Youth Pastor Theologian
Youth Pastor Theologian believes that youth ministry is theological ministry. That’s why each episode features a conversation at the intersection of youth ministry and theological reflection. We want to help youth workers make disciples who endure and offer practical advice about what that type of ministry looks like. Cohosted by Mike McGarry and John Gardner, each episode is filled with decades of youth ministry experience and plenty of laugher. Visit youthpastortheologian.com to learn more about YPT and how to bring Mike and John to your church.
Episodes
In this final episode of the podcasting season, Mike and John welcome Andrew Slay. Together, they wrote the three series composing the YPT Curriculum's new "Ongoing Discipleship" curriculum. This conversation is more than a salespitch for the curriculum... it's an explanation about why we believe these series are worthwhile for disciple-making in youth ministry.
The Ongoing Discipleship Curriculum will be available on June 15th at...
In this episode, Mike and John talk with Dave Boden, author of Raising Gen Alpha: Helping Kids Navigate Everything from Anxiety to AI (New Growth Press, 2026). Dave explains the five core attributes of Gen Alpha with the acronym A.L.P.H.A
- Anxious Minded
- a Leading Influence
- Pandemic Impacted
- Hyperconnected
- AI Shaped
Go order and read his book this summer... even better, form a reading group with a few parents and volunte...
In this episode, Mike and John share a glimpse into their own experiences with "church hurt" and "church abuse" and reflect on what they've learned the hard way. There's no "one size fits all" approach to these things, but it's disappointing how many youth pastors have been on the receiving end of church hurt and gaslighting.
If you have been through a painful situation, we strongly recommend you to find someone local to talk with...
In this episode, Mike and John talk about youth ministry during the Summer. Do you keep meeting weekly as usual, or keep meeting but differently, or do you cancel weekly programming? It seems like every church has a longstanding tradition, and many of them feel like they're "doing it wrong." In this conversation, we talk about different approaches, priorities to keep in mind, and offer assurance that God is still at work during the...
Mike McGarry is the Founder and Director of Youth Pastor Theologian and served as a youth pastor for nearly twenty years. He's wri...
Editor's note: There was a mistake (all Mike's fault!) in publishing episodes that led to titles and shownotes being added to the wrong episode recording. The title/shownotes are now added to the correct recording file... sorry for any confusion.
In this episode, Mike and John discuss a statement youth pastors often hear, "Youth Ministry isn't even in the Bible." People often say this with so much confidence, as if it's glaringly...
Editor's note: There was a mistake (all Mike's fault!) in publishing episodes that led to titles and shownotes being added to the wrong episode recording. The title/shownotes are now added to the correct recording file... sorry for any confusion.
This episode explores effective strategies for integrating students into the church, the importance of church leadership support, and the long-term calling of youth ministry. Hosts Mike M...
In this episode, Mike and John discuss a Christian theology of education. School is a major part of teenagers' lives - how do we help them think biblically and Christianly about school and education? Is this only possible for those who are homeschooled or go to Christian schools? This episode wraps with a conversations about how churches and youth ministries can honor High School graduates without making it all about who's going to...
In this episode, Mike and John focus on biblical theology: what is it, why it matters, and how to practice biblical theology in youth ministry. Biblical theology races themes, keywords, or types of events throughout Scripture in order to highlight what they say about the character and work of God.
Recommended books:
In this episode, Mike McGarry and John Gardner discuss the blessing of systematic theology for youth workers. It's not just dry, stuffy, lifeless ideas about God; it's a way to really understand what makes Christianity "tick", in order that you can do faithful evangelism and discipleship. Next, they answer a listener-question about how to serve a student whose family has chosen to leave their church and attend another.
New Update on the YPT Teaching Workshop!
Together, Mike and John co-lead the YPT...
In this episode of the Youth Pastor Theologian podcast, Mike McGarry and John Gardner tackle the contentious question of whether communion and baptism should be observed in youth groups and camps. They explore the biblical and theological teaching about the ordinances, emphasizing the importance of understanding the local church's role in administering them. While the answer to the question isn't a clear-cut "The Bible explicitly s...
In this episode, Mike McGarry and John Gardner discuss the role of apologetics in leading students through through questions and doubts. After discussing apologetics, they each share some of their favorite teaching series.
Mike McGarry is the Founder and Director of Youth Pastor Theologian and served as a youth pastor for nearly twenty years. He's written four books for youth workers and teenagers, his latest is now available: Ico...
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