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 special episode, Mike talks with YPT's summer intern, Paris Buell. Over the summer, she helped with various behind-the-scenes projects to help YPT prepare to become an independent nonprofit organization. Paris shares about her experience in youth group and now in college/university, reflecting on the need for biblically-rich youth discipleship and vocational training.
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make ...
Today's episode features three listener questions with a common thread... questions from a parachurch youth worker who wants to partner with the local church, a youth pastor who's wondering whether church kids should receive more pastoral care and support than those who aren't from your church, and responding to an anonymous post in the YPT Facebook group about leaving their church due to ministry philosophy disagreements with the ...
In this episode, Mike and John continue the new series discussing different subjects of systematic theology in youth ministry. Today, we talk about sin... what is it, why is it such a big deal, and how do we talk about it with youth while saying more than "Just don't do it!" It may not be fun to talk about, but if we never talk about the nature of sin, then students will only hear us telling them to "Stop sinning!" but they'll comp...
In this episode, Mike and John introduce a new podcast series where they'll talk through the different branches of systematic theology, and why each matters for youth discipleship. So... why not start with the end times? In the conversation, we discuss why eschatology is so important and how to talk about it with you in a way that calls them into Christian hope.
Mike McGarry is the Founder and Director of Youth Pastor Theolog...
In this episode of the YPT Podcast, Mike and John discuss two listener questions. First, we have a youth worker from another country asking about salary and compensation. While details are obviously different in various contexts, this opens up a general conversation about youth pastor salaries. Second, we hear from a youth worker whose fellow staff member doesn't send their teenagers to youth group... and they want to know how to r...
The Podcast returns!!! After catching up about summertime ministry, Mike and John discuss the 6 commitments of "Theological Youth Ministry." This is a new way to articulate what YPT is advocating for. We aren't trying to be novel and creative, so many of these commitments will seem familiar. But others will help you think more intentionally (especially about discipleship, volunteers, and parents).
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 15...
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 vo...
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...
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...
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 glari...
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 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:
- A Vision for Preaching: Understanding the Heart of Pastoral Theology (Abraham Karuvilla)
- The Unfoldi...
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.
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