Volunteer Youth Worker Podcast

The quality and effectiveness of your ministry is directly related to the quality of the relationships you have with the teenagers in your group. That’s because when you have truth and rapport with teenagers the conversations are deeper, the accountability is stronger, and their openness to you is clearer. But how do you build those kinds of relationships? It’s not necessarily a natural process, b...

You can find more about the Youth Worker Coaching Cohort here . All youth workers are welcome to join in this unique coaching experience that will help you be better, dream again, and find people that know what it’s like to be a youth worker.   Lisette has written a book about Waking Up to the Stories about Race and Reconciliation . As a long time youth worker, she’s seen how some people can feel...

Not every teenager in your community is able-bodied, which means that in order for everyone to experience a gospel-centered community there must be ministries that are welcoming for teenagers with disabilities. Perhaps your group has teenagers with physical disabilities that are easy to spot, or maybe you’ve noticed that some teenagers struggle cognitively or socially and you wonder if there’s a d...

Whether you are a returning veteran or a first year youth worker, the start to every season is a critical time to refocus on the most important behaviours. Mapping out key actions will not only give you confidence heading into the ministry season, but it will also help you be the best small group leader, mentor, or youth leader in the lives of youth. In today’s conversation, Sid Koop will unpack w...

Whether or not you are in a leadership position at your youth ministry you are recognizing that there are new complexities when it comes to ministering to teenagers. Everyone is adapting and trying to learn from each other so that the evangelism and discipleship of the next generation continues in every community. That’s why today’s conversation is critical. Listen in as Chandra and Peter unpack s...

There’s no doubt that large events have made an impact on people’s spiritual lives in recent decades. Whether you talk about tens of thousands at a Billy Graham event or thousands at a regional youth conference, there are countless stories of decisions made to follow Jesus during those events. So what do we lose if we can’t access those types of events like we used to? Are there still opportunitie...

Join the conversation today as we hear from Holly, a point youth worker in Vancouver, BC, as she unpacks her experience as a student in youth ministry and then now as a point leader. She is thinking strategically about responding and leading in our current cultural situation and in particular around how we make sure our youth ministries are places where everyone is welcome.   You are also invited...

You are invited to two events that will train you on the most important things pertaining to ministry this fall. One for youth ministry staff. One for youth ministry volunteers. You’ll walk away with practical strategic actions that you and your team can take to better disciple students. Learn more about the Youth Ministry Online Summit here .   The video game industry is worth more than the movie...

Jeremy invited you to a webinar about how to talk about porn with students. That is happening on July 23 and you can find more details HERE .   Breaking an addiction is a tremendous task and breaking a pornography addiction is no exception. To understand the unique challenges that come with this addiction it’s helpful to realize the emotional and chemical reactions that happen over time. Join in t...

If you would like to book a time to chat with Marv about Youth Ministry or the Coalition, you can email him at marv@youthworker.community .   To learn more about the Coalition for Youth Ministry Excellence visit coalitionforministry.com   Today’s conversation is one that we think veteran volunteers will appreciate the most. If you’ve seen a number of transitions occur on your youth ministry staff,...

Sid invited you to a webinar about how to talk about porn with students. That is actually happening on July 23 and you can find more details HERE .   Today’s conversation is critical when you realize how pervasive and how destructive pornography is within your youth ministry. Teenagers' brains are being rewired, their understanding of intimacy is being hijacked, and their time is being filled by t...

Marking the faith of a teenager through baptism (or another practice, depending on your faith tradition) is one of the greatest joys of youth ministry. As a mentor in the life of adolescents, you can spark tangible faith discussions with those in your group by talking about baptism. In today’s episode, we’ll talk more about why this is such a valuable conversation and also what are some helpful wa...

No matter what your youth ministry has planned this summer, a great use of your time would be building a better bridge to the parents of the teens in your small group. Thinking strategically about that connection will not only help the whole family, but it will make your ministry stronger this fall. The interactions we talk about today are accessible, doable, and highly practical for wherever you...

As your social media feed shifts away from the conversations about racism there’s a danger that we’ll move on too fast, missing the chance to process and enact change. As a youth worker, how can you continue to have the right discussions with those in your youth ministry? What are the right questions to ask and the most helpful posture to take as you ask them?   Learn more about Jeremiah Niengor ,...

Headlines and social media have been filled recently with the awful reality of racism in our world today. Emotions are high and there’s a sense that this could be an important turning point moment. It’s critical to remember that when it comes to justice, the Scriptures have a lot to say. Yet in some youth ministries, it can be challenging to wade into conversations about racism. Today we'll talk t...

Can you take students to places spiritually that you haven’t been going yourself? How bad is it if it’s been a while since you had a quiet time? What are you missing out on if you aren’t working on spiritual disciplines? Are you disqualified from ministry if you haven’t prayed in a while? These are questions that can be difficult to bring up in your local context, but they are forming the conversa...

It might have been interesting at the start, but over time you’ve started to experience some digital fatigue. After all, you didn’t sign up for this type of ministry. It’s more challenging to stay engaged and you are wondering how long this is going to last. Is it bad that you are just showing up out of duty, not out of joy?   Don’t forget -- you can join the Canadian Youth Worker Prayer Call on F...

Stuff comes up that you can plan for and stuff comes up unexpectedly. But no matter what, at some point you won’t be able to honour your volunteer commitment. What should you do so that you don’t disrupt the ministry? How can you support the point leader and what do you say to your small group?   We referenced a great conversation with Vince Parker on Episode 048 . You can also find Vince on Insta...

You know the teens in your small group have a variety of capabilities and maturity levels, but sometimes it seems like one or two are really struggling to stay engaged with the conversation. That can cause stress on the rest of the group and sometimes makes the whole group experience seem like a no win for anyone. What should you do as the leader?   Don’t forget -- you can join the Canadian Youth...

When you are depleted emotionally, physically, and spiritually it leaks out into your ministry to teenagers. That’s why it’s critical, especially at an important time like this, to thoughtfully look at the time that you’ve been given and take as much ownership over the things in your life that influence these areas.   Don’t forget -- you can join the Canadian Youth Worker Prayer Call on Fridays at...

Unforeseen stress is not something new to the adolescent journey, but because stress compounds, the Coronavirus reality is creating extreme challenges for vulnerable teenagers. If you can’t meet face to face with someone from your group, what are ways that you can still support them?   Join today’s conversation as Sid and Jeremy interview Dr. Marv Penner.   You can jump into the followup conversat...

In lots of ways it can feel like your social platforms are something personal. After all, that’s where you have your pictures of your family, or your thoughts about politics, or what you did during spring break ten years ago. While those are all personal things, they live in one of the most public spaces imaginable. Which is why it’s important to process what it means to have a healthy online pres...

Jason Ballard and Jeremy MacDonald discuss a simple, clear, and unbelievably critical strategy that every small group leader has capacity for. In the midst of uncertainty, don’t miss your opportunity to write a powerful story in the faith lives of the adolescents in your group.   Don’t forget -- you can join the Canadian Youth Worker Prayer Call on Fridays at 9am Pacific / 10am Mountain / 11am Cen...

Join the Canadian Youth Worker Prayer Call on Fridays at 9am Pacific / 10am Mountain / 11am Central / 12pm Eastern / 1pm Atlantic … Hosted in partnership with Alpha Canada. Located at cywc.ca/prayercall Submit your youth ministry question at youthministry.team . Mentioned in this episode: Update for 2024 Lots has changed since this episode initially aired! So to stay current with us here in 2024,...

Join the Canadian Youth Worker Prayer Call on Fridays at 9am Pacific / 10am Mountain / 11am Central / 12pm Eastern / 1pm Atlantic … Hosted in partnership with Alpha Canada. Located at cywc.ca/prayercall   Learn more about Peter Yoon and the youth ministry he leads by following him on Instagram . Submit your youth ministry question at youthministry.team . Mentioned in this episode: Update for 2024...