telling you this true story and something about...
5 min read
Is It Marriage You Want—or Emotional Security? - Bravester
Marriage isn’t just about emotional security—it’s about growth, compromise, and learning to love through everyday challenges.
4 min read
Sacred Spaces and Listening Adults-What Teens Need - Bravester
Parents, your teen needs a sacred space and relationship with listening adults to ask faith questions. You can provide this.
4 min read
Freedom from the Striving of Self-Righteousness
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. – Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT)You would not define yourself...
5 min read
Freedom from the Striving of Self-Righteousness - A Nighttime Prayer
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. – Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT)Please Pray:Heavenly Father, I can’t...
1 min read
Feeling Hopeless? How Hopelessness Can Lead You to Hope - Bravester
Hope begins when you stop pretending. Learn how hopelessness can be a turning point toward healing, clarity, and God’s wisdom.
5 min read
The Sacred Work of an Honorable Life - A Nighttime Prayer
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. – Galatians 6:9 (NLT)Please Pray:Dear Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy SpiritIn a world that moves fast and loud and shallow,teach me the...
2 min read
The Sacred Work of an Honorable Life
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. – Galatians 6:9 (NLT)To live an honorable life is one brave decision to the next brave decision to the next brave decision. Because...
4 min read
Teens Expect to Learn in Church - Bravester
Teens expect to learn about Jesus in church. So find a church that provides a learning environment about Jesus.
5 min read
We Need More Daydreams - Bravester
I’m bravely calling for more boredom and more time to daydream. In the space between anxiety and boredom is where creativity flourishes.
4 min read
I Used All of My Goodness at School - Bravester
As a parent you get the afterschool version of your teen. It is an emotional storm. But you can offer your teen the most help.
4 min read
#thebravepray - A Nighttime Prayer
The Great Spirit cares deeply about you, so gather all your worries into a basket and throw them on his shoulders. He will carry them for you. – 1 Peter 5:7Please Pray:Dear Holy Triune God,I humbly come before your throne in full vulnerability. My desire is to please you and...
1 min read
#thebravepray
The Great Spirit cares deeply about you, so gather all your worries into a basket and throw them on his shoulders. He will carry them for you. – 1 Peter 5:7Bravery always involves vulnerability. Vulnerability is a loaded word. Prayers make me vulnerable because I so desire for a change...
3 min read
What is Revealed in the Holy Tension of That Brave Decision - Bravester
The holy tension of the brave faith decision reveals what you have always known deep inside. Now you are here to make the decision.
4 min read
Ending That Bad Relationship - Bravester
A list of reasons as to why this relationship is a bad one for you. Read the wisdom and discuss it with your friends.
7 min read
Some Truths About God You Need to Know. In Short Paragraphs. - Bravester
This is a selection of quotes that will inspire awe and wonder about God--maybe something so beautiful you have never considered before.
8 min read
Do You Think People Get in the Way of Your Goals? - Bravester
The culture and the economy is making it easier for you be super-efficient alone? You still need the gift of people--even with the risks.
5 min read
God is in the Darkness - A Nighttime Prayer
“And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—-secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.” – Isaiah 45:3 (NLT)Please Pray:Dear Triune God,Help. I’m overwhelmed. Nothing makes sense right now. I...
1 min read
God is in the Darkness
“And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—-secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.” – Isaiah 45:3 (NLT)So this is where the treasures are–hidden in the darkness. This is...
3 min read
I Don't Like This Current World - Bravester
At the 5-year anniversary of the Covid pandemic, our lives are still abruptly changed. We are not managing so well.
8 min read
The Only Identity That Hasn't Changed - Bravester
In the beginning God made us in his image. It’s the only image we’re supposed to fit. Everything else is fleeting. This identity lasts.
5 min read
Women, It’s Hard to Have Some Vanity When the Church Taught You to Hate Your Body - Bravester
Too many churches have taught a wrong message that our bodies are bad. This is heresy. The truth is our bodies are good.
4 min read
The Brave Decision of a Moral Code - Bravester
Is your soul generally always disturbed? Does this rant of a quote identify the disturbance that is in your soul?“Nowadays we’ve forgotten the word morals and replaced it with boundaries. Boundaries, a popular term in therapy, basically mean the lines we draw in relationships to define what is
6 min read
Hope is Not a Wish
“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” – Psalm 42:5, 11, 43:5 (NLT)Hope is not a wish. My brave broken-hearted life has taught me that hope is not pretty and...
4 min read
Hope is Not a Wish - A Nighttime Prayer
“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” – Psalm 42:5, 11, 43:5 (NLT)Please Pray:Dear Triune God, My hope is smashed. How life has disappointed me today has only added to...
1 min readBrenda-Based Youth Ministry vs. Church Family-Based Youth Ministry - Bravester
It is hard to see my name in the title but it is there on purpose. Too many youth ministries are centered on the youth pastor. No one would ever tout ourselves as so central to a ministry. Yet whether from church expectation, our training, or our makeup, we have become too central.Let me ask this te
11 min readThe Generation Gap - Bravester
In my ten years of youth ministry, I have always held to the belief that the parents’ place in youth ministry is in parent meetings and helping out with food or transportation on an occasional basis. It was a rare discovery to find parents who could serve as a volunteer staff member.The reasons
4 min readThe Long Transition to Church Family-Based Youth Ministry - Bravester
Maybe by now you are becoming more and more convinced from the now many blog writers and resources (like from Wild Frontier!) encouraging you to include parents and your church family into your youth ministry in a greater measure.. Certainly you’ve been swayed by the great amount of statistical res
7 min readA Youth Ministry with Staying Power - Bravester
High schools don’t have staying power anymore. What I mean more specifically by that declaration is the senior year has become a joke. Some of the education programs have become a joke. Just ask the students. Forty-nine percent of high school seniors want their senior year education to be more m
8 min readTeaching to Our Conclusions - Bravester
The tasks of Faith Shaping is probably the sole reason why I’m still in youth ministry 28 years later. I love seeing the light turn on in the hearts of teens. Teens are in that wonderful (it does have days of wonder) season of life where they are moldable while in the process of making true life dec
5 min readChallenge: To Get Your Youth to Gain From Sunday Church - Bravester
You are a great teacher. You are a great Bible teacher http://www.wildfrontier.org/what2talk.htm. But unfortunately, your senior pastor is not. At least not enough to keep the teens= attention. Between worship songs that are older and unfamiliar and/or your pastor=s style of preaching and/or other r
11 min readSome Insight Into Community Experiences - Bravester
A lot of effort gets expended to develop youth group community. The theory is good which is why effort is expended. When individuals of different ages, different schools, different backgrounds gather together to learn about the same God in the same youth group, community makes that experience go so
7 min readA Culture of Noise-Or Not - Bravester
You know we are a culture of noise when you try to enforce the rule on your weekend retreat of no outside music. Teens always balk at it. You have to continually confiscate all sorts of electronic devices that earphone music into their heads. These days you even have to look for the jackets and s
6 min readThe Bummer Realities of a Brenda‑Centered Youth Ministry - Bravester
There was a time in my life when I thought pretty highly of my Brenda based youth ministry. I felt alive. I felt like I was making a dent in this world. I felt true joy when some teens "got it." But I also felt tired, overwhelmed, stressed, etc.Something had to change.Something did change. B
9 min readThe Power of Ritualized Time Together - Bravester
Here is a brief history of how we got here as a culture:AIn the early industrial revolution, many children and teenage boys and girls worked long hours in the factory under the foreman=s discipline. In due time, however, economic production by youth increasingly came to be viewed, often rightly,
8 min readErring on the Side of Challenge - Bravester
My local newspaper ran an AP story about the use of dodgeball in churches. To quote the author, AChristian youth leaders in (city deleted) consider dodgeball more than just a game. For them, it=s also a way to bring together teens from different denominations--and most importantly--bring Jesus Chris
7 min readThe Connecting Authority Figure - Bravester
The following is an internet forum discussion off of the former YS Forum boards I jumped into. It is reprinted here with permission, names changed and bad internet chat grammar in tact.Youth pastor: "I do the whole substituting thing (substitute teaching) too, but that is mostly because my degre
8 min readInreach or Outreach: That is One of Many Questions - Bravester
"Scott Thumma, a professor with Hartford Seminary's Institute for Religion Research in Connecticut, says that the current trend in megachurches is to >create a whole alternative environment for (church) members where they walk into a garden of paradise of sorts. They're taking everyday life and s
6 min readBeyond Summer Camp Youth Ministry - Bravester
The question has now been put out there. Any veteran in youth ministry may have already had the thought but Time Magazine put it in print. Is the teenager disappearing? Is the age of sweet 16, slumber parties (girls only, not mixed), and hours of car talk becoming something of another time? The life
11 min readWhy I am not Rah-Rah Over the Campus Missionary Movement (At Least Not as We Know It) - Bravester
I have a unique perspective on this. First, I=m an 20-year youth ministry veteran, nine years as a youth pastor and eleven years as a youth evangelist. This ministry is called Wild Frontier which is a lifestyle I=ve been preaching for nearly all those years. It is living your life beyond human limit
6 min readDon't Give Me the Stage - Bravester
"Don't put me on a pedestal, just give me a stage."No true youth pastor would ever say this. I believe we consciously try to not put ourselves on a pedestal. However, this phrase came from a youth who grew up in a youth ministry. It was her perception of her youth pastor. And isn't there always
6 min readLife Without Purpose is Just an Experience - Bravester
Life without purpose is just an experience. Ponder that for a while.If there ever was a man’s life that had purpose it was Indiana Jones. His career was a college professor but his purpose was to find the Ark of the Covenant or the Holy Grail. Because of his purpose, his life as a college pro
5 min readOf Sparrows and Lost Teens - Bravester
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31.I may not know a lot of sparrows who have fa
5 min readThe End of the Superpersonality Youth Minister - Bravester
This model did not allow me to witness to the youth at school since that would be considered proselytization which was not allowed on school grounds. I could just “hang out” with them. This model also gave my youth an easy approach to witnessing since all they had to do was invite their friends to
5 min read
Gen Z is Finding Jesus Without the Church - Bravester
Why does anyone need a church? Because in a church is where you find out that you matter. It is enchanting.
7 min read
Why Teens Aren't Rebelling Anymore - Bravester
I began my writing career having been inspired by this quote back in 1990 from film director John Waters (Cry-Baby, Hairspray) from a backpage article for the special edition Newsweek issue to kick off the last decade before the Twentieth Century. "Sex, drugs and rock and roll all seem so old hat
4 min read
Our Story of Committed Love - Bravester
(Picture of "old" us at Citi Field at a NY Mets game because sports is one of our love languages.)I am an avid follower of Gen Z writer and influencer, Freya India. She writes words about what I love about teens and 20somethings and my worries for them.Once again she wrote this and it inspir
9 min read
Your Soul Needs Advent This Christmas Season - A Nighttime Prayer
She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid Him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. – Luke 2:7 (NLT)Please Pray:Dear Triune God, I love the Christmas season. I hate the Christmas season. My soul needs the...
1 min read
Your Soul Needs Advent This Christmas Season
She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid Him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. – Luke 2:7 (NLT)The Christmas story begins with darkness--metaphorical and physical. The first sign of Jesus' birth is a great light....
3 min readYour Soul Needs Advent This Season - A Nighttime Prayer
She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid Him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. – Luke 2:7 (NLT)Please Pray:Dear Triune God, I love the Christmas season. I hate the Christmas season.My soul needs the rest...
1 min read
Becoming Enchanted Again with Advent - Bravester
Advent is part of the liturgical calendar to remind us that waiting is part of life. To break up the rhythms of the daily life and remember.
4 min read
Trusting in God When I Don't - A Nighttime Prayer
Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. – Psalm 27:14 (NLT)Please Pray:Dear Triune God, I don’t understand what is going on. I have lots of emotions about this. Yet here I am praying again because I trust you. I have learned that...
1 min read
Trusting in God When I Don't
Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. – Psalm 27:14 (NLT)I don’t understand the providence of God.I know what would make sense to me. I have my expectations. I believe my expectations are logical. But this is not what my lived experience...
4 min read
Why I Am Pro-Guilt and Anti-Shame - Bravester
I am pro-guilt. I hate shame.Guilt is different than shame.Guilt is the Holy Spirit twinging you to do better. It is part trained conscious and a lot Holy Spirit. Guilt says, "here is your moment to make that virtuous choice."Shame is the monster that keeps you small. Shame is the fear o
4 min read
Is It Harder Being a Teen Today? - Bravester
The question is often asked. Here's some Pew Research with actual numbers from parents and teens--and clever graphics.
1 min read
This is What the Beautiful People Know - Bravester
When life has smashed you, you are drawn to beautiful people who are not afraid of their pain. You are drawn to that beauty.
4 min read
We are All a Mix of Anxiety and Faith - Bravester
Anxiety is approaching the future with fear. What helps anxiety is not more faith. It is living a more virtuous life.
4 min read
The Awe in the Moment You Realized You Have Grown - Bravester
We live in tree time--where personal growth is always happening. It is also hard to see. And then you see it and are in awe.
5 min read
Perseverance in Your Imperfect Progress - A Nighttime Prayer
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection (teleios). But I press on to possess that perfection (teleios)for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. – Philippians 3:12Please Pray:Dear Triune God, whew, I made it today. I made some brave...
1 min read
Perseverance in Your Imperfect Progress
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection (teleios). But I press on to possess that perfection (teleios)for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. – Philippians 3:12At my church we use an upward spiral symbol to describe our spiritual...
4 min read
You Inspire Awe (In God Too.) - Bravester
Awe doesn’t have space for shame. God does not use shame to pursue us. God searches us and is in awe, even in his omniscience.
4 min read
Failure for Teens is Survivable
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. – Romans 12:12Middle and high school life is really a bubble. It’s its own world tucked away from the real world that has little to do with real life.Yes, it is all about preparing teens for adulthood but the...
4 min read
Failure for Teens is Survivable - A Nighttime Prayer
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. – Romans 12:12Please Pray:Lord, I maintain my hope in You, and I hold onto the assurance that what I am praying for is already accomplished in the name of Jesus. In this new school year ahead, I ask that...
1 min read
Noticing Gen Z and the Tweens of Gen Alpha, Part 5 - Bravester
Social media has really changed life for Gen Z and Gen Alpha. They are okay with avoiding risky situations like friends.
5 min read
I Hate Institutions! (Do I Really?) - Bravester
We have distrust towards institutions. Perhaps our misunderstanding of what institutions offer is one of the reasons for our loneliness.
5 min read
Humble and Confident (This is Like Jesus) - Bravester
Let’s start off with a giggle at yourself. This is a quote from a Christianity Today article about humility:“We all know we shouldn’t text as we drive. Or more precisely, we all know other people shouldn’t text as they drive. As for me, I’m exceptionally cautious, just sending off a few words to
6 min read
This New “Religion” is Empty (And Making Us Worse?) - Bravester
We have made religions out of parenting, food, the universe, therapy. Because our brain needs a religion to sort the world.
5 min read
Order Trust Issues With God Bible Study with video access. - Bravester
We all have trust issues. Life has hurt us. For those of us brave enough to admit it, we have trust issues with God. We expect God to fail us so we keep our faith in safe places. What does it look like to trust God in the midst of nothing being trustworthy? This is a Bible study for those trying to
1 min read
The Brave Decision to Vacation in Ukraine - Bravester
This is the brave story of one man who decided to visit the country of Ukraine despite the war. Because his prayers led him to.
6 min read
Noticing Gen Z and the Tweens of Gen Alpha, Part 4 - Bravester
Our current teens are growing up differently than how we grew up. Let's notice Gen Z and Gen Alpha. This is for you parents.
7 min read
Noticing Gen Z and the Tweens of Gen Alpha, Part 3 - Bravester
Our current generation of teens are growing up differently than how we grew up. Let's notice Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
7 min read
Why is Having Some of Our Prayers Answered Not Enough For Us? - Bravester
What would happen to our souls if all of our prayers were answered? Why is receiving answers to some of our prayers not enough?
4 min read
Praying with Your Trust Issues - Bravester
Life is full of trust issues. Because life is unfair. We are told to pray but how? Where is God when the unfair thing happened?
7 min read
Noticing Gen Z and the Tweens of Gen Alpha, Part 2 - Bravester
Our current generation of teens are growing up differently than how we grew up. Let's notice Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
7 min read
Noticing Gen Z and the Tweens of Gen Alpha, Part 1 - Bravester
Our current generation of teens are growing up differently than how we grew up. Let's notice Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
6 min read
Make the Brave Decision to Make Small Talk - Bravester
We hate small talk. But small talk is a tool we have that can let someone know they matter in this isolated and lonely world.
5 min read
Gnarled and Broken Can Still Grow Hope - Bravester
It is amazing how much our broken soul clings to the smallest of hope. When we are so full of pain, we still find ourselves seeking hope.
2 min read
The Love That Saves You - Bravester
Weddings have become transcendence. It is a celebration of love that is to transcend into the spiritual. We are looking for a love to save.
6 min read
Darkness is My Only Friend. A Statement of Hope. - Bravester
A study of Psalm 88 that ends with "Darkness is my only friend." This isn't the normal statement of trust but it is hopeful.
6 min read
Teaching to Hear the Holy Spirit - Bravester
Raising a teen to have a personal faith means you are often the voice of the Holy Spirit. One day the Holy Spirit will not sound like you.
2 min read
Today’s Teens Have No Social Obligation to Go to Church - Bravester
In this world of increased anxiety, teens are looking for sacred spaces and want to learn about Jesus. Teens just don't attend church.
4 min read
Why the Sexual Revolution Has Hurt Our Souls and Bodies - Bravester
Casual attitudes about sex are having negative ramifications on our souls and our bodies. But the culture doesn’t affirm this.
5 min read
Be the Brave Compassionate Friend (Feel the Pain) - Bravester
People avoid people because pain is too loud or too much. You can make the brave compassionate choice to not be that person.
4 min read
Catastrophizing Your Maybe Relationship - Bravester
Dating begins with vulnerability. Catastrophizing your relationship too early is removing you from the possibility because...
7 min read
Why Are We So Isolated? - Bravester
Being isolated in church is not a new problem. As this formative album on Brenda reveals. This is from 1981. Still true today.
6 min read
No Situationships for You. I Hope. - Bravester
Today's dating has become so blurry that we now consider situationships normal and acceptable. Not for you. Not for brave daters.
5 min read
The Crazy That Dating Is Now. But I Still Believe In It. Part 2. - Bravester
Dating has become even more complicated. But I still believe in the process of brave dating. Let's talk about the real of it.
7 min read
The Crazy That Dating Is Now. But I Still Believe In It. Part 1. - Bravester
Dating has become even more complicated. But I still believe in the process of brave dating. Let's talk about the real of it.
5 min read
Would You Have Made the Brave Decision to Touch the Wall of Water? - Bravester
Would you have touched the water? This brave decision (or not brave decision) may say a lot about how you lead your life.
3 min read
Do prayers change anything in this unjust world? - Bravester
With news headlines that remind us of this unjust world, we need more contending prayer. Less hashtag platitudes.
6 min read
Why your try-harder-ness isn’t helping you feel more connected to God - Bravester
Experiencing joy is a part of our attempts to connect with God. This is more vulnerable than Bible reading and prayer.
5 min read
The Best People Come From Struggle - Bravester
My incarcerated son is a wise man. He has learned much and has said "the best people come from struggle." Are you one of them too?
6 min read
Lead Your Brain: Joy is the Fuel - Bravester
The left brain runs at the speed of words, the right brain runs at the speed of joy--which runs a bit faster. Joy is needed to lead your brain.
6 min read
Joy Does Not Exist Outside of Relationship - Bravester
#choosejoy is a popular hashtag but have you ever realized that you and your brain cannot have joy without relationships?
7 min read
What Is it About a Face That Brings Joy? - Bravester
Joy centers on faces and that face is happy to see you. You need the gift of people in your life to live this #choosejoy life.
3 min read
30 Bible Verses About Living Slightly Braver - Bravester
Here are 30 Bible verses to help you remember who God is and where God is in the midst of life so you can live slightly braver.
10 min read
Brenda Seefeldt
Brenda Seefeldt Amodea is a pastor, and speaker. She has worked with teens since 1981 to present. She has lived through the teen years in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and now into the 2020s. Imagine that collected wisdom! Imagine just the teen language trends she has lived through. She writes about that wisdom at www.Bravester.com. Read this clever article about those decades at https://largerstory.church/four-decades-of-youth-ministry/ She has also published I Wish I Could Take Away Your Pain, the Bible study workbook with video, Trust Issues with God, and the upcoming book, The Story of Two Lost Sons. With her husband, Brenda also publishes a paintball magazine, www.Paintball.Media. You didn’t see that one coming, right?