Sooner or later, every youth pastor learns that their youth ministry is only as strong as their volunteers. If that’s true then how do we identify, recruit, train, and support faithful volunteer leaders to serve our students?  Discussion  Why are volunteers so important?  What should we look for in volunteers, and what are some flags that should give us pause in potential volunteers?  What’s your take on parents serving as youth leaders?  How do you go about “making the ask” to recruit new...

Youth culture can feel like a foreign language, especially with how rapidly it changes. How can youth workers understand the culture of our students… and why is that important anyways?  Why is it important for youth workers to understand youth culture?  How would you describe the default approach most adults take toward interpreting and translating youth culture?  Could you walk us through a biblical view of Christ and Culture?  What is the intersection between theological depth and cultural...

How do we respond with love and grace when teenagers in our ministry get pregnant? This is a huge surprise for everyone and often turns entire families upside-down. The gospel shapes the way you support and care for the expectant mom, dad, and their families.  What are some of the initial feelings that our teen girls likely experience after finding out they’re pregnant, and what factors into the next decisions they often make?  When you meet with these expectant moms, what does ministry to...

How can youth ministries encourage teenagers to worship God? Obviously, worship is more than singing and music, but that’s often where we begin how to worship. So what kinds of songs should we sing, and what should we avoid in our worship music?  Discussion Questions What are some of the benefits of incorporating worship in your youth ministry?  Can you talk us through a brief theology of music and worship? Why do you think we equate worship with singing?  What are some challenges of helping...

Youth workers are increasingly realizing the importance of intergenerational ministry. But it remains a challenge to promote a churchwide commitment to these cross-generational relationships. Why is this so important and how do we make progress in this area?  Discussion Includes: Could you tell us a little about Generation Spark's vision for intergenerational mentoring?  Why are intergenerational relationships so important for youth discipleship?  What are some of the challenges that need to...

Every youth leader wants to see their teenagers grow into mature and godly adults. At the same time, we often struggle to clearly define what discipleship is and what it looks like. After all, if everything in our youth ministry falls under the category of discipleship then we’ve probably watered down the category of discipleship so much it doesn’t really mean anything at all.  Discussion Questions  What is catechesis and what’s drawn your attention towards it?  Catechesis tends to remain a...

Discussing gender and sexuality with teenagers has never been more important... or intimidating. It seems so easy to step on landmines, lose credibility with either students or parents or church leadership, which can make it tempting to avoid the topic altogether. But students are hearing about gender and sexuality, and every ministry has youth who are struggling with these questions personally.  Andrew Bunt and Ashleigh Hull lead Living Out's initiative to support youth to view gender and...

It’s no secret that boys and girls mature differently. That doesn’t only happen in terms of emotional maturity but also cognitively and spiritually. So, how does that shape the way we minister to the teen guys in our youth ministries?  Discussion Includes: Tell us a little about your book, Disciplemaking With Guys. Why did you write it and what’s the big idea of the book?  What are some developmental needs of guys that are easily overlooked?  When it comes to discipleship, what are some...

The Christian faith is not about “me and Jesus,” but about the glory of our Triune God. What does it mean for youth workers to call teenagers into lives that are marked by faithful worship and a vital union with Christ? Instead, many teenagers have a me-centered faith that treats Jesus like their therapist. This conversation with Dr. Richard Ross helps youth workers identify why this is such a serious problem and what needs to happen to correct it.  What does a me-centered faith look like?...

Youth Ministry often brings us into students’ lives during difficult and painful times. Instead of avoiding that because it’s messy or complicated, the gospel calls us to walk beside youth and their families with love and compassion. Today we’re talking with Seth Teegarden about his experience as a house parent for kids in crisis, and about how that’s shaped his current ministry as a youth pastor.  Discussion Includes: Could you share about your experience serving in the group homes for...

One of the main reasons a youth pastor’s relationship with their senior pastor can suffer is from unmet expectations. In this conversation, we talk with Cody Busby (Mike’s pastor) in order to encourage and support healthy senior/youth pastor relationships.  Discussion Features: Share with us a little about your experience as a youth pastor… what do you miss most about serving in youth ministry and how do you think that’s shaped the way you lead as a senior pastor?  What are some of the...

Faithful preaching and teaching does more than deliver biblical content, it takes the audience into account and draws the listeners into the text so they can behold the truth and beauty of God’s Word. Most of us have listened to sermons that were biblically and theologically sound, but they weren’t helpful. In today’s conversation, we want to help youth leaders preach and teach in a way that connects with the youth in your ministry.  What are some reasons preachers and teachers can preach an...

Nearly twenty years ago, the largest study on youth and religion described the religious worldview of youth and young adults as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. The teenagers and young adults in that study are now the parents of GenZ, which prompts the question, “Is MTD still a good description of youth spirituality?”  Discussion Questions For our listeners who don’t know about the National Study on Youth and Religion, could you share an overview of what that was all about and about your role in...

If youth workers aren't teaching teenagers about God then how can we call what we're doing "ministry"? The doctrine of God is a topic that people tend to either take for granted or they are intimidated by it's grandeur. This conversation highlights some of the core aspects of the doctrine of God and why it's so important to talk about with teenagers.  What is the vision behind the “Theology for Every Person” series? People are easily intimidated by the word “theology.” Why is it so important...

Although we preach the same gospel, each culture brings distinct questions and challenges for pastoral ministry. What can Western youth workers learn from African youth leaders and pastors? What does youth ministry look like in Kenya? Since Africa is a large continent with many people groups and languages, can you give us a snapshot about what youth ministry looks like across Africa?  You’ve recently published “Apologetics in Africa” through Langham Press. What prompted you to write that...

Good and faithful youth ministry can look very different from context to context, and yet we often define “What is youth ministry” by the form it takes rather than the essence. Today we’re going to talk about contextualization with Mike Dicker from YouthWorks College in Sydney, Australia.  What is contextualization and why is it important?  What is "divine accomodation" and can you point to any examples of contextualization in the Bible?  You’ve proposed four steps for faithful...

We often anchor relational discipleship in Christ’s incarnation, but is that the best biblical and theological foundation? In what ways might “Incarnational Ministry” have shaped the way we think about the Incarnation, rather than it being the other way around? For this reason, it’s important to get clear on the doctrine of the incarnation as we evaluate the biblical heart of relational ministry.  Discussion How did this question get on your radar and what motivated you to sink your teeth...

Ministry to students after confirmation (or baptism, depending on tradition) can pose some unique challenges. Bård Norheim shares about "post-confirmation leadership training" in Norway, a nationwide effort by churches to prioritize discipleship and to help youth cultivate enduring faith by finding their belonging in their church community.  What does youth ministry look like in Norway? What are some particular challenges teenagers in Norway are facing?  How does the Church of Norway...

Christian Universalism is a subtle heresy that's frighteningly common among GenZ today. It's a way that teenagers can affirm that "Christ is the only savior" and make other gospel-sounding affirmations while fully embracing the hyper-tolerant worldview of today's culture. In today's conversation, we discuss what Christian Universalism is and how youth workers can help students build their faith on the biblical message.  Discussion Questions: What do we mean by universalism and Christian...

The Image of God (or Imago Dei) is one of the most important doctrines for youth pastors to teach teenagers, because almost every cultural landmine today finds its resolution in what it means to bear the image of God. That’s why I’m excited to be talking with Dr. Imes today about her new book, Being God’s Image.  What is the doctrine of the Image of God and what prompted you to write this book now? Early in the book, you make the distinction between being created IN God’s image and being...

The youth pastor’s authority comes from the Word of God. When we stray from teaching the Bible then we lose the capacity to say “Thus says the Lord.” Teenagers don’t need more opinions, they need God’s Word. But how can normal youth leaders teach with biblical depth and pastoral warmth?    Discussion Questions What is expository preaching and what distinguishes it from other types of preaching?  What are some unique benefits of expository preaching in youth ministry?  What are some common...

Partnering with parents is an essential part of biblical youth ministry. But "family ministry" can sometimes assume a certain type of family - namely, mom and dad with kids living independently. But 1/3 of kids in America today are living in a single-parent household. In this episode, we'll hear from Anna Meade Harris about her new book, "God’s Grace for Every Family: Biblical Encouragement for Single Parent Families and the Churches That Seek to Love Them Well."  Discussion Includes: Could...

Researchers have conducted a study on the religious lives of Australian youth, and there's much to be learned that translates across cultural boundaries. In this episode, Mike talks with Dr. Graham Stanton about this research and what it can mean for fruitful youth discipleship.  How would you describe the spiritual landscape of Australia, in general… and how is that shaping teenagers and youth ministry?  Could you provide a basic snapshot of the research survey that’s the topic of our...

It’s good to talk about theologically rich youth ministry, but if youth leaders don’t know how to have normal conversations and build relationships with youth then they’re never going to get to the theological gold. This conversation with Joey Molloy will help youth workers with some of the nuts and bolts of youth ministry we sometimes take for granted.  What are some ministry skills theologically-minded youth leaders tend to struggle with?  When a youth leader goes to a student’s baseball...