Author: Paul Santhouse

I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I’m also a husband, father, and grandpa. And I’m part of the Moody Publishers* team. Since I've worked with books for nearly four decades, and I believe the local church is where we become the kind of people Jesus would be in our shoes, that's mostly what this blog is about. Thanks for visiting. Paul *As this is my personal blog, the views and opinions expressed herein are my own, not those of my employer.

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Most of us “keep watch.” Parents, coaches, teachers, pastors and elders, friends — keeping watch means caring how others do and investing in their well-being. This is the beauty of God’s systems. Family, community, society — they’re all designed to foster well-being. Against this backdrop the seriousness of neglect is revealed. To be neglected is […]

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When believers gather as the church, some bear specific responsibility for the well-being and protection of the group. These are the shepherds. Those who keep watch. The writer of Hebrews put it this way: Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account […]

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“You won’t tell my parents right?” We hear variations on this phrase often but how should a youth worker respond? Do we make the promise? There are two extremes that can influence confidentiality but fortunately they are quite rare: 1) the student is in some type of real danger and confidentiality should be breached, 2) […]

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A friend of mine paid his kids $1 for every book they read. As his kids grew older, he gradually upgraded the definition of “a book,” moving them from picture books to Scholastic Books to, well, The Count of Monte Cristo. The challenge before us is daunting. We’re working with students who have technological wonders […]