End Goals: LCMS Youth Ministry Podcast

We know that hotels and transportation aren’t necessarily glamorous, but they are necessary. Krista Miller and Dean Luker join us to talk about key things to know about both pieces as a part of your Youth Gathering experience. Find all things Gathering at lcmsgathering.com. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com. Bios: Krista Miller is LCMS Youth Ministry’s Associate Dir...

The 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering is coming soon and we are excited to be sharing new information about everything you and your youth will experience. This podcast will review the reveals from last week and give a few tips and recaps for you as you prepare for the Gathering. Find all things Gathering at lcmsgathering.com. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

It’s the time of year as we plan for high school and college graduations! Mark and Julianna invited Pastor Jay Winter to talk about campus ministry and transitioning young people into next steps in college. Bio: Pastor Jay Winters has served University Lutheran in Tallahassee since 2007. He grew up on the mission field as the son of a missionary in the Philippines where he lived until he was almos...

In the final episode of our series on parents, we talk with DCE Jeremy Becker to discuss the unique benefits and strains when a parent serves as a youth ministry leader.   Bio: Jeremy Becker graduated from Concordia University in Chicago as a DCE. He served at Concordia Lutheran Church in Kirkwood and currently serves at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Weston, Florida.   He is married to Kristin Becke...

Many parents and youth leaders want to be positive, Christ centered mentors and have solid listening skills. Mark and Julianna talk with DCE Darcy Paape on her experience and recent development of curriculum that can help both youth leaders and parents do just that.  Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com. Bio: Darcy Paape has 20 years of experience working with emerging...

Young people don’t just have parents or guardians; they come from full households that all look different. Talk about how to help foster spiritually vibrant Households of Faith is Rev. Jason Broge of Lutheran Hour Ministries. Find their resources at lhm.org/households. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com. Bio: Rev. Jason Broge is the Director, Design & Development for...

Adolescence is an important part of development. Youth ministry and parents can work together to help young people navigate through this potentially tumultuous time. In this episode, DCE Tim Rippstein helps us talk about how youth ministry leaders can work with parents. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com. Bio: Tim Rippstein is a DCE who serves St. John’s Lutheran in...

Planning for the 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering is in full swing. Hear more about the volunteers and the service opportunities that will happen at the Gathering from our fantastic volunteer planners.  Bios: Lindsey Schmidt is a DCE who serves as Director of Youth Ministry at Woodbury Lutheran Church. She also serves as the Director of Volunteer Management for the 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering.  She lives i...

In our series on parents, we are talking to practitioners like DCE Blake Brockman about how to partner well with parents in youth ministry.  Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com. Bio: DCE Blake Brockman. Blake is the Director of Youth & Family Ministries at Peace Lutheran in Antigo, WI. He writes for YouthESource regularly and presented about engaged parents at the Nat...

Mark and Julianna set some groundwork for our upcoming series on parents in Youth Ministry. They talk about how critical engaged parents are and how partnering with them can benefit both teens and your ministry. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com and Gathering Resources at lcmsgathering.com/resources.

Most adults who are now serving in professional church work can point back to supportive adults and parents who encouraged them to consider that career track. In this episode, Rev. Dr. James Baneck talks about who and how to encourage young people who may be a good fit for church work. Bio: Rev. Dr. James Baneck is the executive director of LCMS Pastoral Education. In this role, he encourages the...

As you prepare for the 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering in Houston, hear about all the locations, transportation, food and programming each day along with tips and tricks to help you make the experience awesome for your participants.   Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

We have talked about opportunities to serve and lead before, but today we dive deeper with DCE Pete Hiller. We will hear how he provides these key opportunities for young people and families in his church.  Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com. Bio: DCE Peter Hiller serves in the area of Youth and Family Ministry at Family of Christ Lutheran in Ham Lake, MN. Yes, there...

Mark and Julianna pull from experience with YouthLead (previously Lutheran Youth Fellowship) and what they have learned from research and talking with practitioners about mentoring and supporting young leaders. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

Many young people in Gen Z who do not claim any religious affiliation and our culture can make it challenging for Christian teens to share their faith in Jesus. Jessica Bordeleau joins us to talk about how to encourage youth to witness in their every day lives. Bio: Jessica Bordeleau has spent the last 15 years in Christian media production. She has worked as the creative producer of video based r...

Every young person has a variety of roles and responsibilities where they are God’s hands and feet. Mark and Julianna are joined by DCE Cassie Moore to discuss how helping youth to understand and grow into those vocations is one of key things healthy youth ministry can do.  Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com. Bio: Cassie Moore is an author, speaker, and Director of N...

As you prepare for the 2022 Youth Gathering in Houston, we want to support you by introducing you to some of our fantastic partners. In this episode we will talk with Scott Guenther, manager of the District Coordinators, and Rehema Kavugha, Synod Relations Manager for Lutheran Church Extension Fund.   Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com. Scott Guenther is a rostered L...

The size of a youth ministry and congregation can change many aspects of programing and caring for the faith lives of teens. Pastor Leon Jameson joins Mark and Julianna talk about how large youth ministry can be healthy youth ministry and how that might look different from other sizes.  Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com. Bio: Pastor Leon Jameson is Associate Pastor...

Even the smallest youth ministries can be healthy and help young people become disciples for life. DCE Leah Abel joins Mark and Julianna in talking about the strengths and how God can work through small youth ministries. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com. Bio: Leah Abel is a Director of Christian Education who lives in Denver, Colorado.  Leah graduated from Concordi...

At the National Lutheran Youth Workers Conference in 2021, we held a sectional specifically for first time leaders to the LCMS Youth Gathering. It went so well we invited DCE Annie Anderson to join us and share some of her insights for first time (and experienced) adult leaders!  Learn more about the LCMS Youth Gathering at lcmsgathering.com and find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at you...

We can experience diversity and inclusivity in our communities, congregations and youth ministry in many areas of life from ethnic and cultural diversity to socio-economic, education diversity, to physical skills and abilities. Mark and Julianna talk with Ashley Paavola about how youth ministry can thrive when a church brings together a diverse group of young people.  Find the LCMS Youth Ministry...

In preparation for the 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering, Mark and Julianna talk to Krista Miller, the registrar and operations manager for the Gathering. They talk about what registration for the upcoming Gathering will look like. Bio: Joining us is Krista Miller. Krista serves as the Gathering Registrar and Operations Manager for the LCMS Youth Gathering. “In All Things” is her eighth Gathering. Before...

Urban ministry can have its own unique challenges and joys. Join Mark and Julianna as we have a conversation with Heidi Lewis, DCE in urban south St. Louis. We will discuss the ways a setting in the city can impact youth ministry.   Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com. Join the LCMS Youth Ministry Facebook Group at facebook.com/groups/LCMSYouthMinistry. Bio: Heidi Lew...

In the first of our series looking at different youth ministry contexts Mark and Julianna talk to Angela Kollbaum who has worked with rural youth and families for 25 years. She shares some of the joys and concerns of doing ministry in Rural and Small Town. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com. Join the LCMS Rural and Small Town Youth Workers Facebook Group at facebook....

Mark and Julianna kick off a series on how context impacts youth ministry by talking about some key features of identifying the context of your youth ministry.   Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.