Four SAGUers, including Counseling/Psychology professor Jeff Logue, Bible and Church Ministries professor Jeff Magruder, Youth Ministries professor Garland Owensby, and Director of On-Campus Admissions Mark Molina, spoke to youth pastors, parents, and students at the G.L.A.D. Momentum Youth Leaders Conference in Dallas, Texas, in January.

Jeff Logue spoke candidly about The Sexual Struggles in Ministry and why ministers are so vulnerable to sexual addiction and internet pornography. Pulling from his own research, Jeff provided a graphic description of the sexual addict, the vulnerabilities of ministers, causes of the addiction, how it changes the structure of the brain, as well as steps to remain accountable and free from the web of internet pornography.

For a number of years Jeff has been working with CounselCare to help ministers and congregants who struggle with pornography addiction and related marital problems. His counseling and research experience has served as a vital resource for those working with students struggling with pornography addiction and ministers desperately fighting to cling to the call of God on their lives, marriages and families.

Jeff Magruder spoke on the topic “BRANDED: Creative Sermons that Leave a Lasting Impression.” He discussed how to utilize the techniques used by scriptwriters and advertisers to "brand" sermon series that will generate interest and help the youth pastor or pastor build preaching calendars around a creative and memorable theme.

According to Magruder, “More and more preachers are discovering the benefit of planned preaching programs that revolve around Bible studies or topical issues. When done well, this approach generates interest from the congregation about an upcoming series and allows the preacher to give time to subjects that need more attention than can normally be given in a single sermon.”

Garland Owensby shared in a session concerning breaking boredom in youth ministry. Leaders were challenged by Owensby to rethink how they communicate the gospel to students. Suggestions included ideas from creative multi-sensory worship, to off-site experiences, to simply changing the seating arrangement to keep students engaged in the message.

Mark Molina spoke on “Realizing your Students’ Potential.” According to Molina, “Many times young youth pastors do their students and youth ministries a disservice when they do not use the giftings of their students. While our job is to first win them to Christ, we also need to mentor them.” Molina covered practical ways on how youth pastors can help students grow while in their youth ministries.