Rethinking Youth Ministry | A podcast for youth ministry leaders, pastors, volunteers, and anyone who cares about students

As youth workers, our goal is to prepare our students to be a light wherever they go—especially when it comes to navigating issues like race. This week, join Stuart Hall, Sam Collier, Gerald Fadayomi, and Sarah Anderson for an important conversation on why we should care about race in our youth ministries, what's at stake if we don’t, and how you can diversify your ministry’s context and your personal world as a youth worker.

It’s no surprise that being a bivocational youth ministry worker comes with a unique set of challenges—like two bosses, two workplaces, and split priorities every week. But in the midst of those challenges, are there ways we can maximize the time we DO have in our ministries and with our students? On this episode, join ministry leaders for a conversation about navigating obstacles and finding success influencing the next generation as a bivocational youth worker.

We all know that attendance numbers can fluctuate in youth ministry from week to week. But over time, we all hope to see attendance trending UP. But what do you do when numbers aren't going up—when they're plateauing or even going DOWN? In this episode, join local ministry leaders as they talk about how to identify a real attendance plateau, how to track important data in your ministry, and how knowing these key components can help set up your ministry for growth going forward.

“When are you going to be a real pastor?” “If you just teach Sunday School, what else do you do during the week?” “Where do you see yourself in five years?” If you're a youth pastor, you've probably been asked these questions before—or maybe you're asking them yourself. How do you answer these questions? This week, join us as we talk about combating misconceptions in youth ministry, building personal confidence, and addressing the lies we tell ourselves about being a youth worker.

Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of another busy year in youth ministry. As 2018 comes to a close, we want to leave you with something a little different this week: our hopes and encouragement for you for the upcoming year. In the busyness of the holiday season, we hope you'll find some times to rest as you prepare for another incredible year of youth ministry. From your friends at Rethinking Youth Ministry, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and we'll see you in 2019!

Conflict can lead to uncomfortable, anxiety-filled experiences for just about everyone. So what do we do when conflict arises in our youth ministries? The truth is, there are all different ways to handle conflict—some of those ways are healthy and some are unhealthy. On this episode, join ministry leaders as they discuss the best ways to handle conflict as a youth ministry leader and why it’s important for our students to see us handle conflict in a healthy way.

In our ministries, the heartbreaking reality is that we'll have students who have been—or are being—abused. That's why it's crucial for us as youth workers to know what to do when a situation involving abuse surfaces. On this episode, join ministry leaders for a conversation with licensed professional counselor Dr. Chinwe Williams about how we can best care for students in our youth ministries who have been physically, sexually, or psychologically abused.

For so long, the Church has approached the topics of sex and sexuality through the lens of purity. But with all the baggage associated with the word purity, could there be something better to use in its place? On this episode, join ministry leaders as we discuss the differences between sexual purity and sexual integrity—and how understanding these differences could change the way we lead students.

When second semester of senior year rolls around, most seniors start quitting things as the end of high school approaches. Some quit certain classes, some quit certain friendships, and some even quit church. On this episode, join Gerald Fadayomi, Marquise Cox, Crystal Chiang, and Sarah Anderson for a conversation on what youth workers can do to help second-semester seniors win—and not quit—as they prepare for graduation and the next chapter in their lives.

There are all different kinds of parents in youth ministry: helicopter parents, parents who don’t even know their kid attends church, and everything in-between. But no matter where your students' parents land, there are things every youth leader can do to support parents through the middle school and high school phases. This week, join ministry leaders for a conversation about what it looks like to partner with parents in a way that builds more parent buy-in for your youth ministry.

We all know it's important to connect with students during our weekly programs. But what about the rest of the week? The truth is, sometimes we spend so much time focusing on our weekly programming, we forget about the opportunities we have to reach students throughout the week. On this episode, join ministry leaders for a conversation about why reaching students during the week matters and what you can do to inspire your volunteers to invest in their students outside of weekly programming.

Every phase in a student's life presents unique opportunities, and the preteen phase is no exception. It's in this phase where students aren't really considered little kids anymore, but also aren’t quite middle schoolers yet. In other words, they're caught in between two phases. On this episode, join Ashley Bohinc, Crystal Chiang, Dan Scott, and Sarah Anderson as they discuss what to do about students “caught in between” and why we should prioritize preteen ministry in our churches.

Keeping students in youth ministry engaged is a challenge every youth worker faces. And reengaging students who have disengaged is an even greater challenge. The truth is, there are a lot of reasons a student may lose interest in youth ministry. But is there a key to reengaging them or even engaging them for the first time? On this episode, join ministry leaders for a conversation all about why students become unengaged and how you can begin to reengage the unengaged students in your ministry.

Sometimes working in youth ministry can feel a little bit like working on an island—as if no one else in your church knows or cares about what's going on in your ministry. This can be particularly frustrating if the person not caring is your senior leader. This week, join ministry leaders as they have a conversation with Clay Scroggins, Lead Pastor of North Point Community Church, about what it looks like to reengage and reconnect your senior leadership to what's happening in your youth ministry.

Students show up where they’re wanted. This is true for all students—including those with developmental disabilities. But what does it really look like to create a ministry environment that attracts and engages students with special needs? On this episode, join ministry leaders for a conversation with special education expert Melinda Anderson all about engaging students with special needs in your community and equipping leaders to effectively serve those with developmental disabilities.