Youth Ministry Sherpas: Coast To Coast

It’s May! That means it’s time to put the top down, turn up the radio, and break out the Sherpa Shorts! For the past two years during the month of May, we provided a blast of llama love with a burst of episodes we called the Sherpa Shorts. This year we are choosing some incredible song lyrics and then riffing about how they relate to youth ministry. Great music, sage thoughts, and a playlist for y...

It’s May! That means it’s time to put the top down, turn up the radio, and break out the Sherpa Shorts! For the past two years during the month of May, we provided a blast of llama love with a burst of episodes we called the Sherpa Shorts. This year we are choosing some incredible song lyrics and then riffing about how they relate to youth ministry. Great music, sage thoughts, and a playlist for y...

Brock Morgan is the reason we are here. Well, not quite. But almost. Back when we were just starting out as podcasters in January of 2018, we reached out to Brock for an interview. He had just released his book, Youth Ministry 2027, and when we found out he lived not far from us, we thought talking to him would be a great way to build our audience. He didn’t know us from Adam, but he was very acco...

We are nearing the two-month point of the pandemic. It’s getting old. Really old. The end remains a mysterious mountain hidden in the far distance. We don’t know when the skies will clear and when we will see the summit. While we soldier on, we are starting to wonder, “What are we supposed to be learning here?” What is God teaching us? How will our perspective about youth ministry change? What wil...

If you follow enough youth workers on social media, you’ll see some incredible youth ministry taking place right now. Everyone seems to be “killing it” on InstaZoomFaceTube. With all the talent and creativity that’s risen to the surface in the past month, it’s a wonder we didn’t have a thousand youth group versions of the Tonight Show on every cable network for the past five years. That is, unless...

Oh. My. Goodness. We are amazed. Humbled. Honored. Starstruck. Gobsmacked. Pumped! We are now part of the Download Youth Ministry Podcast Network! Who are we? We are Steve and Mathew, two veteran youth workers from Maryland from neighboring churches who are great friends with nearly 60 years of youth ministry experience between us. Two years ago, we started the Youth Ministry Sherpas Podcast—Sherp...

In today's episode, we share a conversation we had back in January with Ronald and Michelle of the Talking Squirrels Middle School Ministry Podcast. Middle School is the hidden treasure of youth ministry and the most undervalued ministry in the church. We love those who have pledged themselves to work exclusively with this age group. We had some audio problems with the call, so please bear with us...

No man (or woman) is an island. Building a healthy volunteer team is one of the keys to a successful youth ministry. We've been down that road, and for better or worse, have learned a few things along the way. Here is the final part of our three-part series on Recruiting, Keeping and (gasp!) Firing volunteers. Episode 73 -- Firing Volunteers

No man (or woman) is an island. Building a healthy volunteer team is one of the keys to a successful youth ministry. We've been down that road, and for better or worse, have learned a few things along the way. Here is the first part of our three-part series on Recruiting, Keeping and (gasp!) Firing volunteers. Episode 72 -- Keeping Volunteers

No man (or woman) is an island. Building a healthy volunteer team is one of the keys to a successful youth ministry. We've been down that road, and for better or worse, have learned a few things along the way. Here is the first part of our three-part series on Recruiting, Shepherding and (gasp!) even firing volunteers. Episode 71 -- Recruiting Volunteers

Greg Stier is one of the most important voices in youth ministry. His passionate call to keep evangelism at the forefront of all we do has inspired an entire generation of youth pastors and students to share their faith with courage. Greg is the founder and former president of Dare 2 Share Ministries. Raised in a violent, inner-city family in Denver, Colorado, he never knew his father. A local pas...

It feels like another lifetime, but we still remember it like it was, well, a lifetime ago. Once upon a time, we were youth workers with young children at home! Youth Ministry is an incredible life choice, not only for us but for our spouse and kids as well. It presents blessings and challenges to parenting and to raising small children that many other professions do not. How do you leave the trou...

2nd Semester Seniors -- A Deeper Look In episode 68, we asked two second-semester seniors what they want from their youth ministry as they approach graduation. The main thing we heard from them was support, caring, and comfort. What they don't want is change, guilt, pressure, or anyone asking, "So, what are YOU doing after graduation?" In this episode, we unpack these ideas a little more thoroughl...

You know them, invest in them, laugh with them, and love them for 4, maybe 7, years, and then it's time to say goodbye. It's not easy. Nothing makes the years seem to go faster in youth ministry than seniors in their final semester. In today's episode, Illy McCabe and Emily Webb, two second-semester seniors, share their thoughts on how to make the most of this last phase of life in student ministr...

Great coaches have what's called a "Coaching Tree." It's the legacy of former assistants who have gone on to great things in their own right. The longer they coach, the farther and wider those branches stretch. No youth pastor has a deeper, wider, and more influential tree than Dr. Jim Burns. Jim Burns has been involved in youth ministry since the time he was saved at 16. He  even turned down a ba...

Happy New Year! Happy New Decade! Welcome to the 3rd Season of the Youth Ministry Sherpas Podcast! In this episode, we kick off a new season with a much-needed checkup when Steve discovers in horror that Mathew hasn't been to the dentist in 9 (or is it 11) years! Apparently, Mathew doesn't think it's necessary until the pain is intolerable. Steve, on the other hand, goes faithfully twice a year (h...

When we think about legendary youth speakers, Duffy Robbins is one of the first people to come to mind. He has been challenging, inspiring, and entertaining students for over 40 years. His warm style and quick wit has influenced many generations of students and youth workers. In addition to being a sought-after conference speaker, Duffy served for many years as Professor of Youth Ministries at Eas...

Recorded live from the National Youth Workers Convention in Tampa, FL! If you grew up in a youth group sometime in the past 30 years, chances are you've heard Duffy Robins speak. Who knows how many students he has spoken to over his many years as a conference speaker. After a distinguished career as Professor of Youth Ministries at Eastern University near Philadelphia, Duffy has taken his talents...

Do you know who Kami Rita is? You should. He's a man who knows his calling. Do you ever wonder if you should still be in youth ministry, or question whether you were ever called in the first place? We have. And still do. But deep down, we also know we were called to this. And what helps us persevere is coming back to the story of how God called us into this in the first place. We realize that we'v...

One of us is the life of the party, sending invites to the whole neighborhood to stop over for a swim. The other is happier sitting alone by the pool sipping coffee, ignoring the doorbell. Which of us has a better personality for youth ministry? The truth is -- both of us and neither of us. In today's episode, Mathew and Steve discuss the questions we've asked ourselves our entire lives in youth m...

We were looking forward to this for 365 days! We were back at the National Youth Workers Convention for the second time as exhibitors. We had a blast meeting people from all over the country who are serving faithfully in youth ministries large and small. We gave away a suitcase full of fuzzy socks and llamacorns, enough stickers to cover the earth, and a few t-shirts and fuzzy llamas too. What a g...

OH MY! We can barely contain our excitement! This episode releases the day before we fly to Tampa for the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention (NYWC)! We are pumped to hang out with our tribe, enjoy the Big Room sessions, and meet everybody in the Exhibit Hall! These are our people! NYWC is always one of the highlights of our year, which is saying something, because we've been to a...

Get ready to meet royalty! Katie Edwards is the Junior High pastor at Saddleback Church in Orange County, where she has served for over 20 years. From her first days as an intern in a ministry of less than 10 kids to now serving as "The Queen" of youth ministry at one of the nation's most influential churches, Katie's journey is one of humble faithfulness and the blessing of God. When she began, s...

Get ready to meet royalty! Katie Edwards is the Junior High pastor at Saddleback Church in Orange County, where she has served for over 20 years. From her first days as an intern in a ministry of less than 10 kids to now serving as "The Queen" of youth ministry at one of the nation's most influential churches, Katie's journey is one of humble faithfulness and the blessing of God. There's a reason...