Talking Youth Ministry - A Youthscape Podcast

Martin and Rachel discuss two apparently-contradictory struggles for youth ministers: believing it’s all on us, and worrying we’re not even worthy of doing it. They also discuss their unlikely starts in youth ministry, share a few surprise revelations, and end up in a brain-twisting, time-travelling challenge, in organised fun. Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or com...

To kick off the new term, Rachel, Lucy and Martin share the things they think we should all be thinking about as we focus on the year ahead. There will be predictions; there will be controversy; there may even be some unwarranted singing. And as always, we’ll share lots of your feedback and engage in a particularly well-researched bout of organised fun. Do get in touch with us by emailing us podca...

Happy New Year! Today we present a special treat to kick off 2026- the live recording of our special ‘Talking Youth Ministry’ event at November’s National Youth Ministry Weekend. If you’re looking for serious youth ministry content, maybe give this one a miss; if you’re in the mood for silly games and a dramatised reading from Hagbane’s Doom… listen in! Charles Merritt's 'The Anxious Man' - listen...

Merry Christmas! The return of a now-annual tradition as the team invite Dr Hannah Bowden from the Youthscape Centre for Research to share some reports and statistics that are tangentially related to both the time of year and (in some cases) youth ministry! Join us as we work our way through Chris in the first half, and Tmas in the second- and round off 2025 with a very festive edition of organise...

Lucy, Rachel and Martin discuss the implications of the recent ban on social media for under 16s in Australia. Is it a good idea? Could it work here- and should we want something similar? Plus with £500m of new funding announced for the UK youth sector, should Christian youth workers feel excited? As ever there’s some organised fun- this time featuring some of the weirdest Christmas Carol lyrics e...

Martin and Rachel look ahead through Advent with some tips for leading others when you’re not quite feeling the Christmas spirit yourself. They also present our first full year of listening stats with some surprising revelations from around the globe. Plus we’ve got a bumper mailbag full of your feedback and of course, a little side order of organised fun. Do get in touch with us by emailing us po...

This week Rachel and Lucy discuss the decision to scrap the two-child benefit cap, how we can change worship culture in our churches and how to approach social media with young people. Find out which host has the bougiest Advent calendar and wait with expectation to hear what’s been planned for Organised Fun... Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on indivi...

We’re joined by not one but two special guests this week as we unpack the latest edition of The Children’s Society’s annual Good Childhood Report. Dr Gemma Madle from the Youthscape Centre for Research shares some of the key findings, and Headstrong’s Laura Haddow helps us to think about how Christian youth work can respond. Plus all the usuals, and a stunning revelation about a dark secret from M...

It’s our National Youth Ministry Weekend review episode. Relive the UK’s biggest youth work gathering, or if you didn’t manage to get along, hear some of the main insights. Plus we’ve got a larger than normal amount of Hagbane’s Doom content, and to balance out the silliness, some amazing testimonies. Shownotes  Nick Perrin's 'Hagbane's Doom' musical: https://www.starshine.co.uk/products?p=/hagba...

Rachel, Lucy and Martin are joined by a very special guest for the podcast's 50th episode. Dame Rachel de Souza is the Children's Commissioner for England, making her the most senior advocate for children and young people in the nation. She shares some sobering reflections from recent research into young people's experience of poverty, and encourages the Christian youth work community on their vit...

Today the team are talking about the hidden extras in youth work roles that no-one mentioned in the interview. There's discussion around when a new Christian is ready for baptism, how we can help young men to encourage each other, and how you cope with the unforeseen challenges of a rapidly-growing youth ministry. Plus there are some surprise revelations in the organised fun segment, when Rachel a...

This week we're discussing good news stories involving young people, including the hit new TV series Worlds Apart, which pairs old and young in a travelling adventure. We ask: what kind of role might elderly people play in your youth ministry, and why might they be reluctant to get involved? Plus - since it's spooky season, the team are pondering how we respond when young people want to talk about...

The team demonstrate their grasp of both up-to-the-minute cultural trends and thoughtful Christian reflection in a wide-ranging episode! What's the 6-7 trend all about, and is it substantial enough to form the basis of a whole game? How do we figure out if someone is spiritually mature enough to lead a youth ministry? How do you get started launching a school-based club? And for just how many more...

How do you make progress with young people who won’t talk to you? Is there still a place in youth ministry for working exclusively with boys or girls? Which of the hosts is most likely to have been chosen as a Traitor? All these questions and more will be addressed in this week’s action-packed episode! Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spot...

n a wide-ranging episode, Rachel and Martin reflect on what it means to have a woman at the head of the Anglican Church, discuss the youth ministry-relevant merits of Taylor Swift's new album The Life of a Showgirl in a totally unbiased way, and exchange thoughts on the role and limitations of the youth group social as an outreach tool. There's also more of your feedback, some organised fun, and s...

With Martin away, Lucy and Rachel dive into a topic that’s equal parts tough and essential; how do we have honest conversation with teen girls about clothing without slipping into patriarchy dressed up in Bible verses! then they chat about how youth leaders can give Christian parents and carers a time but gentle nudge with it comes to discipline their teens. All topped off with obligatory fun, bec...

Martin and Rachel enjoy a healthy disagreement about the opportunity of engaging with your local sports club, and ask: does 'sports ministry' need to lead somewhere else? There are surprise revelations about Rachel's past as an audiobook narrator and Martin's first crush, and there's a chance to imagine how TV's notorious 'swap' format could benefit youth ministries. Do get in touch with us by ema...

On today’s episode we discuss some challenging recent events -the murder of Charlie Kirk, the Unite the Kingdom March- and the way that ideas of Christian faith have been centred in the reporting of both. We ask- what does it look like to help young people navigate life and faith a climate of fear, misinformation and uncertainty? Plus we take a look at some more new developments in AI and ask: are...

This week the team provide their top tips for starting the new academic year well, and making sure we don’t lose young people in the transition from primary to senior school. We ask if it’s time to rediscover or reimagine the “quiet time”, and there’s the usual dose of organised fun; this week with added celebrity tittle-tattle. Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or co...

The team return for the start of a new term by analysing the Netflix phenomenon that’s swept the globe. Is Kpop Demon Hunters harmless fun, or a doorway to something darker? There’s a review of some of the best moments from this summer’s Christian youth festivals, and a somewhat extraordinary comeback for organised fun. You’ve missed this… Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape....

Ahead of the return of Talking Youth Ministry next week, we're inviting you to join us one more time to pray ahead of a new academic year. Today, we're taking an opportunity to ask God for new dreams for our work, and for the young people we serve. Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes. To hear more episodes like this, sea...

This is our third week of interactive prayer, helping you to connect with God over the summer and bring your youth work to him. Today we're encouraging you to pray for supernaturally-charged rest and a chance to reset ready for the year ahead. Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes. To hear more episodes like this, search f...

Over the summer, we're running a short series of reflective prayers to help you bring your youth work to God. Today, we invite you to take a moment to mark and close off the academic year by giving all that has happened to God. Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes. To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth...

Something a bit different over the summer: for the next four weeks we're presenting a short interactive prayer on a different aspect of your youth ministry. Today a chance to pray for youth groups which are taking young people away this summer, and for the camps, events and festivals which are receiving them. Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individu...

In today’s episode we’re celebrating the Lionesses historic victory in the European Football Championships, and asking how young people really feel about women’s football. We also ask what it means to value and celebrate longevity when young people keep going in faith, and Martin hosts the most implausible organised fun ever. Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or comme...