Volunteer Youth Worker Podcast

Here’s what we know at the end of this series… Your program matters a lot. It creates space for you to shepherd your students, ultimately so that they can know Jesus. But even before it starts there are a few simple things you can do to make the most of the time to come. Join Sid, Lisette, and Jer in the final episode of this series all about making the most of every part of your program!   Do you...

So… outside of program moments are by nature not a part of your program . BUT, big and small, they can play a huge role in the lives of your students (and their families). Join Sid, Lisette, and Jer in the next episode of this series all about making the most of every part of your program… even if it’s not in the context of your program!   Do you have a specific situation that you would love to ta...

It’s finally the end of the program – congrats!   The end of the night, depending on your context, could mean hanging out with students, cleaning up, or maybe you just get to leave as soon as all the small groups wrap up. No matter what the context though, there are still a few easy things you can do to leave everyone with a fond farewell that make your ministry better! Sometimes as youth workers...

You made it through small group time… you made it!    Almost.    There’s still time to increase relationships, make a memory, and release tension! Sometimes as youth workers we can become so familiar with our program that we are blinded to how it could be more effective. We know that as volunteers there are enormous opportunities for us to help each part of the program become more helpful for the...

Alone. With middle schoolers. For an extended period of time?!? Most people’s worst nightmare… but you know it as small group time. The goal of your program is (hopefully) to disciple students to know, love, and serve Jesus for a lifetime. And small group is time that is set up for you to do just that. But how can you leverage it to be the best it can be? Sometimes as youth workers we can become s...

Once things start at the front of the room, (whether it’s for announcements, teaching time, or anything else) if you aren’t the one with the microphone it can feel like you’re off the hook. But how can you make the most of the upfront time, even if you aren’t upfront? Are there things that you can do to help the upfront time connect better with your students? Sometimes as youth workers we can beco...

At their best, games grow community and create shared experiences in your youth ministry. At their worst, they’re time killers that aren’t even fun. So how can you use games in such a way that everyone is invited, all students can be engaged, and lasting memories can be created? Sometimes as youth workers we can become so familiar with our program that we are blinded to the parts that could be mor...

Welcome and check in can be awkward. A formal check in process can feel impersonal and like something only large youth groups do. But what if it allows you to know when a certain student has missed a few weeks? Small talk can be great with new students, but painful with students who have been coming to your ministry for months but aren’t in your small group. But what if it shows them that you’ve b...

Remember the last time that you went somewhere for the first time? It can be an unnerving experience. Which door is the right one to enter? Where can you find someone to answer your questions? And is it easy to do the thing that you came here to do? Sometimes as youth workers we can become so familiar with our program that we are blinded to the parts that could be more effective. But if we would l...

Your students have a lot of pressure to perform in a lot of areas of life and that will always lead to making decisions on what they can and can’t be at. So what happens when their decision is sports over regular programming at your youth ministry? Are they still your responsibility to care for? Join Sid and Lisette as they talk about the ways you can continue to show up and mentor students, even...

Depending on the season you are currently in, the thought about doing youth ministry for another decade, year, or even month might be difficult to process. But you should know that longevity is worth pursuing and so often leads to increased impact in the lives of your students! Check out today’s episode with Michael, a student ministries pastor in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan about how his youth minist...

Kara Powell is a veteran of researching young people and bringing practical ministry ideas to pastors and leaders in churches. Jason Ballard sat down with Kara to hear some of the latest research being released in her new book 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager.  They begin by highlighting why this all matters and what is at stake when we talk about discipling kids and youth in our communi...

We like to measure what we do in order to see how successful it is. Sometimes we do this intentionally and sometimes it happens just subconsciously. It can feel like you rocked an event when attendance is double your usual group. But when only half your small group shows up one week you might be tempted to feel like a failure. Attendance is one of the easiest metrics to track - it’s straightforwar...

Invite Jesus into your heart. Cross the line of faith. Become a Christian. Confess and repent. Salvation. It has a lot of names or descriptors, but are we honestly concerned about seeing students make that important decision? Of course we are. Yet, in the busyness of our youth ministries, sometimes we miss the opportunity to emphasize that core belief that a student can turn their life over to Jes...

The intersections between faith and mental health have become more and more prominent over the past couple years, and it is still so easy to feel unequipped and unqualified to do anything other than pray and refer when students share about their anxiety and/or despair. But what if every caring adult (not just licensed mental health professionals) can do something and be part of the solution? Join...

Sometimes you might assume that the students in your group are only looking for comfort, entertainment, and fun. After all, the world we live in is complex and your students have a ton of pressures that they deal with every day. However, we know that the call of Jesus is to live a life of sacrifice and purpose--and you play an integral part in helping your students realize that! Join us on today’s...

As Christians wanting to be positive witnesses to our culture, sometimes we wrestle with wondering what we are supposed to do when we learn about atrocities. On top of that, when atrocities have been committed in the name of Jesus, the stakes are even higher for us. That’s the position that we find ourselves in when we consider how much hurt has been done to our First Nations neighbours in the nam...

As things continue to change, knowing how to respond to people when you gather in person is a bit of a moving target. But there are some principles that can help guide you and your ministry whenever you do connect with people. Ask yourselves, are there any students who might not feel safe? Because you can’t assume everyone feels the same way as you do. Listen in to today’s conversation as Jason Ba...

Ever wonder what your students think about being in your small group? In today’s conversation you’ll hear from Village Youth students Rocco, Emma, and Mackenzie as their youth pastor (Justin) interviews them all around their experience in their small groups.   They discuss things like:  Wanting more time in their small groups How their group has impacted their faith Being vulnerable as a high scho...

As life is changing once again, are you prepared to be thoughtful about what you’ve learned from this past season? Some things that you have been part of over the pandemic have actually been really helpful and useful. Some things haven’t. It’s critical to take ownership (both personally and thinking about your ministry) over what should continue and what should stop as you look to the next season....

No matter your context, there are certain responsibilities every youth worker has. On today’s episode, Sid and Jason break down four core responsibilities that can and should shape the work you do as a youth worker. When you are clear about what matters most, you and your ministry will be more confident that what you are doing makes an eternal difference.   Want to hear more about the four core re...

Crisis is bound to happen in your ministry, and no matter the magnitude there are certain things you can always do to faithfully walk your students through. Sid and Jason will walk you through what it means to be patient, present, and prayerful, even in the midst of difficult crises.    Today’s conversation between Sid Koop and Jason Ballard is a special episode taken from a video series that they...

COVID forced us all to pivot and to pivot fast. We had no choice but to react, and reactions don’t often make for the best of decisions. Even so, and as the world starts to open back up, now is a great time to reflect on what worked well and what you are glad to leave behind. Join Kaitlyn and Jesse on today’s episode as they talk about their four biggest takeaways from this season in their context...

We know that experiences are the one thing that nobody can take from you or your students. That’s why things like camp and serving together can make as much (or even more) of a difference in a student’s life as a year of programming. But what if you could create space every week for students (and you) to experience God in amazing ways? On this week’s episode, Jeremy Albrecht dives into the gritty...

A student in your ministry experiences a loss… What should you say? What shouldn’t you say? What should you do? Is there a right way to process grief? What do you do when a student uses their losses as a means of generating more attention?    These are big questions and worth processing with someone who has professionally trained lots of folks for ministry in even the most difficult of circumstanc...