Youth and Culture Podcast | Youth Ministry | Student Ministry

This week, David and Ryan had the opportunity to talk with Adam Erlichman about discipleship strategies for your ministry. 

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Have you ever felt tired and worn out? Do you feel like you barely have time for your family? This week David and Ryan talk about the importance of having margin in ministry.

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This week David and Ryan had the opportunity to talk with John Cooper about his upcoming book Wimpy, Weak, and Woke. John is the lead vocalist, bassist, and songwriter/producer for Skillet, one of the best-selling rock bands of the 21st century. The two-time Grammy-award nominated, 17X platinum band was inducted to Pandora’s Billionaire club after garnering 2 Billion streams, took home a Billboard music Award and more. Their breakout single “Monster” remains “one of the most-streamed rock songs of all time.” John and his wife Korey have toured together all of their 25 years of marriage, along with their two children. They are passionate about sharing the truth of Christ to the world through music, the popular Cooper Stuff Podcast, two Skillet graphic novels, and Cooper’s best-selling book Awake & Alive to Truth.

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Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/johnlcooperstuff

Instagram:

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johnlcooper/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/johnlcooper

Website:

http://www.johnlcooper.com 

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Why is contentment important to be successful in ministry? Why is contentment connected to longevity in ministry? In this week's episode, David and Ryan discuss this and more!

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How do you lead people in your ministry? Are you a manager, or are you a leader? In this week's episode, David and Ryan discuss this and more!

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Why does God seem so hidden, obscure, and silent? Why doesn't he make himself known more explicitly to those who dispute his existence? We had the opportunity to talk with Josh Waltman about this and more concerning students in your ministry. 

Josh is a theologian, Christian apologist, writer, and teacher. He is an Associate Professor of Theological Studies at the Rawlings School of Divinity at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. He holds a bachelor's degree (Philosophy and Religion) and two master's degrees (Theology and Apologetics) from Liberty University, an MSLS degree from the University of Kentucky (Library Science), and a PhD from Columbia International University (Theological Studies). He is a passionate advocate for the radical pursuit of both truth and love in the academy, the local church, and the Christian life. 

Have you ever seen a pastor do a "call to ministry?" Have you ever felt like this was a little off? This week, Ryan and David discuss this and more!

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Why is social media important in ministry? How do you utilize social media? We are going to answer these questions and more. 

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This week David and Ryan discuss the seven key values of youth ministry.

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Have you ever wondered if camp is beneficial to youth ministry? Does it even help your students walk with Jesus? This week we had the opportunity to talk with Kyle Gray, the Camp Director at Word of Life Florida. Kyle is passionate about camp ministry and seeing students radically transformed by the Gospel.

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This week Ryan and David discuss the future of ministry overnight events. Are they dead?

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We had the opportunity to talk with Rick Harris about interviewing with integrity. Rick desires to continue serving as a Student Pastor in the local church, while also looking to assist the greater church body by consulting and mentoring. He has a desire for youth leaders to catch the vision that they can be in student ministry for the long haul, dispelling the myth that they will “age out.” He also wants to assist and inform church committee members and others to recognize the different characteristics as the student pastor ages and how this knowledge can be used to find a better fit when searching for a youth leader.

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This week, David and Ryan talk about revival and what it looks like in our lives and our ministries.

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Can your ministry be an idol in your life? This week David and Ryan wrestle this question and more!

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This week, David and Ryan discuss how to build trust in your ministry.

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Do we have a Gospel-Driven ministry? We had the opportunity to talk with Jared C. Wilson about how to have a gospel-driven youth ministry. Jared serves as Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry, Author in Residence, and General Editor, For the Church. In addition, he serves as the director of the Pastoral Training Center at Liberty Baptist Church. He’s the author of numerous books, including Gospel Wakefulness, The Prodigal Church (a World Magazine Book of the Year in 2016), The Pastor’s Justification, Supernatural Power for Everyday People, The Gospel-Driven Church, and most recently The Gospel According to Satan: Eight Lies About God that Sound Like the Truth. Jared also has an introduction to pastoral ministry coming from Zondervan in 2021. Jared’s writing has appeared in numerous resources and magazines like Tabletalk, Pulpit Helps, Stand Firm, and Facts & Trends. He has contributed study notes to the ESV Gospel Transformation Bible and the ESV “The Story” Bible. Jared also blogs regularly at For The Church and The Gospel Coalition.

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Have you ever wondered what the future of Youth Ministry is? Have you ever wondered if what you are doing is working? David and Ryan spend some time talking about these questions and more. The landscape of youth ministry is changing, and it may be time to refocus and make changes to be better at making disciples of students.

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This week we had the opportunity to talk with Chad Higgins in the importance of parent ministry. Chad serves as the Parent Ministry Specialist for Lifeway Students. Chad is passionate about serving and helping student ministry leaders and helping parents in their discipleship journey.

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Have you ever felt like today's cultural environment is hard to navigate through? You are not alone. We had the opportunity to talk with John L. Cooper about the importance of a biblical worldview. John is the lead vocalist, bassist, and songwriter/producer for Skillet, one of the best-selling rock bands of the 21st century. The two-time Grammy award-nominated 12X platinum band was inducted to Pandora's Billionaire club after garnering 2 Billion streams, took home a billboard music award and more. John and his wife Korey have been touring together for the entirety of their 23 years of marriage and live in Kenosha, WI with their two children. John and Korey are passionate about sharing the truth of Christ to the world through music, the Cooper Stuff Podcast, two Skillet graphic novels entitled Eden and Eden: The Aftermath, and now through his debut book, Awake & Alive to Truth.

Get John's New book here: https://stores.kotisdesign.com/cooper-stuff/books

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Are you spending time with God? Are you leading yourself spiritually? This week Ryan and David talk through these questions and more.

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We had a great time talking with Sean McDowell about apologetics in youth ministry. Sean is an associate professor of Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He is the author, co-author, or editor of over fifteen books. His apologetics training has received exemplary status from the Association of Christian Schools International. He is a regular guest on various radio and TV shows. You can read Sean's blog at seanmcdowell.org.

What is church abuse and what can we do to prevent it? This week we had an opportunity to talk with Grace Crosby on this topic. Grace has served in student ministries for over 15 years and now serves as a U.S. Missionary Liaison with Reliant, which is an organization that partners with missional churches and Gospel-centered nonprofits to mobilize support-based missionaries for the Great Commission.

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Dr. Frank Turek is a dynamic speaker and award-winning author and coauthor of four books: Stealing from God: Why Atheists Need God to make their Case, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist, Correct, Not Politically Correct and Legislating Morality. As the President of CrossExamined.org, Frank presents powerful and entertaining evidence for Christianity at churches, high schools and at secular college campuses that often begin hostile to his message. He has also debated several prominent atheists including Christopher Hitchens and David Silverman, president of American Atheists.

Frank is a widely featured guest in the media as a leading apologetics expert and cultural commentator. He has appeared on hundreds of radio programs and many top TV programs including: The O’Reilly Factor, Hannity and Colmes, Faith Under Fire, and Politically Incorrect. He also writes a column for Townhall.com and several other sites. Frank has a master’s degree from the George Washington University and a doctorate from Southern Evangelical Seminary. He and his wife, Stephanie, are blessed with three grown sons.

What is worship? Is it just singing a few songs at a Sunday service or something more? This week, we talked with Jacob Roberts about what worship is and more. Jacob is the Worship Pastor at Unity Baptist Church in Prince George, Virginia.

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On this episode, David and Ryan tackle why every leader needs to lead through humility are remain teachable.

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What does it mean to be the "church?" Can you do effective discipleship online? Online ministry is more popular than ever, but is it be the best way to do church? This week Ryan and David talk about this and more. You don't want to miss this week's episode!

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Throughout the past 45 years, Jim Wideman has led and guided church ministries with a clear vision of how to help leaders find solutions to seemingly impossible problems. Jim understands what priorities are important for moving the mission forward. Throughout his career, Jim has developed systems and processes to help teams make sound decisions, translate visions into action, and provide practical tools from what he’s learned through personal experience. He is a leader who has devoted his life to helping others achieve personal, spiritual, and numerical growth through consulting, training, speaking, coaching, and mentoring to churches of all sizes, denominations, and styles in America and around the world. Jim currently serves as The Executive Operations Pastor at The Belonging Co. In Nashville, Tennessee. Jim believes his greatest sermon, is his family.

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This week Ryan and David discuss how supporting and teaching things outside of biblical truth is dangerous for students, especially middle school students. Warning, this episode may not be suitable for children.

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Michaela O’Donnell is the Executive Director of the Max De Pree Center for Leadership at Fuller Seminary, where she oversees the center’s vision, strategy, program, and team, all with the goal of helping leaders like you respond faithfully to God in all seasons of your life and leadership.

In addition to her academic work, Michaela has over ten years of experience as a leader in the marketplace. Principally, as the Owner and Managing Director of Long Winter Media, a vibrant creative agency that helps brands make a social impact through multi-media content. Long Winter Media’s roster of clients includes Google, YouTube, NBC Universal, University of Southern California, Presbyterian Church (USA), Fuller Seminary, and many more. Notably, the Oprah Winfrey Network picked up a short film Long Winter produced for an episode of Oprah’s show Super Soul Sundays, with Glennon Doyle.

Michaela regularly writes and teaches on topics of vocation, change, innovation, creativity, faith/work, and gender dynamics.

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This week David and Ryan talk about how to transition well. Many people in ministry have experienced difficulty in their previous ministries, but how should we respond? How do we transition to the next ministry that God is calling us to?

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Zach Johnson is the Associate Pastor of Students and Families at Oakland Baptist Church in Disputanta, Virginia. Before serving on staff at Oakland, Zach served as a Student Revivalist for Life Action Ministries.

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JC Groves was born into a very strict, conservative Independent Fundamental Baptist family. His parents were part of a large IFB church in Indiana while his father went to an IFB bible school. In the mid 80s they moved to Chattanooga so his father could continue his studies at Tennessee Temple University. JC comes from a family of preachers. His father and grandfather Charlie Sturgill both served as IFB pastors. JC has been serving in ministry as a student pastor in Tennessee, Georgia and Utah since 2001. In 2012, he and his family moved back to Georgia to help start the Ringgold Campus of Rock Bridge Community Church where he served as Campus Pastor through September 2020. JC and his family now live in Statesboro, GA where he serves as the College & Student Pastor at Connection Church. JC is married to Kym and they have 6 kids, all 10 years old and under: Kaden, Colton, Corbin, Kenzie, Katie Mae & Karoline Jane – and a chocolate labradoodle named Bowden.

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Does anxiety get in the way of your ability to be an effective leader? Is your inability to notice when you and those around you are anxious keeping you "stuck" in chronic unhealthy patterns? Steve Cuss is a published Author of the book Managing Leadership Anxiety- Yours & Theirs and the host on the Managing Anxiety Podcast. Since 2005, Steve have served as the Lead Pastor of Discovery Christian Church in Broomfield, Colorado, an innovative and entrepreneurial church that has grown from 150 to more than 1000 in weekly attendance. The church intentionally welcomes spiritual seekers and skeptics and is passionate about partnerships that break the local and global poverty cycle. Steve has also served at a mega church in Las Vegas, on a ranch for struggling teens, and as a youth minister in the Appalachian region.

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Have you ever wondered if what you are doing is actually working? Have you ever felt like what you were doing does not matter? This week Ryan had the opportunity to talk with one of his students, Ethan Driggers, about these very questions. Ethan spent his entire tenure in student ministry under Ryan's leadership and now is leading a group of Jr. High Boys. You don't want to miss this episode! Not only was it encouragement for Ryan, but it will encourage anyone in youth ministry to stay strong and don't quit.

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Have you ever wondered if there were common questions that every teenager wants to know? We had the opportunity to talk with Brad Griffin about his new book 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager. Brad is the Senior Director of Content for the Fuller Youth Institute, where he develops research-based training for youth workers and parents. A speaker, writer, and volunteer youth pastor, Brad is the coauthor of over a dozen books, including 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager, Faith in an Anxious World, Growing Young, several Sticky Faith books, Every Parent’s Guide to Navigating Our Digital World, and Can I Ask That? Brad and his family live in Southern California, where he serves as Pastor of Youth and Family Ministries at Mountainside Communion.

Do you have students in your ministry that struggle with anxiety, depression, and despair? We had an opportunity this week to talk with Will Hutcherson on his new book Seen. Will has worked with kids and teenagers for 14 years, from five students in a small rural church to ten years serving as a NextGen / Student pastor at a large multisite church. In 2018, he started a non-profit, Curate Hope, that partners with parents and educators to help heal despair in teens through school assemblies and parent seminars, bringing practical solutions in responding to suicide and depression. In addition to speaking, Will is the director of NextGen at Journey Church in Lake Worth. He is passionate to see the next generation come to know Christ and partner with church leaders to reach young people in new ways. He lives in Florida with his wife, Arianne, and children, Liam, Reese, and Kinsley.

How do you build influence in your ministry? This week Ryan and David talk about how faithful longevity produces influence in your ministry. You don’t want to miss this week’s episode!

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To be an effective leader starts by leading yourself. Why do so many pastors struggle with this? This week Ryan and David tackle this question of how to be effective in our leadership.

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Kristen Lascola has been the Middle School Pastor at North Coast Church in San Diego County for over 16 years. While middle schoolers have her heart, she is also passionate about church leadership development. She loves speaking at leadership conferences and equipping pastors and leaders to become healthy and effective for the long haul. She hosts “The Ministry Coach Podcast” with her husband, Jeff.

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Ted Shimer is the founder of The Freedom Fight, an online addiction recovery program. He has mentored young adults for nearly three decades with the collegiate ministry Student Mobilization. He received his MABS from Dallas Seminary and is trained as a Pastoral Sex Addiction Professional-Supervisor. His discipleship background, theological instruction and world-class clinical training gives Shimer a unique and grounded approach to addiction recovery that is biblically-based, scientifically sound, gospel-centered and effective. Ted and his wife Amber have four adult children and live in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

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We had a great time talking with Sean McDowell about his new book Chasing Love. Sean is an associate professor of Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He is the author, co-author, or editor of over fifteen books. His apologetics training has received exemplary status from the Association of Christian Schools International. He is a regular guest on various radio and TV shows. You can read Sean's blog at seanmcdowell.org.

How good are you at building teams? We had the opportunity to talk with Jeff Mingee about building effective teams from a biblical perspective. Jeff is the Lead Pastor at Catalyst Church in Newport News, VA. He is also a Church Planting Strategist for the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia.

Now that it is inching closer to a year of COVID, what will be the new normal? How do we be effective now that we are more aware of digital ministry? We had the opportunity to talk with Mike Camire about ministry in a COVID normal culture. Mike is the Next Gen Pastor at Parkway Baptist Church in Moseley, Virginia. He is also the Student Ministry Strategist for the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia.

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