October 7, 2024

I participated in the annual AWANA Conference for North Carolina/South Carolina on September 7th in Kannapolis, NC. I taught a workshop entitled, “Building a Resilient Faith in Our Kids: The Case for a Collaborative Approach to Ministry.”

August 1, 2024

In May, I signed a contract to publish with LifeStone Ministries out of Cleveland, OH. Letters from Downstream will hopefully be published by Spring 2025. I’m looking forward to working with them!

May 15, 2024

I recently appeared on the Kingdom Citizenship podcast to talk about discipling adults so they can disciple their children. Check it out here.

May 15, 2024

Some great news! I have signed a contract with LifeStone Ministries for them to publish Letters from Downstream! Publication is scheduled for later this Fall.

August 31, 2023

I will conducting a workshop for the Forsyth County Home Educators on September 13. I will also be attending the Child Discipleship Forum in Nashville, TN on September 21-22.

July 20, 2023

Back in May, I did a podcast with John Weaver, President of Florida University. It is now up and you can listen to it by clicking here.

May 2, 2023

February 15, 2023

The manuscript for my new book—a spiritual prep book for college-bound high school parents and their parents—is in the editing stage right now. My hope is it will be published sometime in April.

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Here is another review of Letters from Downstream which was posted on Amazon:

Every Christian parent, every youth pastor, and every youth leader needs to read the message of this book. Jim had 38 years as a college campus pastor and knows the ins and outs of how to keep students in the faith!!!!

January 2, 2023

Happy New Year, Everyone! It is my prayer that you will experience many of the Lord’s blessings in 2023 and sense His will being worked out in your life.

Some exciting news to share: I am working on a new book that I hope will be published by March of this year. It is a spiritual prep guide for parents and their college-bound high school students. In it, I will lay out a strategy for young people to have spiritual resources in place by the time they walk onto campus as college freshmen. The first week of freshman year is often the beginning of the spiritual downfall for many Christian students, playing a huge role in the 50-80 % of Christian students abandoning their faith by the time they graduate from college.

This book is an attempt to change that by providing a way for young people to have the spiritual resources in place on DAY ONE of their college experience, so they receive the spiritual encouragement and guidance they will need throughout their college career. More details will coming in the next month or two!

November 29, 2022

Here is what the dad referred to in the November 14th post below said after he read my blog post, “Hoping for the Best”, about Letters from Downstream:

Such a good read. When it comes to your child’s spiritual growth are you just “hoping for the best?” Thanks Jim Musser for this good read. If this article got you thinking then you’ll love his book “Letters from Down Stream - Why teaching kids how to follow Jesus is so important - Insights for parents and churches!”

November 14, 2022

Another great testimony from a reader of Letters from Downstream who is a father of three children:

I’m about halfway through your book and it has convicted me and has so many good truths and realities that we tend to want to ignore. It’s easy as Christians to want to hope for the best, but not make the best of every opportunity. Still a lot to read, but today we decided to make prayer journals with our two oldest girls and started truly instructing them on how to pray…They were exited as they got to decorate their journals today and start writing down their prayers.

November 4, 2022

I’m privileged to be representing UpStream Ministries at the International Conference on Missions this week in Columbus, OH. It began yesterday and runs through tomorrow afternoon. I’m making some great connections and having encouraging conversations.

September 26, 2022

It was a privilege to be at First Christian Church in Columbus, IN on September 16-17 conducting the Keeping the Waters Pure at Home: Learning How to Spiritually Lead Your Children seminar. We were very encouraged by the response of those participating. Here are several takeaways they shared:

*The importance of impressing on children at home the Christian faith and biblical teaching.

*The practical tools for teaching kids how to live out the Christian faith.

*What your children see you doing is what they will think it means to follow Christ.

*My modeling regarding my time with the Lord needs to improve if I hope my kids will grow strong in the faith as a result of my example.

September 7, 2022

Another review is in of Letters from Downstream:

After many years of working with college students, God has given Jim the wisdom we all need to hear when it comes to leading our youth to be disciples of Christ. Whether a parent, youth minister, or someone who has the privilege to invest into today’s youth, this is a challenging but also encouraging read! I hope all who read this, will pray through the suggested ideas and begin to implement them in their own Churches, home, ministries, etc. May we see a movement towards Christ and Christian community instead of what the world is trying to offer. Thank you Jim for sharing this with us!

September 7, 2022

Jim was featured in an article appearing in this week’s Christian Standard entitled, Preventing Christian Dropouts: Helping Students Stay Faithful Through the College Years. To read the article, click here.

August 6, 2022

Many of the reviews of Letters from Downstream since it was published early this year:

“Jim Musser has worked in college ministry for decades. He has had a front-seat view to the loss of faith for many young Christians that occurs when they enter college. We are failing our kids by not grounding them in the core tenets of Christianity before we release them out in the world. Jim has great suggestIons for how we can help strengthen our children and teens’ faith, so that they are better prepared for the world after high school. Thank you for the wake up call, Jim!”

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“Jim Musser’s book is a must read for anyone in Christian ministry. It is a call for reform and plea for churches, pastors and parents to examine the validity of their approaches to the spiritual education and formation of those in their care. Well researched by an experienced university pastor.”

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“While reading Letters from Downstream, I found myself often recollecting back to my years as a youth leader in a Christian church and nodding my head in agreement. Jim Musser’s perspective about the current state of discipleship and leadership of young Christians in the church today couldn’t be more accurate or relative. I wholeheartedly recommend this book, first to parents, then pastors, and finally youth pastors, who are serious about the spiritual health and growth of their young people.”

“This book is cleverly written, entertaining, and influential for churches, church leadership and parents! WE are upstream! One of the best books that I have read for helping raise our youth. I have purchased 10 so that I can hand them out to our church leaders and to friends.”

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“I really loved the focus on discipleship vs the attractional model for youth spiritual development.”

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“Jim does such a great job presenting some ideas here that are long overdue. I have spent a large part of my career leading middle/high school students and their parents and this book is spot on! This book gives great practical insight of how to disciple a teenager for the days ahead! Jim’s extensive experience as a college ministry pastor comes out in this book as he gives valuable insight on what is most needed for a teenager to be discipled in a way that they will have their own flourishing faith by their college years! I recommend this book to any parent, church staff, or volunteer who is leading teenagers and desire them to have a thriving growing faith in Jesus!”

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“Jim's book takes an in-depth look at the great need for effective discipleship of young people, many of whom are "believers" but leave home with very little spiritual maturity. Jim's decades of working with college students give him firsthand insight into the great need of the day ... for parents, churches. I have read Jim's book twice and highly recommend it!”

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“I love this book. I’m grateful for Jim sharing his insights on the mindset of University students past and present. The practical help offered from scripture has blessed me. Thank you Jim!”

Letters from Downstream is available at Amazon.com. Order your copy today!

July 6, 2022

Looking forward to presenting an UpStream Ministries seminar—Keeping the Waters Pure at Home: Learning How to Spiritually Lead Your Children—on September 16-17 at First Christian Church in Columbus, IN.

If you would like to schedule an UpStream seminar for your church or parents’ group, click here for options.

June 27, 2022

I had a great time signing my book at Cornerstone Christian Bookstore in Boone, NC on June 25th and having some encouraging conversations with folks. Thankful to the store and to all who came out!

June 23, 2022

Letters from Downstream was featured in an article in the Avery Journal this week. Check it out here. If it doesn’t link to the article, type in Jim Musser in the search bar.

June 20, 2022

Two weeks ago, I did an interview with Kevin Huff of the Cornerstone Pastors Network, along with a number of pastors from across the country. Now that interview is available on Spotify and you can find it here.

June 13, 2022

I received this encouragement from Mandy Majors of nextTalk: “My daughter had new college orientation. I asked her if she’d like to go up a day early so we could visit a church Sun morning. She said yes. I told her to research churches & tell me where to go. She picked a great one! All her choice & she’s fully invested and excited about the church hunting process.

I’m so thankful I went to your session(at the D-6 Conference 2021 & read your book! Great advice and it’s been so helpful through this college search/choice process!”

June 6, 2022

Jim will be doing a book signing on June 25th at the Cornerstone Christian Bookstore in Boone, NC from 11 AM-2 PM. If you’re not too far away, please stop by and he will sign a copy of Letters from Downstream for you!

June 6, 2022

More reviews of Jim’s book, Letters from Downstream, have come in:

“This book is cleverly written, entertaining, and influential for churches, church leadership and parents! WE are upstream! One of the best books that I have read for helping raise our youth. I have purchased 10 so that I can hand them out to our church leaders and to friends.”

“While reading Letters from Downstream, I found myself often recollecting back to my years as a youth leader in a Christian church and nodding my head in agreement. Jim Musser’s perspective about the current state of discipleship and leadership of young Christians in the church today couldn’t be more accurate or relative. I wholeheartedly recommend this book, first to parents, then pastors, and finally youth pastors, who are serious about the spiritual health and growth of their young people.”

May 21, 2022

Smartphones are one of the primary causes of anxiety in teenagers. This article from today’s Washington Post is excellent in showing parents another way to deal with their kids use of smartphones.

May 19, 2022

Jim will be presenting his seminar, “Keeping the Waters Pure at Home: Learning How to Spiritually Lead Your Children,” at First Christian Church in Columbus, IN in September. Exact date will be announced soon.

May 11, 2022

Jim is scheduled to talk about his book, Letters from Downstream, on June 2nd with the Cornerstone Pastors Network.

May 6, 2022

Jim is being interviewed today by a writer for a Christian magazine on how to help kids maintain their faith after they graduate from high school. The article will appear sometime in August.

April 13, 2022

Another great review of Letters from Downstream:

Jim does such a great job presenting some ideas here that are long overdue. I have spent a large part of my career leading middle/high school students and their parents and this book is spot on! This book gives great practical insight of how to disciple a teenager for the days ahead! Jim’s extensive experience as a college ministry pastor comes out in this book as he gives valuable insight on what is most needed for a teenager to be discipled in a way that they will have their own flourishing faith by their college years! I recommend this book to any parent, church staff, or volunteer who is leading teenagers and desire them to have a thriving growing faith in Jesus!

April 11, 2022

Many thanks to Banner Elk Christian Fellowship for allowing me to promote and sell my book after the worship service yesterday! One of the elders told me he thought the writing of the book was excellent and the case well made for churches and parents to do things differently in raising kids spiritually. Another elder said he and his wife would be reading the book together.

March 31, 2022

Another great review of Letters from Downstream just went up!

Jim's book takes an in-depth look at the great need for effective discipleship of young people, many of whom are "believers" but leave home with very little spiritual maturity. Jim's decades of working with college students give him firsthand insight into the great need of the day ... for parents, churches. I have read Jim's book twice and highly recommend it!

March 30, 2022

So I just returned from a meeting with a Family Life pastor and a youth pastor from the same church. As I talked about Letters from Downstream, they both said how encouraged they were to hear someone else talking about the concerns they have with family and youth discipleship in the local church.

A friend also told me today that he had ordered a dozen copies of the book to give to other leaders of his church!

Let's get this upstream movement started!

March 24, 2022

Another comment about Letters from Downstream:

“My wife and I both have been reading it - she has finished it - and it’s excellent!”

Order a copy today at Amazon!

February 21, 2022

Here are things people are saying about Letters from Downstream:

"I thought the section on assumptions youth pastors too often make in Chapter 4 was well said. The letter to parents in different roles was to me the best chapter because this is too often ignored in the church. And the resources at the end of the book are very good. Thanks for writing this!"

"I was feeling the challenge and encouragement just after the introduction. Looking forward to diving in more in the coming weeks."

"Step parenting pages 152 through 156. Absolutely loved it. Thanks for sharing and being so real and authentic. Your advice brings hope. I ordered 12 copies from Amazon."

Order yours now at Amazon!

February 11, 2022

Hearing more from people about their reactions to Letters from Downstream. Here are some of their comments:

“I will challenge elders and parents of children at home to read this.” A local church pastor

“I greatly enjoyed the writing style and layout of the book. Also am convicted on a few items personally and corporately and am talking to the church leadership. Ordering a few more copies to share!” A church elder

“With over 30 years serving on college campuses, [Jim] has a great perspective for those of us who are preparing our kids for life on their own.” A working mom

February 7, 2022

I recently did a podcast with Mandy Majors of nextTalk on “Why Are College Kids Leaving the Faith?” We talk about my book, Letters from Downstream, and how parents can lay solid spiritual foundations in their kids so that they can not only survive spiritually at college, but thrive. I hope you will give it a listen!

January 28, 2022

Letters from Downstream has been out for 10 days and now I'm starting to receive feedback:

“I love this book. I’m grateful for Jim sharing his insights on the mindset of University students past and present. The practical help offered from scripture has blessed me.”

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"Jim Musser has worked in college ministry for decades. He has had a front-seat view to the loss of faith for many young Christians that occurs when they enter college. We are failing our kids by not grounding them in the core tenets of Christianity before we release them out in the world. Jim has great suggestIons for how we can help strengthen our children and teens’ faith, so that they are better prepared for the world after high school. Thank you for the wake up call!”

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“Jim Musser’s book is a must read for anyone in Christian ministry. It is a call for reform and plea for churches, pastors and parents to examine the validity of their approaches to the spiritual education and formation of those in their care. Well researched by an experienced university pastor.”

January 18, 2022

November 11, 2021

Here is what some folks are saying about my upcoming book, Letters from Downstream:

“A generation in need of guidance requires a church and family equipped to lead. In Letters from Downstream, Jim draws upon thirty-eight years of campus ministry experience to offer invaluable insights and practical tools for parents and church leaders. As a family minister, I was encouraged by his passionate call for communities to invest in spiritual formation so that young people are truly prepared for a lifetime of following Jesus.”

—Tiffany Mills, Family Life Director, Christ Church , Overland Park, Kansas

Applying decades of experience serving the church through campus ministry in university contexts, Jim has assessed a problem with the [spiritual] waters in which Christian students swim and by which they are nourished. His assessment may be painful to consume, but he guides church leaders, pastors, and parents to ways of cleaning up the waters so that future generations of Christian students will not be stunted in their spiritual development.

—Rich Teske, discipleship minister, Fern Creek Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky

November 11, 2021

Mandy Majors has a great podcast on preparing your adolescents for college. She also gives me an anonymous plug at around the 13 minute mark. You can listen here.

November 4, 2021

I completed my final revisions of my manuscript yesterday. Now my editor will do her final edits to send to my book designer—the last step before publishing! The publishing date is set for January 18, 2022. I can’t wait for Letters from Downstream to be in print!

September 23, 2021

My book manuscript is now in the hands of my editor for her second round of edits. And the cover design is done, so we’re getting closer to seeing "Letters from Downstream” published!

September 16, 2021

I will once again have the privilege of preaching at Heaton Christian Church in Elk Park, NC this Sunday, September 19th. If you are with a church in western NC or Eastern TN and need someone to preach on a Sunday morning, please contact me. I would love to help out!

August 30, 2021

Wow, what a couple of weeks! Finally finished my first revisions of my book manuscript, preached at two churches on successive Sundays, and now am finally getting back to my blog and this website! It’s exciting to think the book is within a couple of months of becoming reality. Stay tuned for more progress updates. Meanwhile, check out the UpStream Ministries page to see how I can help your local church!

Check out the new Donate page! If you believe in the purpose of Jim’s ministry, please consider helping him with financial support.