Student Ministry Conversations

Welcome to this week's episode of our podcast where Brent sits down with Collin Little to talk about the importance of acknowledging when you are in a hard season of life and how opening up and asking for help can not only benefit you but can also bring tremendous things into the ministry you serve in. Whether you're a new youth pastor stepping into a leadership role, or an experienced min...

Welcome to this week's episode of our podcast, where Russell sits down with our recurring guest Blake Dellacer to talk about the ins and outs about running a staff in Youth Ministry. Whether you're a new youth pastor stepping into a leadership role, or an experienced ministry leader this is a great episode to listen to as we talk about how to organize, build relationships and manage a team...

Welcome to this week's episode of our podcast, where David sits down with Stephen ONeal, the associate pastor at Lanes Chapel Methodist Church in Tyler, Texas, as they talk about the importance of developing biblical literacy within the students in your ministry and how to start doing it. Whether you're a new youth pastor stepping into a leadership role, or an experienced ministry leader t...

Welcome to this week's episode of our podcast, where we visit with recurring guest Katie Earles and talk about how life has changed since her first episode with us a little over a year ago. In her first episode, we talked about being single in ministry but a lot has changed now and she is navigating the world of dating and youth ministry at the same time. Whether you're a new youth pastor...

Welcome to today's episode of our podcast, where we explore the topic of relationship between pastors and youth pastors. We are joined by a special guest, Ryan Ford, who is an ex-youth pastor and current pastor at Grace Fellowship Church in Snyder, Texas. Whether you're a new youth pastor stepping into a leadership role, or an experienced ministry leader there needs to be intentionality on...

In this episode of the Student Ministry Conversations Podcast, Russell sits down with Melissa Glaves, a seasoned worship leader with a wealth of experience in leading worship for both youth and adults. Melissa shared her inspiring journey, starting from her early days as a member of the young Continentals choir and eventually growing into a worship leader at various churches. Throughout their conv...

Volunteers are often times called the life-blood of student ministry. From small group leaders, to event chaperones, to worship leaders and all the other responsibilities that are filled, it's not very hard to see the impact that volunteers can have on the success of a ministry but what does student ministry look like from the perspective of a volunteer. Come join the conversation as Brent sit...

Welcome to this episode of Student Ministry Conversations, where we aim to encourage and equip student ministry leaders. In this episode, our host Russell Martin interviews the talented Christian artist Brooke Robertson. Brooke's story is one of resilience and strength, and she shares with us how she found healing and the courage to speak out about her experiences of sexual abuse at the age of...

Welcome to today's episode of our podcast, where we explore the topic of transitioning in ministry. We are joined by a special guest, Tyler Looney, who is an ex-youth pastor and current pastor at Crosspoint Methodist Church in Lindale, Texas.. Whether you're a new pastor stepping into a leadership role, or an experienced ministry leader looking to make a significant change, transitions can...

Welcome to today's episode of our podcast, where we explore the intersection of technology and the church. In this episode, we are joined by a special guest, David Earles, the Student Pastor at Broadview Baptist Church in Abilene, Texas. We'll be discussing a range of topics with David, including how churches can use technology (past and present) to reach new audiences, engage with members...

In ministry often times, we are learning on the go which allows us to be fairly malleable when it comes to how we run our ministries and how we establish our beliefs. How can we work to establish our own personal values and what benefit does it have for the future of our time in ministry? Come join the conversation as Russell sits down with Brandon Hair, the NextGen pastor at Calvary Christian Chu...

More than any other experience in ministry the challenges that arise from starting at a new ministry in a new church is daunting and you're immediately on the clock with everyone's eyes on you. What are the priorities worth establishing in that first year of ministry? What are the things worth setting aside for later? Come join the conversation as David sits down with Beto Arrelano, the Yo...

We have reached a milestone and we wanted to share it live with all of you! Today is our 100th episode and it was presented LIVE on Facebook for our first ever live podcast. Come join the conversation as Brent, David and Russell are joined by Cody Brotherton and Jerry Varner, two previous guests on the show, as they spend time talking about the podcast, spending some extra time diving deep into th...

Who is considered to be an "unconnected" student? How do you reach them? What can you do to get them back engaged in learning about God through their involvement in the youth group as well as in their own personal study. Come join the conversation as Brent sits down with Mark Beasley for the newest addition of Students on the Fringe as they talk about the unconnected student and how to r...

While Youth Ministry can often times be labeled as chaos or rough around the edges, this often falls as a scapegoat for lacking the desire to pursue our best in all the different elements in our ministry. The other side is that we are responsible for so much that it's easy to let a few of the smaller tasks to fall by the wayside. But how can we utilize excellence in all aspects of our ministry...

It can be incredibly easy (especially in the early years of Youth Ministry) to get overwhelmed with the fact of, "I'm responsible for these students and working with their families to disciple them." This can often lead to anxiety or feeling inadequate but is there a way to lead with direction and purpose? Come join the conversation as David sits down with Doug Franklin, the Founder...

Many times (especially with teaching the younger students), we come across the issue of students not paying attention due to boredom or them not being able to retain what they are hearing so they check out. Are we doing what's best to gain the attention of students with the powerful message of the Gospel? Come join the conversation as Brent sits down with Zaccary Kellar, the Junior High and Outrea...

Sometimes the culture in our church/youth settings can be an uphill climb when it comes to working in new things or trying to break the cycle of "We have always done it this way." How can we go about leading change within our church communities that will not only put us on the right track to get us there, but also make changes that will last? Come join the conversation as Brent sits down with Mark...

As in most professions, Youth Ministry can have a daunting toll on your physical/emotion/spiritual well being... but what happens when you don't catch the signs that you're burning out and you reach that moment? How can you work on recovering from burnout and continuing in ministry? Come join the conversation as David sits down with Tyler Reed, the Youth Pastor at First Baptist Church in Burn...

We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus to everybody that we come in contact with but what happens when that also should convict us to be reaching out to the homeless community that is in all of our own backyards? Come join the conversation as Brent sits down with Darrin Cox, the Homeless/Foster Care Liason for Abilene ISD in Abilene, Texas, as they talk about how to reach out and minister...

Like all professions, youth ministry can be one that can be strengthened through training, education and coaching... but how can you find a coach for youth ministry? What does ministry coaching even mean? Come join the conversation as David sits down with Cody Moore as they talk about ministry coaching and how it can benefit your ministry. You can listen to this episode on all your preferred podca...

While the students in our ministry are one of our main focuses, reaching the parents or the household that the student lives with is just as important to the development of the student. How do we effectively reach out to the families of the students in our ministry? How do we reach out and get the households engaged in the student ministry at home as well as in a volunteer basis at church? Come jo...

While it's not a "statistic", it's very easy to see that most Youth Pastors will start over ministries at 2-3 different churches during their time as a Youth Pastor. While this doesn't necessarily happen for all, many Youth Pastors are walking into new groups trying to make policies, changes and start relationships... but is there something specifically that we should focus on? Are there things th...

Join us today for a special episode where our guest host, David Pruitt, interviews fellow youth pastor Josh Lewis, Youth Pastor at First Baptist Snyder in Snyder, Texas, and they talk about how youth pastors are better when they collaborate, pray and work together in doing ministry in the community! You can listen to this episode on all your preferred podcast providers. We would also love to have...

Being in charge of a youth program can be a daunting task but incredibly rewarding in the process as you navigate the waters that teens are going through to lead them to Christ but what if you could avoid some of the challenges that are prevalent in young youth ministries? Come join the conversation as Brent sits down with Mark Matlock, the CEO of WisdomWorks, LLC, as they talk about different bli...