Student Ministry Connection

How do we help our leaders become better leaders, setting them up to succeed? And how can we continue to develop them with the skills and abilities they need, as well as help them grow as a follow of Jesus? This is part 2 of Student Ministry Connection’s mini-series on teams. On this episode, we talk about equipping and discipling them.  Links referenced in this episode:  DYM's Youth Ministry Univ...

Whether you’re a full-time youth pastor or a very part-time volunteer, along the way, we've all realized we can only do so much our own. On top of that, we need to build something that doesn’t rely solely on us. So welcome to Student Ministry Connection’s 3-part mini-series of podcast episodes focused on student ministry teams. This episode is all about forming and onboarding your team.  Links ref...

It’s no secret that teenagers all over are dealing with anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and all kinds of mental health struggles. So how do we support them? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we are joined by Dr. Chinwé Williams to talk about mental health and teenagers. Among many things, Dr. Williams is a licensed and board-certified counselor, supervisor, speaker, and autho...

Camps, mission trips, and retreats are great for those times when we can get away and spend longer uninterrupted time with a group of leaders and students. But how do we make it through those times without feeling incredibly tired and burned out? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve offers 3 tips that can help you not only survive but thrive during camps and extended ministry prog...

How do we prepare for camp, what do we do during camp, and what is our process for following up and evaluating after camp? It's important to have dedicated experiences within student ministry like camps, mission trips, retreats, and more. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Jeff Harding, of the Youth Ministry Maverick podcast, shares some wise tips on preparation, engagement, and follo...

How do I start a youth group? How do I re-build a student ministry? How do I go from being a volunteer to the paid youth pastor? What should I focus on when starting a youth ministry? How do I go from ministering at one church to another one? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve gives 5 tips addressing these questions.  Links referenced in this episode:  Learn more about Steve's m...

Picture this… You’ve gone to a conference, or you’ve read this amazing book, you found a great curriculum, or you heard about this awesome event from another youth pastor, or even from a podcast. And you’re so excited to put it into practice, but then it fails. What happened? More than likely, you didn’t contextualize the idea for your ministry. On this episode, Brooklyn Lindsey joins Steve to tal...

Are you struggling to connect with others doing student ministry in your community? On this "quick-hit" episode, we'll share a couple tips on how to find other youth leaders in your area to get connected and begin collaborating for a more impactful ministry.   Links referenced in this episode:  Find a network or start one at http://nnym.org   Learn more about Steve's ministry with NNYM at http://n...

Middle schoolers can be an interesting bunch, can’t they? One moment, they are bouncing off the walls; and the next, you can have a really meaningful conversation with them about their purpose in the world. And sometimes, those are happening at the exact same time. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we talk with Heather Mahoney about how middle school ministry has changed over the yea...

Steve has recently answered God's call to be a full-time missionary with National Network of Youth Ministries . So today on the podcast, he'll explain what led to this decision, why this mission is so important within the world of student ministry, what he will be doing as a missionary, and share some ways you can support and partner with the ministry.  Links mentioned during this episode:  Learn...

Would you like to recruit more volunteers and build a thriving team to reach even more teenagers for Jesus? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve is joined by Nick Blevins, author of The Volunteer Playbook , co-founder of Ministry Boost, and NextGen Pastor at Community Christian Church in Baltimore, MD, to discuss how to better recruit, train, and empower ministry volunteers.  Link...

How do you define success in ministry? Are you always striving for higher attendance and bigger programs? Or is ministry success something different? On this episode, we’ll talk with Dan Istvanik about what success should look like in student ministry and how you can begin to measure the right things to know whether you are succeeding or not.  Links mentioned during this episode: Email Dan at dist...

How do we get our students to have faith that so contagious for those they are around? And what kind of an impact could they make if they lived out that type of faith? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we talk with Dr. Dave Rahn, who has served for over 50 years, including 41 years with Youth for Christ and 30 years as a youth ministry professor. Dave shares his own amazing story and...

With all of the revival talk recently, many Christians are left wondering if it’s real; and if it is, how can we get the same thing to happen in our communities. Maybe you’re wondering the same thing about your youth group or church? On this episode, we talk about one key element of revivals throughout history and why it’s so important. Links mentioned during this episode: Enter our big episode 10...

Welcome to episode 100 of Student Ministry Connection, a podcast for those who serve in student ministry, want to connect, and desire to grow. On this very special episode, we talk with Kevin Miles, a veteran youth worker about the importance of networking within student ministry; celebrate by giving a bunch of prizes; and announce some ways you can support the podcast moving forward!  Links menti...

Back in the 1970’s, a movement began that led to a revolution, a Jesus Revolution. Time Magazine wrote about it, several books have been written about it, and now we have a movie depicting it. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we talk with Brent McCorkle, the co-director of Jesus Revolution, to hear his story, learn why you should see the movie, understand why it’s important students...

Video games have been a growing influence our culture for a while now. Ever since the 1970s, kids have been jumping into virtual worlds to compete with others, go on adventures, solve puzzles, and more. And while there are many positives about games, there are also many negatives. So how do we navigate that with the students in our youth group and how to we help parents navigate it with their kids...

Isn’t it awesome when we see God use students to answer longtime prayers? On this episode we share a story about how God did just that through a 9 Month Mission Trip in a high school, and He wants to do the same through your students as well. Links mentioned during this episode: Read more about 9 Month Mission Trip at https://www.9monthmissiontrip.com   Download the 9 Month Mission Trip app at htt...

What would it be like to at the same church for a really long time, getting to know those students and families in that community, partnering with schools and other local organizations, and impacting generation upon generation? Whether you are just starting out and have dreams of longevity or if you’ve been in it for a while, this episode will provide everyone with a few ideas to help you stick wi...

How do we get it all done? There are always so many things to do in student ministry and some of us are left asking that question on a regular basis. While we cannot control everything, there are a couple things that we can begin to take control of that will help us significantly in the area of time management. And when we begin to see results in these two areas, we'll begin to have more time for...

We all know our student ministries shouldn’t be solely run by adults. We need to raise up student leaders. But how do we do that? What does it look like? How do we start it, how do we tweak it, and what things do we need to have in place for it to succeed? In this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we share 5 ideas around student leadership that we encourage you to consider—whether this is yo...

What happens when you fail, when things aren’t going so well--whether it’s your fault or your unfortunate situation? When you start to feel like you’re a failure, you may also begin questioning your call to ministry. But what if God was still in control and still had plans for you? On this episode, we talk about failure, because we’ve all been there; and if we’re honest, sometimes it gets really t...

How can we use social media in a way to really advance our ministry to students without it becoming an overwhelming beast that always demands our attention? In other words, how can we use it as a tool to advance our mission rather than it taking over? On this solo episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve shares 10 social media tips for those in lead in student ministry.  Links mentioned durin...

How do we move students from participating to contributing? On this episode, Christen Clark of the Collide Kids Podcast joins us to discuss why it's so important for students to serve and how you can get them moving in that direction.  Links mentioned during this episode:  Follow Christen on Instagram: @christenclark   Follow Christen's podcast on Instagram: @collidekidspod   Check out Christen's...

How do we avoid burnout in ministry? Many of us are used to going at 90 miles an hour, firing on all cylinders 24/7, and rarely looking out for ourselves. But if we’re honest, most of us know we can’t keep that up. So how do we continue to do good student ministry for the long haul? On this episode, we brought back James Sabin, the youth and family pastor at Kingdom Church in Westover, WV. The las...