The Youth Ministry Podcast for Volunteers

In this episode, Chris and Jennifer are joined by Angela Sanders to discuss girls ministry. They talk about the importance of girls ministry and why churches should consider having a separate ministry for girls. They also provide tips for volunteers who are interested in starting a girls ministry in their church. In this conversation, Angela Sanders shares insights on how to effectively run a girls ministry. She emphasizes...

Episode 37 | Why are teenagers so lonely an how can we help?

Join us as we discuss the issue of loneliness among teenagers and how volunteers can help. We highlight the fact that despite being more connected than ever through technology, teenagers are experiencing high levels of loneliness. We also take a look the reasons behind this, including shallow relationships and lack of genuine connection. We provide four key st...

Episode 36 | A Senior Pastor’s Perspective on Youth Ministry Volunteers - In this episode, we talk with Ricky Smith about his journey from youth pastor to senior pastor as he emphases the vital role of volunteers in ministry. Ricky shares his personal connection to the church and the importance of volunteers in the church's mission. He also shares about his own upbringing in a church where his father served diligently as a...

Episode 35 | Why are Teenagers So Anxious and What Can We Do to Help - In this episode, we dive into an important topic: anxiety in teenagers. We explore the rising prevalence of anxiety among teens, particularly post-pandemic, where one in three teenagers is affected. We also discuss how anxiety doesn't discriminate by gender, impacting both boys and girls. We also address the challenge of recognizing anxiety in teenagers...

Episode 34 | Current Trends Youth Ministry Volunteers Need to be Aware of at the Start of 2024 with Walt Mueller - Join us as we dive into the latest trends in youth ministry with Walt Mueller from the Center for Parent Youth Understanding. In this episode, Walt shares important insights for volunteers to be aware of in 2024. Discover practical tips for balancing trend-awareness with a busy schedule, enhancing your effecti...

Episode 33 | If a youth ministry volunteer were to set goals -  Happy New Year! Can you believe it is 2024? Like so many of you, we’re thinking about how we can improve in 2024. That got us thinking about what it would look like for a volunteer to set goals for how they work with students. In this episode we share 5 potential goals to set for 2024.

The Youth Ministry Podcast for Volunteers | There are a lot of great you...

Episode 32 | Christmas Spectacular 2023

Get ready for festive fun! Jennifer is back in this jolly episode where we share some great ideas on how to connect with students during Christmas. From fun activities to way you can encourage them spiritually, it's a must-listen for a memorable youth ministry Christmas season. Merry Christmas! #youthministry #studentministry #nextgen #nextgenministry  

The Youth Ministry Podcast f...

Episode 31 | Fun Ice Breakers for Your Small Group

When it comes to leading a group of teenagers in a small group, one thing we’ve learned is that doing a good ice breaker before the lesson can really help get teenagers engaged in the conversation. In this episode, we talk about why ice breakers are important and then share 5 solid ideas that you can use in your next small group meeting.

Book Mentioned:

The Complete Book ...

Episode 30 | Basics of Discipling Students

If you’re like us, you love the idea of helping a teenager not only meet Jesus, but live a life for Jesus. In this episode we take a look at how a volunteer can leverage their opportunity to not only teach students, but disciple them.

The Youth Ministry Podcast for Volunteers | There are a lot of great youth ministry podcasts out there, but not many focus only on volunteers. The...

Episode 29 | Building Trust with Parents

When we’re given the opportunity to impact a teenager’s life for Jesus, we also have a chance to impact their parents. In this episode, we talk through ideas on how youth ministry volunteers can build trust with parents with the hopes of also impacting them for Jesus.

The Youth Ministry Podcast for Volunteers | There are a lot of great youth ministry podcasts out there, but not ma...

Episode 28 | Asking Great Questions that will Lead to Great Discussion

Silence. We’ve all experienced blank stares when leading a Bible study and it’s not fun. In this episode we tackle how to ask great questions in order to increase participation with those we’re teaching.

The Youth Ministry Podcast for Volunteers | There are a lot of great youth ministry podcasts out there, but not many focus only on volunteers. The Yo...

Episode 27 | Great resources that will help me be a better youth ministry volunteer

Volunteering with teenagers can be a bit overwhelming at times, so in this episode we share tried and true resources that will help you be the best youth ministry volunteer you can be as you point teenagers to Jesus.

The Youth Ministry Podcast for Volunteers | There are a lot of great youth ministry podcasts out there, but not many focus ...

Episode 25 | Creating Unity When Students Don’t Come Much With attendance patterns continuing to change among teenagers and families, it can be hard to maintain unity with your group of teenagers. In this episode we talk through some ideas that we think will help create momentum that will lead to a more unified group.

The Youth Ministry Podcast for Volunteers | There are a lot of great youth ministry podcasts out there,...

Episode 24 | Things I Wish I Could Have Said to My Volunteers In this episode we talk with Billy Christol, who is now a Senior Pastor, about things he and most youth pastors wish they could say to their youth ministry volunteers. 

The Youth Ministry Podcast for Volunteers | There are a lot of great youth ministry podcasts out there, but not many focus only on volunteers. The Youth Ministry Podcast for Volunteers is all ...

Episode 23 | Connecting with Your New Group of Students Summer is over and the new school year is upon us. That means for a lot of volunteers, you'll be working with a new group of students along with a new class that has been promoted from children's ministry. In this episode we talk through ideas on how to best connect with those students and get relational traction quicker.

The Youth Ministry Podcast for Volunteers |...

Episode 22 | Summer Spectacular: Staying Connected to Your Students Over the Summer. The whole gang is here in this episode! We’re talking summer plans and how to stay connected to students in the middle of a chaotic summer.

The Youth Ministry Podcast for Volunteers | There are a lot of great youth ministry podcasts out there, but not many focus only on volunteers. The Youth Ministry Podcast for Volunteers is all about ...

Episode 21 | Shane Pruitt Interview: Staying Current without Compromise

In this episode we talk with Shane Pruitt, Next Gen Director for the North American Mission Board, about how to navigate difficult conversations on difficult topics with teenagers. We include tips on how to handle these conversations in an appropriate way without compromise. 

The Youth Ministry Podcast for Volunteers | There are a lot of great youth ...

Episode 20 | Back to the Basics: A spiritual check up. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in all the work we’re doing “for” God and not realize that we’re not walking with the Lord like we should. In this episode, we take a look at some spiritual basics that will help help us stay close to Jesus.

The Youth Ministry Podcast for Volunteers | There are a lot of great youth ministry podcasts out there, but not many focus ...