End Goals: LCMS Youth Ministry Podcast

For youth leaders to be around for the long-term, they need healthy balance.  It’s is God pleasing when we prioritize our own spiritual practices, like worship, prayer, Bible reading, while also taking care of our bodies, their minds, and their many responsibilities. Deaconess Heidi Goehmann joins us to talk about how we care for ourselves as lay and professional youth leaders. Find all of Deacone...

Conflict impacts all congregations, including youth ministry. When conflict is handled well, it can build relationships, trust and be a good example to young people. When it isn’t, it can push young people away from the congregation. Rev. Marty Hasz joins us to talk about how to address conflict in your ministry.   Resources from this episode: Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youth...

Mark and Julianna review the data that we receive every three years at the LCMS Youth Gathering. The youth, young adult, and adult polls all help us to understand more about the young people in our congregations over time. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

In our second session diving into LCMS Youth Ministry’s research, we dive into the 2017 review with LCMS congregations, their retention, and their relationships with Millennials. Mark and Julianna are joined by Ryan Curnutt, Senior Research Analyst at the LCMS, as they share findings and how they can benefit your youth ministry. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com. Fi...

We continue diving into LCMS Youth Ministry’s 2017 research on Millennials and the LCMS. Mark and Julianna are joined by DCE Dr. Kevin Borchers. We will talk about the ways that we found the church unintentionally neglected young people and how we can do differently to prioritize Gen Z in our churches now. Read Dr. Borcher’s Article on Unintentional Neglect at youthesource.com/2019/07/03/unintenti...

Mark and Julianna are joined by Dr. Dave Rueter, a member of the 2017 research team. We are going to be discussing what we found in our study about the impact of parents and leadership of youth, young people and church retention. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com. Get your copies of Relationships Count from Concordia Publishing House at cph.org/p-34106-relationships...

We continue diving into LCMS Youth Ministry’s 2017 research on Millennials and the LCMS. Mark and Julianna are joined by Ryan Curnutt, Senior Research Analyst at the LCMS, as they share findings from the young adult survey and focus groups. These phases of research gave great insight into those who grew up in the LCMS as young adults.  Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource....

In our second session diving into LCMS Youth Ministry’s research, we dive into the 2017 review with LCMS congregations, their retention, and their relationships with Millennials. Mark and Julianna are joined by Ryan Curnutt, Senior Research Analyst at the LCMS, as they share findings and how they can benefit your youth ministry. Find "Relationships Count" at cph.org/p-34082-relationships-count-eng...

With the internet, data on every topic, including faith and youth ministry, is at your fingertips. Mark and Julianna are joined by Ryan Curnutt, Senior Research Analyst at the LCMS, to talk about how to assess, acquire, and use good data to help your ministry. This first session kicks off a series on our LCMS Youth Ministry research. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.co...

The theme for the 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering has been announced.  “In All Things” will focus on Christ’s relationship to all things in our lives and world.  LCMS Youth Ministry staff, Rev. Dr. Peter Nafzger, and Sarah Salzberg discuss the process for selecting the theme and set the thematic and theological foundation found in Colossians. Find all things LCMS Youth Gathering at lcmsgathering.com and...

It’s been just a year since the 2019 LCMS Youth Gathering. The LCMS Youth Ministry staff is taking this chance to reflect back on how God worked through the event and what impacts are still felt today.  Learn more about the LCMS Youth Gathering at lcmsgathering.com.

In the final episode of the Youth Ministry Starter Pack series, Mark and Julianna talk about how you can engage and support young leaders in your youth ministry and the church. We know that young leaders benefit the church in many ways, and youth ministry can be a key place for opportunities and mentoring. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

In the Youth Ministry Starter Pack series, Mark and Julianna talk with Dr. Debbie Arfsten about how to develop congregational support for youth ministry. Youth ministry doesn’t happen on its own; it’s a part of the bigger work God is doing in your congregation. Developing support from leaders, families, and other members of the congregation helps develop a healthier overall ministry for your teens...

TikTok, Twitter, and more! Social Media can be overwhelming but necessary to connect with your youth. In the Youth Ministry Starter Pack series, Mark and Julianna are joined by Meredith Whitefield to talk about how your youth ministry can healthfully engage and share the Gospel youth and parents on social media.   Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

Healthy youth ministry cares for the whole young person, including their mental health. In the Youth Ministry Starter Pack series, Mark and Julianna are joined by Deaconess Tiffany Manor to talk about supporting the mental health of youth in your congregation and community. Resources for this episode:  National Alliance on Mental Health nami.org/Home  Anxiety and Depression Association of America...

Fundraising can be a chore and can frustrate youth and congregations alike. In the Youth Ministry Starter Pack series, Mark and Julianna talk about how fundraising can be done wisely and benefit not just your youth ministry, but your congregation and community as well. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

In the Youth Ministry Starter Pack series, Mark, Julianna and Rev. Derek Broten discuss how large events like servant events, district events or the LCMS Youth Gathering can have a long-term positive effect on your youth ministry. With some planning and care, these events can last far longer than just a few days to help make disciples for life. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at yout...

In the Youth Ministry Starter Pack series, Mark and Julianna are joined by DCE Jim Lohman as they talk about how you can manage risk and keep your youth and adults safe in youth ministry. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

In the Youth Ministry Starter Pack series, Mark and Julianna talk about how you can engage and foster healthy supportive adults to serve as volunteers in your youth ministry.  It takes a whole team of adults to help raise young people as disciples of Jesus. Those who volunteer in your youth ministry are a critical part of its health. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.co...

Pastor Gerard Bolling joins Mark and Julianna to discuss how we can engage with young people around issues of race, racism, our life in the church, and in our society. Pastor Bolling gives great wisdom and insight so we can reach the end goals of young people and a church which embrace and value the diversity of ethnicity, language, and culture God has created in His community. Find the LCMS Youth...

Young people today are living in a world marked by fear, anxiety and shame. Mark and Julianna are joined by DCE Rebecca Duport to talk about how we can address that fear by pointing young people to our God who has conquered fear. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com. Bio: DCE Rebecca Duport who serves as Director of the DCE Program at Concordia University in Irvine, CA...

As we move through the tremendous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s not too early to be thinking about what happens as we return to a new normal. This is a great moment for assessment and strategy to build on what we have experienced and learned through this difficult time. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com. End Goals is the podcast of LCMS Youth Ministry in the...

Social media is a part of nearly all of our lives and it has an impact your youth ministry shouldn’t ignore. DCE Kayla Brock joins Mark and Julianna to talk about her resource “Created to Connect” and how youth ministries can help young people utilize social media in a healthy, God pleasing way.  Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com. Bio: Kayla is a born and raised Tex...

Rev. Dr. Mark Koschmann joins Rev. Mark Kiessling and DCE Julianna Shults to talk about the importance of vocation for youth ministry and his resource “Leading Lives that Matter”. They will discuss how to guide young people as they discover their purpose in life and plan for the future by deepening their understanding of vocation. Learn about Concordia St. Paul at csp.edu. Find the LCMS Youth Mini...

Heather Ruesch joins Rev. Mark Kiessling and DCE Julianna Shults in the studio to talk about her resource “Sexuality Mentality – Creating a Culture of Biblical Integrity”. She talks about how these discussions are critical with teens as they prepare to live a life of biblical sexual integrity. Her recent tour focuses on the value of all human life and the importance of our identity in Christ. Sexu...