Student Ministry Connection

Have you wondered how artificial intelligence could change the way you connect with your students? Maybe you’re curious about how AI can help you create more engaging content, streamline communication, or even better connect with your students. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Tom Pounder joins Steve to discuss some practical ways to harness A.I. and avoid some critical pitfalls in...

A student gets home from youth group, camp, or a mission trip, and the parent asks how it was and all they hear is “good.” How can we help parents have better conversations with their teenagers? On this quick episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve shares 5 ways we can help parents to have good conversations with their kids.  Sponsor for this episode of podcast: G Shades - https://gshades.or...

How do you know when it's time to change or quit doing a program? When is it time to change up the way you do youth group, camp, mission trips, or even VBS? On this quick-hit episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve shares how to evaluate ministry programs and some ways to go about modifying or letting them go when it's time to change it up. Sponsor for this episode of podcast: G Shades - htt...

Why is it sometimes so easy for us to forget Jesus in the middle of ministry? We get caught up in the doing of ministry and don’t spend much time with Jesus himself, the vine (John 15). On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Candice Wynn joins us to talk about staying connected to Jesus and also about her brand new ministry, BOON.  Sponsor for this episode of podcast: G Shades - https://g...

How do we respond when someone decides to leave your church or ministry? Do we have a castle mindset or a kingdom mindset, seeing the bigger picture of the entire church? Steve White joins us this week discuss what it’s like to  have a kingdom mindset and keep it. Sponsor for this episode of podcast: G Shades - https://gshades.org (Use code CONNECTION to save 10% off your next order).  Links refer...

 How can we train up the next generation of leaders? The Global Leadership Summit has been thinking about that very question and they're ready to answer. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we talk with Jenna Istvanik and Mariana Rubinec, two young leaders from GLS NextGen about what we can expect from this year's event, why you should attend, and why you should consider bringing your...

We've all been there... You're teaching a group of teenagers, but one or more of them aren't paying attention. Frustrating, right? So how do we teach in a way that draws teenagers in and encourages them to engage rather than being distracted by their friends' phones or more. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve is joined by Mike Haynes to discuss how to captivate students' attenti...

How did you get started in student ministry? And what are you doing to raise up the next generation of leaders? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve talks about how he got started and also provides some resources that we think will really help us in raising the next generation of leaders that will come after us. Links referenced in this episode:  Leadership Pathway - https://leade...

Are you here for it? This question was posed at The Orange Conference 2024, and throughout the event, we had main stage and workshop speakers helping us understand how God is here for it and how we can be here for it in order to reach this next generation for Christ. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve is joined by several conference attendees to talk about who was here for them...

How do we transition students well from kids ministry to student ministry? How do we walk with parents during this time? And how do we come alongside families during this time of high anxiety? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Jay Reynolds joins Steve to share how he and his church have created a seamless transition in their ministry and how we can do that as well.  Links referenced...

Have you ever been fired or maybe in a ministry that just wasn’t working? And then wondered how you can bounce back from that? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Kyle Isabelli, pastor and author of Refined by the Fire(d), shares about his experience with getting fired and how God refined him through it and eventually began redeeming it.  Links referenced in this episode:  Buy Refined...

How do you celebrate your high school graduates? This question pops up a lot in youth ministry circles, especially in late winter and early spring. So on this quick-hit episode of Student Ministry Connection, we’re getting really practical. Steve shares what he's done over the last several years in hopes that it might help you as you think about your own way of celebrating graduates. Links referen...

While we know anxiety is runny rampant in the teenagers we serve, many of us have probably not stopped long enough to realize it has affected many of us as well. Alan Fadling joins Steve to talk about his Unhurried Living ministry and his brand new book, A Non-Anxious Life. Even if you feel pretty healthy right now, it’s important to think about these things so we can stay healthy for ourselves an...

Are we going about student ministry the right way? Are we giving this next generation all they need to become the world-changers that God has created them to be? How do we remove the obstacles and set them up for God-defined success? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Billy McMahan joins Steve for a candid conversation about what student ministry is all about.  Links referenced in thi...

How much should the average youth pastor make? How can we'd set ourselves up to get a raise? And how much does your church size, ministry size, tenure, and education factor into your pay? If you have questions about youth pastor compensation, this is the episode for you! On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Dan Navarra joins us to unpack the 2024 Youth Pastor Compensation Report.  Links...

Are you connected with other youth leaders around you? In this Student Ministry Connection and Free Refills crossover episode, Wayne Morgan, Travis Deans, and Steve talk about why it's important to find a network, how they've been blessed by ministry networks, and how they originally got connected with National Network of Youth Ministries.  Links referenced in this episode:  Learn more about NNYM...

What does it mean to rest? And how can we rest when there is so much to do? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve takes a moment to share some of what he's learned over the past several years on the topic of rest, especially as it pertains to us in student ministry. If we are going to do well in this ministry, we need to find fulfillment in Christ, so we'll discuss why we need to s...

How can we multiply the amount of teenagers we’re reaching in our community? Many of us might think it has to do with bigger events and more programs, but our guest, "Mr. Bill" Freund, who has been a very successful youth pastor for a long time, says it’s more about focusing on the right things. What are those right things? Get ready to take some notes from all the amazing wisdom Mr. Bill shares o...

Each year, high school seniors are excited to finish their education and graduate. Many churches, however, are not too excited, because they fear these students will also graduate from their faith in God. Many of us are all too familiar with teenagers who walk away from the church and their faith when they leave youth group. So in this episode, Steve shares 5 tips for helping students not graduate...

What does it look like to not only share Jesus with the next generation but to also equip parents as the spiritual leaders in their homes? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we’ll talk with Sam McDowell, author of Parent Equip, about what all of that means and share some practical steps on how youth leaders can take equip parents in what the Bible says is their role.  Links referenced...

 Should we take a  break from our student ministry over the holidays, canceling our programs that week. This is a common question among youth leaders. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we share five reasons of why it's important to take a break over the holidays.  Links referenced in this episode:  Read about 5 Youth Ministry fixtures that need to die at https://bit.ly/5mymftntd   Le...

While we often talk about the importance of partnering with parents, what does that actually look like? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we brought on a parent to ask her directly what she has appreciated and what she believes all youth pastors should know.  Links referenced in this episode:  Email Michelle at teamgreger@gmail.com   Learn more about Steve's ministry with NNYM at htt...

How can we take a Cobra Kai approach to our ministry? I don’t necessarily mean how can we strike first and strike hard and show no mercy, but how can we take some of the principles we see in that show and apply them to our ministry with teenagers. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Travis Deans joins us to discuss what we can learn from Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, and he also...

Are you a bivocational youth leader, or are you curious what it’s like to be bivocational, where your ministry is not your only source of income? Maybe you’re wondering how you can even do that. While it’s not for everyone, Caleb Julin joins us to talk about how he’s balancing everything and also writing a huge Bible study series that he’s giving away. Even if you’re full time, you will still lear...

Once we have our student ministry team, and we’ve begun to train them, what do we do with them? Where exactly can they serve in the ministry, and how do we set them up for success now and in the future? This is part 3 of Student Ministry Connection’s mini-series on teams, and today we’re talking about sending that team through empowerment and multiplication. Links referenced in this episode:  Epis...