Talking Youth Ministry - A Youthscape Podcast

Power the Fight CEO and youth work legend Ben Lindsay OBE sits down with Rachel for an extended chat about his new book, a youth edition of We Need To Talk About Race. Along the way he offers some important insights into how social media and other influences can shape us, and why we need to get serious about the issue of systemic racism. Plus we've got more of your feedback, and an organised fun s...

Lucy, Rachel and Martin are joined by YFC’s Laura Hancock to discuss the findings of the brand new Growing Spirituality research. They provide their top tips for before, during and after a summer youth event trip, and answer your feedback - including a tricky question about social media safeguarding. Shownotes: YFC Research: https://yfc.co.uk/z-a-growing-spirituality/ Do get in touch with us by em...

Who are Gen A? What do they care about, and how do we help them to connect with the Christian faith? We’re joined by Youthscape’s Director of Training Alex Drew to unpack the trends and differences she’s seeing among under 15s. We read your emails (including one around toxic leadership- TW), and we stretch the definition of organised fun with a game that’s really more of an activity. Shownotes  G...

Rachel and Martin are joined by Dr Hannah Bowden to analyse the latest NHS mental health statistics and explore the implications for youth ministry. There’s a discussion around controversial activist Tommy Robinson’s recent comments around Christian revival, and we take time to read your feedback and play a completely incoherent game that’s about tennis and not Dr Who. Do get in touch with us by e...

More than two years on from the substantiated allegations against Mike Pilavachi, the team return to the question of why so few people tried to blow the whistle earlier. A new book by Facebook's former head of global public policy on the toxic culture in that company could provide a helpful and illuminating comparison. We also discuss whether Christian youth ministry volunteers actually need to be...

It's an 'Ask Us Anything' special! Rachel and Martin dive into your questions and enjoy a wide-ranging conversation about balancing parenting and youth work, their shared history as failed BBC kids' presenters , and how to create a context for great conversations with young people. Listen in as 'Organised Fun' reaches a new kind of crescendo, and don't go anywhere until you've sent us your deep (a...

The team discuss whether young people can be impacted by Christian books, while taking a leisurely stroll through Martin’s poorly-promoted back catalogue. Our new Ask Us Anything segment ramps up with questions about the 1990s and our proudest youth work moments, and we respond to some vulnerably-shared listener feedback around sex and virginity. Shownotes : Capernwray sabbatical offer: https://ca...

Rachel has opinions on Channel 4’s controversial reality show, and is not afraid to share them. There’s a meeting of Lucys as host (Lucy) Rae talks to youth ministry volunteer (Lucy) Mungai about the realities and joys of being part of a youth team. And Martin launches our brand new segment “Ask us Anything” along with its in-development theme tune. Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@y...

Lucy, Rachel and Martin are joined by Dr Hannah Bowden from the Youthscape Centre for Research to look at some of the latest data on what’s happening with boys. Is there a specific role youth leaders can play in championing and getting alongside young men? And is it now taboo to celebrate masculinity when that word is so often prefaced by “toxic”? Shownotes  The Lost Boys report: https://www.cent...

In today’s episode the team ask how we can listen to and support young people as they process their concerns and questions around global conflicts. There’s a discussion on whether the titles we give ourselves in youth work really matter; the team delve into more listener feedback, and they unashamedly seek your ratings and reviews through some specially-themed organised fun. Do get in touch with u...

How do we support young people through the stress and discomfort of exam season? What kind of leader will Pope Leo XIV be? And what are Talking Youth Ministry listeners reporting amid claims of a quiet revival? We answer all these questions and more - and enjoy the most unhinged organised fun so far… Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotif...

Martin and Lucy discuss the emergence of polarised politics here and in the USA, and get some help from newly appointed American correspondent, Mark Oestreicher. In less significant news, we discover just how much of a Swifty Martin really is… Shownotes  Marko's podcast "Five Minutes with Marko": https://open.spotify.com/show/4yoSx7orKojEbrYoegR6J0?si=f246aed077004787 Do get in touch with us by e...

Martin and Rachel are joined by Dr Gemma Madle from the Youthscape Centre for Research to dive into the details of a survey that’s got everyone talking about revival. What’s really going on? How robust are the numbers? And what might be behind a spiritual awakening among young men?  Plus we’ll take a look at the Minecraft movie phenomenon, and enjoy our regular dose of organised fun. Shownote...

Rachel, Lucy and Martin discuss the implications of the recent UK Supreme Court ruling on gender, and begin to unpack new research which suggests an incredible upturn in church attendance. Plus they offer some short reflections on the death of Pope Francis, and enjoy perhaps the best organised fun so far. Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual S...

As it is Holy Week, we're taking a slight detour from normal service as we have more of a reflective episode. We're listening to talk by Emily Irving, Youth Minister at St Mary's Reigate, as she shares her take on why youth work is so important and what impact Jesus can have on young people. Martin and Rachel share their thoughts on Emily's talk at the end, so grab your church leader, your youth t...

This week the team tackle the topic of empowering young people in your youth group, a.k.a. young leaders. What do we mean by a leader? When is it unhelpful to call someone a leader? Do young people even want to be leaders in this cultural moment? Listen in for this as well as the usual scrapes and japes along the way... Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting...

Rachel and Martin resume their discussion on the drama about a UK teen and his family, Adolescence, and now that Martin has finally seen it, he shares his thoughts on the series. We also look at what the rise in ADHD diagnoses means for our youth work, what we can learn to do different and where the responsibility lies. The duo end with some organised fun that strangely involves the retelling of a...

Rachel, Lucy and Martin are joined by volunteer youth worker and Satellites host Katie Madanat, to talk about prayer ministry with young people. What can we affirm from the previous era of charismatic youth events? What has helpfully changed? And how do we implement the learning in the context of our local groups? Plus there’s a chat about how to invest in and empower youth work teams, and some ve...

Content warning: We discuss themes of violence against women and girls in this episode. Rachel and Lucy lead the charge on Netflix's new youth-centred drama called Adolescence. The 4 part series follows a 13 year old boy accused of murdering one of his peers and unpacking what caused this awful event. Our hosts take us through the parts of the show that feel familiar to the youth work they have ex...

Martin and Lucy chat to Dr Hannah Bowden, from The Youthscape Centre for Research, as she discusses the important topic of trauma in young people and what our role as youth workers looks like when supporting young people around this. We also discuss Lucy’s recent trip to see Sabrina Carpenter and what she’s learning about youth work from. Also some special birthday organised fun! Shownotes https:/...

Martin and Rachel hold up a few examples of how youth work is shown and talked about, both in mainstream tv dramas, as well as more recently in Brit Awards acceptance speeches from Ezra Collective and Stormzy. The team also dive through the mail bag in response to some spicy feedback from previous episodes... Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individu...

This week the team take a deep dive into the world of youth residentials, aka taking young people away overnight. Martin, Lucy and Rachel explore why we should bother with the effort and planning it takes to pull off a great residential and they divulge some top tips and share their highlights. As always, we wrap up with some organised fun. Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape...

This episode is a feedback special, we take on the topics suggested by two of our listeners - how to start schools work and we address a spicy message about how much face-to-face work a large number of youth workers do and why! As always, some organised fun is there to wrap up the episode. Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes....

This week Rachel, Lucy and Martin explore some methods they use when opening the Bible with young people and why it's their go-to. They also pick up on some research to suggest that a surprising number of young people would be in favour of welcoming a dictatorship. Plus we banish some classic youth ministry items in our version of Room 101… Shownotes Discovery Bible Study method: https://www.dbsgu...

Martin and Rachel delve into the topic of the newest generation of young people - generation alpha. They look at what makes them distinctively different from gen Z and what makes them tick. Rachel also offers up her ABC* of recruiting volunteers, plus we play a game of ‘lights, camera, hallelujah!’ Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual spotify...