Student Ministry Conversations

One of the most important tasks of Youth Ministry is teaching students the Gospel of Jesus Christ and taking them into a fuller understanding of how and why scripture says what it says... but are we missing out on opportunities with students growth when our lessons often are surface level to make sure everyone is able to understand or feels included in the conversation?  Come join the convers...

While we can all agree that the week to week ministry of our job is the most important in continuing to educate and bring students into a relationship with Jesus, we are also called to teach our students to serve. Mission trips can be incredibly useful in allowing students to experience Jesus but there are all kinds of questions that need to be answered (especially with trips over seas).  Com...

It's time for another recap episode! Come join the conversation as Russell and Brent sit down and discuss their favorite moments of the past 17 guests on the podcast. We are excited to kick off the new year and bring you more conversations with more youth pastors and leaders over more content!  We would also love to have you join the conversation if you would like to be on the show! Click her...

The ultimate call to ministry for any Christian is to bring people to Christ and teach them how to follow Jesus and lead others to come to know Him. We also have the great privilege as Youth Pastors to walk alongside students as they begin to feel called to ministry. How do we do this? How can we encourage and equip our students as they begin their call to serve Jesus in the local church. Come joi...

What is the greatest influence on the faith of your youth? If you guessed youth leaders, or pastors, then you would most likely be wrong. Actually the greatest influence is parents. So as youth leaders we need to find ways to equip, encourage and empower parents to grow in faith themselves and pass that faith on to their kids. In this episode of the Student Ministry Conversations podcast we are jo...

Ministry is a job like no other which leads to great conversations, fantastic moments of spiritual engagement and some incredible memories for everyone involved. It also involves a lot of hurt and broken people dealing with real pain and suffering. Finding the “perfect” balance of ministry might not exist, but there are definitely things we can do to make steps to stay healthy emotionally, physica...

We can easily agree in the fact that we are all better together and this should include together in ministry but the real question is how do we work together with churches from other denominations and sizes. Come join the conversation as Russell sits down with Tom Crozier who is on staff at Jesus People Church to Chicago, Illinois as they talk about Collaborating in Youth Ministry.  You can l...

If you have been in student ministry for any length of time then chances are that you have been to a church camp or a retreat with a guest speaker that has been picked to speak life into the students (and leaders) that are there. Maybe you are wanting to get your feet wet when it comes to group speaking or you have been asked to speak to a group? What preparation and steps do you take in order to...

While we are all working to develop students and their personal relationships with Christian peers and strengthen their walk with Christ, it's also a responsibility to incorporate students into the life of the church... but how do we do that? What are some different areas that we can get students involved in church through service and attendance? Come join the conversation as Russell sits down wit...

One of the challenges of student ministry is building a structure of ministry that keeps students knowing what's to come while also keeping them engaged in the movement of the student ministry. How do we do build this? Come join the conversation as Brent sits down with Cameron Presson who is the Next Gen Pastor at Timber Creek Church in Lufkin, Texas as they sit down today to talk about the import...

When it comes to conversations, there are a few that will stand the test of time including, "How do I develop leadership qualities in students?" This will be a conversation that we revisit time and time again to provide different voices on the subject.  Come join the conversation as Russell sits down with Brandon Hair who is the student pastor at Calvary Christian Church in Bellevue, Nebraska...

****THIS EPISODE MARKS OUR FIRST 6 MONTHS OF PROVIDING WEEKLY PODCASTS!**** Being a youth/student pastor is often a short lived occupation that is often times a transition period for many people (whether they transition to another profession or a senior pastor position), but what would happen if it was treated as your career? What would happen if you devoted 10+ years to ministry at the SAME CHURC...

At one time we though of youth ministry as only our interaction, programs, events and worship with the youth in our group. However now we realize that youth ministry only focused on youth can be a bit one sided. A holistic approach to youth ministry involves ministry to students, families and in the local church. Come join the conversation as Russell sits down with David Odom (who is an autho...

It's pretty safe to say that our culture is HEAVILY influenced by video games (especially pre-teens and teenagers) but how can we use this often un-utilized resource to present opportunities to share the Gospel of Christ with them WHILE they are playing? How can we use video games to break down barriers and walls to have honest, open and real conversations? Come join the conversation as Brent sits...

The are the future of the group, the ones coming up from the minor leagues (apologies for the baseball pun). No matter how you see it, the children in children's ministry are the future of your program. How are you partnering with your children's pastor to make their development a team effort?  Come join the conversation as Russell sits down with Lauren Bedevian to talk about how we can partn...

We live in a world that is completely smothered by designs and illustrations, images and videos, churches and youth groups but what makes design a skillset that is worth the time to develop in your already busy schedule? Come join the conversation as Brent sits down with David Pruitt as they talk all things design from the importance of design to how you can get started in the design process yours...

We all have talked ministry before with youth pastors from different churches and it’s always a topic of discussion on what is doing well in their ministry, but what happens when their church is much larger than yours? How do you translate something from a church of 400 kids to a group of 10? Come join the conversation this week as Russell sits down with Kyle Creel, the host of Small Town Youth Mi...

*This episode is sponsored by our friends at Grow Curriculum! If you are full-time, part-time or a volunteer in your ministry, you HAVE to check out the ministry changing materials and laid out planning processes that will make you a ROCKSTAR when it comes to running your students, volunteers and parents. Support this podcast by visiting their website through our link at www.studentministryconvers...

It's easy to fall into the trap of doing ministry the same way over and over because "It Works That Way." What if we changed that scenario? What would it look like if we started ministry opportunities OUTSIDE of the Church? Come join us for the conversation as Russell sits down with Mary Strickland to talk about Fresh Expressions of ministry outside the walls of the Church and how it can be incorp...

Games, high-energy activities and worship all have their places when it comes to Student Ministry, but when is the last time that we have spent more time in prayer than we have doing announcements? When is the last time we challenged our ministry to “Be Still”? Join the conversation today as Brent sits down with Cody Brotherton to talk about Contemplative Ministry and how it can be incorporated in...

We are celebrating our first 16 episodes of the podcast! Come join us this week as Russell and Brent talk through different highlights of their favorite conversations with guests so far!  Show Notes  Russell’s Favorites: – “Cultivating Worship with Melissa Glaves” (Audio Clip: 16:26-20:00) – “What We’ve Learned From The Past Year with Chad McElveen (Audio Clip: 20:00- – “The Future of Yo...

John C. Maxwell is recorded saying, "A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way." How can we effectively become leaders that work to push our volunteers and ministry through the obstacles and challenges that come from today's culture? Join us this week as Russell Martin is joined by Mark Oestreicher to have the discussion of "Developing Yourself as a Leader."  You can l...

Why do we see youth sports as a conflict with Youth ministry? What if there was a way to work together to strengthen families, develop faith and share Christ with more than we ever thought we could reach? In this episode Brent Aiken sits down with Abilene YMCA Programs Director Joe Roberts and they talk about ways church youth ministries, leaders and volunteers can see youth sports leagues as...

What is the Enneagram? Can it be used for ministry? How can it help me? Have you ever asked any of these questions? Come join us as Russell sits down with Leadership Coach and Enneagram expert Jenn Whitmer and talks about the Enneagram. You can listen to this episode in a variety of formats including Google Podcasts , Spotify , Pocket Casts, Radio Public and  Apple Podcasts.  S...

While Youth Ministry can be an incredible time of growth and leadership but the time comes when we all have to move on to our next church or next career. What are the steps that you can take to make the transition as smooth as possible? Join us as we talk to Bayli Avery, Brent Aiken's former associate youth pastor, on how youth pastors can step down without stepping out. You can listen to this epi...