Shows
Volunteer Youth Worker Podcast242: How Can You Help Your Students Grow in the Practice of Prayer? Interview With Students 🥳In this episode, Jeremy sits down with a remarkable group of high school students from Moncton, New Brunswick, who are helping spark a prayer movement across their city’s schools. As part of our summer series on spiritual disciplines, this conversation focuses on the power of student-led prayer and how it’s transforming lives, schools, and churches across multiple denominations.You’ll hear firsthand how a youth camp, a student’s quiet prayer walk, and a desire to invite God into their school has led to hundreds of students gathering weekly, forming leadership teams, praying audacious prayers, and even...2025-06-2326 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast241: How Can You Help Students Train for Godliness? Interview With Will from Ebenezer Church in SaskatoonIn this episode, Jeremy sits down with Will—youth pastor at Ebenezer Church in Saskatoon—for a powerful conversation about how ancient spiritual disciplines are reshaping his youth ministry. This is the kickoff to a special series featuring youth workers and students whose lives have been changed by practicing the way of Jesus.Will shares how challenges early in his ministry led him to rethink how he was engaging with spiritual formation practices. Now, years later, his youth ministry is thriving—not because of hype, but because students are being trained to follow Jesus for life through habits...2025-06-1619 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast240: What Do You Do When You’re Too Busy for Spiritual Disciplines?Jeremy and Sid are back to talk about something every youth worker eventually wrestles with: what happens when you're too busy, tired, or distracted to keep up with your spiritual disciplines? Whether it's summer camp season, the back-to-school ministry crunch, or just the demands of life, it’s easy for spiritual practices to get pushed aside.Sid offers helpful language to distinguish between guilt and shame, and reminds us that spiritual disciplines are not about earning God’s favor—they’re about posturing our hearts to grow in love for Jesus and others. They unpack how to rethink...2025-06-1027 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast238: What Should You Say to Your Students About The End Times? Interview with Cody MatchettThis conversation has Jeremy sitting down with theologian, pastor, and author Cody Matchett to tackle a topic that keeps showing up—how to talk about the end times with students. This isn’t just about interpreting Revelation or breaking down scary apocalyptic imagery. It’s about offering students a vision of hope, justice, and renewal grounded in Jesus.Cody helps reframe the “end times” as not a roadmap for escape, but a call to live as future people in the present. Listen in to hear how you can use Revelation to engage questions about evil, justice, judgment, and God’s...2025-05-2634 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast235: Engaging Culture with Kingdom Principles – How Should You Help Students Process Today’s Issues? Interview with Kaitlyn CeyIn this episode, Jeremy chats with Kaitlyn Cey, director of Inspire Our Nation, a youth organization dedicated to empowering the next generation of leaders. Kaitlyn brings her expertise in education, pastoring, and youth leadership to the conversation, discussing how youth workers can navigate the overwhelming cultural issues facing students today. She emphasizes the importance of engaging students in thoughtful conversations while grounding them in the Scriptures. By using the vision, values, and priorities of the Kingdom of God, Kaitlyn shares how youth workers can guide students in processing current cultural issues and help them build a framework for decision-making...2025-05-0527 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast233: There’s a Leadership Pipeline Crisis In The Church – Is The Solution In Your Youth Ministry? Interview with Jon DixonIn this conversation, Jeremy sits down with Jon Dixon, Next Generations Pastor at New Minus Baptist Church in Nova Scotia, to discuss how to raise up the future leaders of the Church. With two decades of experience in youth ministry, Jon shares how he’s been able to create a thriving environment where teenagers aren’t just participants but potential pastors. From encouraging students to explore their gifts to giving them hands-on leadership opportunities, Jon reveals one of his visions for youth ministry: to graduate pastors every year. Listen in and be inspired to invest in your students in a wa...2025-04-2133 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast232: How Can You Get Feedback On The Blind Spots in Your Own Life and Leadership? Interview with Garth FriesenSometimes the biggest challenges in ministry are the ones we don’t even realize we’re carrying. In this episode, Jeremy sits down with longtime youth ministry professor Garth Friesen to talk about blind spots — those hidden habits or perspectives that can quietly hinder our effectiveness. Garth has been equipping youth workers for over two decades and brings both wisdom and practical advice for how to create a culture of feedback. Whether you’re a point leader or a volunteer, this conversation will give you a few helpful questions to ask (yourself and others) and some ideas to help you and...2025-04-1535 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast226: How Do You Develop Student Leaders? Interview with Lydia KiddLydia Kidd shares her insights on student leaders and how her church has prioritized their development by involving them in ministry and providing them with mentors. Whether you are running a dedicated program for student leaders or just looking for ways to support some of your more committed students, Lydia will give you some great ideas. Not only that, but she’s making some of her documentation available to help you as you develop more leaders. You can find those resources at this link: https://bit.ly/3XiRxdZYou can access the Renegotiating Faith research project at re...2024-09-0929 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast225: How Can You See More Progress With Your Students? Interview with William DmytrowListen in to this week’s conversation as Jeremy and William discuss how small group leaders can see more progress with their students. Will talks through the discipleship quadrant he uses with his team, which consists of four different quadrants: permissive, authoritarian, cozy, and Jesus-centered. He’ll emphasize the importance of balancing challenge and support in order to create a culture of growth and transformation. Will also provides practical ideas for small group leaders, such as praying for students, playing with them, posturing as shepherds rather than chaperones, and connecting with them outside of program moments.Find out...2024-09-0318 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast224: How Can You Leverage Feedback From Your Students To Make Your Ministry Healthier? Interview with Josh SmithJeremy and Josh discuss the importance of creating a high feedback culture in your youth ministry. When the whole team knows the purpose of the ministry it allows you to consistantly seek feedback from students and other leaders. That value of listening to students' ideas and dreams helps generate more buy-in as they get to have influence in shaping the ministry. Lastly, Josh will encourage you to be more than just a pamphlet of information, but to be a person who practices your faith and shares your lives with the students you lead.Find out more about...2024-08-2635 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast223: Hard Conversations: What Do You Do If Your Point Leader Is Disorganized?In this conversation, Jeremy and Steve discuss how to handle a situation where your point leader is disorganized. Steve provides a framework for having hard conversations, which includes three phases: curiosity, clarity, and collaboration. In the midst of any difficult conversation, make sure you approach the conversation with curiosity and compassion, seeking to understand the other person’s perspective. Want to chat about youth ministry? Give us a shout by emailing jeremy@youthworker.community2024-08-0632 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast222: How Can Small Group Leader Coaches Help Your Ministry? Interview with Chandra StylesIf your ministry has small group leaders, then your ministry should have some way for those leaders to be coached. Oftentimes the coaching is left to the point leader, but as your ministry grows you should also find ways to empower volunteers to step into the small group leader coach role. In this conversation, Jeremy and Chandra discuss the importance of coaching and Chandra shares her experience implementing a coaching culture in her ministry and provides practical tips around supporting and guiding leaders, setting goals, and providing resources. Listen in for ideas that you can implement in your ministry...2024-07-1627 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast220: Is Your Ministry Stealing Time From Your Family?In this week’s conversation, Jeremy and Steve explore the tension between ministry commitments and family time. If you’ve ever wondered how to find a better balance, you’ll be encouraged by the idea of learning the sacred times of your family’s day. You should also take Steve’s idea of reframing the language around absence and use it to help your whole family understand the ministry you are leading.Looking for the Coalition? Details are available at youthworker.community/coalitionWant to chat more with Steve? You can reach out to him...2024-06-1821 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast218: Three Questions To Ask When Connecting With LGBTQ+ Youth: Interview with Kyla Gillespie“I think it's always the goal is always to get to somebody's heart. Like what do you believe about yourself and God?”This is the question that Kyla is helping youth workers focus on as we connect with all of our students, including those that identify in the LGBTQ+ community. In light of that, Kyla recommends these three lead in questions that help us understand our students better:Would you share your story with me?Tell me more about your identity… What does that mean for you?We want you here – what could we do to...2024-05-1425 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast217: How to Foster a Culture of Prayer in Your Youth MinistryIn this episode, Jeremy and Sid discuss the crucial role of prayer in youth ministries. You’ll hear their personal insights on making prayer a core part of ministry culture, emphasizing its impact on both your other volunteers and youth. Listen in for practical tips on integrating prayer as a personal practice heading into ministry situations as well as how to pray for your students and pray with your students.Looking for the Coalition? Details are available at youthworker.community/coalitionWant to chat about youth ministry? Give us a shout by emailing jeremy@youthworker.co...2024-05-0615 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast216: How Can You Coach Other Small Group Leaders?In this episode, Jeremy and Sid discuss how to coach other small group leaders in both informal and formal settings. They emphasize the importance of fostering a culture of teachability and asking questions to spark curiosity and learning. They also suggest defining a fixed time for coaching sessions and setting clear expectations for the coaching relationship. The hosts encourage veteran small group leaders to take on the role of coaching and supporting younger leaders, recognizing the impact they can have on the next generation. Check out the Next Steps Awards from Power to Change - S...2024-04-0924 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast215: Can You Shape The Future of Your Students?Looking for the Coalition? Details are available at youthworker.community/coalition Want to chat about youth ministry? Give us a shout by emailing jeremy@youthworker.community Takeaways Youth workers have the power to shape the future of their students by speaking truth and providing a vision for their lives. Youth workers should see themselves as conduits of truth, communicating the messages of Jesus and helping students discover their unique gifts and potential. There is a hesitation among youth workers to exercise their influence due to fear of getting it wrong or pushing s...2024-03-2515 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast214: How Do I Deal With a Disruptive Student In My Small Group?Looking for the Coalition? Details are available at youthworker.community/coalition Want to chat about youth ministry? Give us a shout by emailing jeremy@youthworker.community 2024-03-1918 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast213: What Should You Do When God Doesn’t Answer The Prayers of Your Students?Looking for the Coalition? Details are available at youthworker.community/coalition We’re coming to Ontario! Join us February 24, 2024 at Today’s Teens Conference Are you a youth pastor? You should join us for the Canadian Youth Pastor Summit! We’ll be in Ontario in the year and you can find more information at youthpastorsummit.ca March 5-7, 2024 - Canadian Youth Pastor Summit East Want to chat about youth ministry? Give us a shout by emailing jeremy@youthworker.community 2024-02-2015 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast212: What Shouldn’t You Share About Your Spiritual Journey With Your Students?Looking for the Coalition? Details are available at youthworker.community/coalition We’re coming to Ontario! Join us February 24, 2024 at Today’s Teens Conference Are you a youth pastor? You should join us for the Canadian Youth Pastor Summit! We’ll be in Ontario in the year and you can find more information at youthpastorsummit.ca March 5-7, 2024 - Canadian Youth Pastor Summit East Want to chat about youth ministry? Give us a shout by emailing jeremy@youthworker.community2024-02-1315 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast211: What Questions Should You Use To Talk About Social Media With Your Students? Interview with Meisha WatsonLearn more about Meisha at the following links: Hey Meisha! Her Instagram My Single Story A special thanks to our partners and sponsors that make this podcast possible… Christar is a global missions organization that cares deeply about your ministry to the next generation here in our country. So whether it’s leveraging their wisdom to craft ethical mission trips or connecting with them to catch a vision for what God is doing in hard to reach places, your ministry should connect with our friends at Christar. 2024-02-0642 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast210: How Do You Help Students Understand What They Think About the Bible and Its Place in Life and Faith?A special thanks to our partners and sponsors that make this podcast possible… The Chosen is is the first-ever multi-season TV show about the life of Jesus. The series allows us to see Him through the eyes of those who knew Him. Check out the season 4 trailer here and then see if it’s showing in a theatre nearby. Are you a youth pastor? You should join us for the Canadian Youth Pastor Summit! We’ll be in Ontario in the year and you can find more information at youthpastorsummit.ca M...2024-01-3016 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast209: How Do You Communicate With Your Students In Between Gatherings?Sid and Jeremy mentioned a few platforms such as… https://groupme.com/ https://www.whatsapp.com/download https://discord.com/ https://www.messenger.com/ A special thanks to our partners and sponsors that make this podcast possible… Rocky Mountain College is one of partners for the Coalition and we’ve loved helping dozens of youth workers get their Bachelor’s degree through this partnership. Not only that, but Rocky actually offers a free Intro To The Bible course that you can sign up for at this link. Check it...2024-01-2315 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast208: Can Your Volunteer Experience Get Better Than This?A special thanks to our partners and sponsors that make this podcast possible… Millar College of the Bible are developing passionate, relevant servants of Jesus Christ who are shaped by the entire Scriptures. Whether it’s a gap year or a full degree, you should familiarize yourself with Millar. They’ll root your students deeply into the Scriptures with a love for Christ. Teen Street are such helpful partners in this season and you should check out their Out of the Box discipleship event – it’s a toolkit designed to help you run a great ret...2024-01-1616 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast207: How Should You Interact With The Parents Or Guardians of Your Students?A special thanks to our partners and sponsors that make this podcast possible… Do you know someone who is thinking about ministry? The Way College is a 4-year accredited program for people who want to pursue a future in ministry. The program is designed to go deep theologically and also equip you practically for on-the-ground local church ministry. Launched by Jason Ballard from the Alpha Youth Series and the team at The Way Church in Vancouver, this is a wonderful option for you or your students. If you want to know mo...2024-01-0918 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast206: How Do You Nurture Gritty Faith? Four Spiritual Practices for the Next-Generation & Being a Student of Those You Lead (Interview With Ebonie Davis by CCLN)No matter where you fall on your church's organizational chart, we believe that this conversation with Ebonie around thoughtful discipleship in the youth space will serve you. In their time together, Ebonie and Jason explore how the church can play a vital role in nurturing a Jesus-centered joy among young people. They also touch on topics like contextual spiritual formation for the next-generation and adopting a “whole church” vision for youth discipleship within a community. Ebonie also courageously shares her deeply moving and inspirational journey of discovering Jesus. We hope you enjoy the conversation with the joy-exuding Ebonie Davis. 2023-11-2857 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast205: What’s Better For Your Youth Ministry – Live Teaching or Video Curriculum?No matter when and where your youth ministry meets, a core element to what happens is the opening of the Scriptures together. Sometimes a live person leads that experience – usually in the format of preaching or Bible study. Sometimes that experience is led by a resource like video curriculum. The point isn’t as much the method as it is what you do with it. In this conversation, Sid and Jeremy will walk you through the following important next steps for after the teaching, whether it’s live or recorded… You need to guide...2023-10-3130 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast204: What Should Youth Workers Know About Artificial Intelligence? Interview with Andy Steiger from Apologetics CanadaAndy Steiger is the founder and president of Apologetics Canada Ministries. He passionately engages pressing issues related to our humanity from a Christian perspective. He has presented at various venues such as Cambridge University on philosophical issues related to Artificial Intelligence, provided ethical guidelines on robotics for the United Nations, and addressed legal concerns over rights of conscience at the World Congress in Philosophy of Law. So he seems like a pretty good person to ask our questions about ChatGPT and AI 😂 You should check out Andy’s book Reclaimed: How Jesus Restores Our Hu...2023-10-2445 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast203: What Do You Do After a Retreat With Your Students?Whether it’s a large scale event like Change Conference or your ministry’s own event with just your students – we really believe that the work you do after the fact is critically important. The decisions or spiritual experiences that students have are further solidified when we thoughtfully help them process all that they are going through. That’s what Sid and Jeremy talk through in this week’s conversation. If you are a volunteer we hope that you’ll get some really practical ideas on what you should do in the week following an event or retr...2023-10-1717 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast202: What Are The Unique Challenges of Youth Ministry in a Liturgical Church?Church tradition or liturgies can be challenging to pass on to students who swim in an ever-evolving culture. After all, aren’t teenagers looking for dynamic experiences that are relevant to their daily lives? Aren’t sacred rituals dull to a younger generation? Or maybe that’s not the whole story. Listen in on this interview with Jason Smith, who is a veteran youth worker serving in an Anglican context, as he unpacks the ways that he’s seen not just unchurched students engage in ancient faith practices, but their entire families...2023-09-2629 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast201: How Are AI, Social Media, and Technology Influencing the Faith of Teenagers? Interview With ChatGPTJeremy: Hey ChatGPT, why should youth workers listen to this conversation? ChatGPT: Hey there! Youth workers should tune into this conversation because it delves deep into the challenges and realities teens face in our modern, tech-saturated world. It provides insights into the complexities of identity, the double-edged sword of digital exposure, and the importance of striking a balance with technology. By understanding these nuances, youth workers can be better equipped to guide, mentor, and connect with today's teens, helping them navigate their faith journey in an increasingly connected yet sometimes disjointed digital landscape. ...2023-09-1935 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast200: What’s It Like to Wrestle With Gender Dysphoria And How Can Your Ministry Be Helpful For Folks With That Challenge? Interview with Kyla GillespieKyla introduces herself on her website by saying, “Hi, I’m Kyla. I am a biological female who transitioned and lived as male for 6 years, then detransitioned. I’d love to share my story with you.” In this conversation we get to hear a bit of that story, what sparked Kyla’s desire to reignite her faith, and how you and I might consider helping our students experience our own faith communities in a similar way to how Kyla experienced hers. You definitely want to learn more about Kyla and her ministry. You can track with her on...2023-09-1244 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast199: What Are Some Frameworks To Think More Seriously About Deep Discipleship?In today’s episode Sid will dive deeper into the final four of the seven faith shaping tasks that are necessary for rooting long term faith in adolescents. Deep discipleship is something that we often are chasing as youth workers but it can be difficult to know what that actually looks like in the lives of our students. Join Sid and Jeremy as they talk through these specific tasks that can spark ideas for your own group. Want to join dozens of other youth workers in the Coalition this year? You’ll be able to use t...2023-08-1523 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast198: How Can You Help Your Students Experience God More?In today’s episode Sid will dive deeper into three of the seven faith shaping tasks that are necessary for rooting long term faith in adolescents. Experiencing God is critical for your students, so helping them understand what that actually looks like and helping them to categorize their emotions and experiences is good work. Join Jeremy and Sid as they walk through ideas that you can take action on in your ministry to your students. Sid mentioned the research project Hemorrhaging Faith, which you can access at this link. Want to join dozens of...2023-08-0126 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast197: What Are The Critical Faith Shaping Tasks That Are Necessary For Rooting Long Term Faith In Adolescents? Excerpt From a Class at the Coalition for Youth Ministry LeadershipToday’s episode is a bit unique as you get an inside look at one of the Coalition for Youth Ministry Leadership’s classes from this spring. Sid Koop dives into seven faith shaping tasks based on the work of Stephen Jones. Whatever your context looks like you’ll be able to see how each of these can spark ideas for sharpening your ministry to your students... Experiencing Categorizing Choosing Claiming Deepening Separating Responding Want to join dozens of other youth workers in the Coalition this year? You’ll be able to use the pr...2023-07-1825 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast196: How Can You Help Students Think About Self-Esteem and Self-Denial? Excerpt From a Class at the Coalition for Youth Ministry LeadershipToday’s episode is a bit unique as you get an inside look at one of the Coalition for Youth Ministry Leadership’s classes from this spring. Sid Koop dives into a deep conversation about self-esteem and self-denial and how our understanding of these things shape our ministry to students. Want to join dozens of other youth workers in the Coalition this year? You’ll be able to use the program towards a fully accredited Bachelor’s or completing an entire Master’s program, all while staying in your local youth ministry context. Check out youthworker...2023-07-0416 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast195: Does What You Do Matter to God? Excerpt From a Class at the Coalition for Youth Ministry LeadershipToday’s episode is a bit unique as you get an inside look at one of the Coalition for Youth Ministry Leadership’s classes from this spring. Sid Koop dives into why caring for the next generation matters deeply to God directly from Scripture! Want to join dozens of other youth workers in the Coalition this year? You’ll be able to use the program towards a fully accredited Bachelor’s or completing an entire Master’s program, all while staying in your local youth ministry context. Check out youthworker.community/coalition to learn more about the Co...2023-06-2020 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast194: How Do You Know If You’re Really Making an Impact? Interview with Jeanne MayoAs a volunteer youth leader, you may not necessarily know the people that have and continue to shape youth ministry through their books, teachings, and experience but today’s episode is an interview with one of the very best! Join Jeanne Mayo as she shares about how you can know if you’re really making an impact based on her 50+ years (and counting!) of ministry experience. One of the ways to know if you’re really making an impact is to personally break the cycle of apathy and rejection (ie. students ghosting you, being generally uninter...2023-06-0637 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast193: When Your Students Want To Fight For Justice, How Can You Help Them Take a Step? Interview with Ally Global FoundationYour students are more tuned in to issues of justice than most generations before them. Oppression, exploitation, equality, and equity are part of many students’ vocabularies. But students can find it difficult to move from the talk to the walk. So while the TikTok videos they’ve seen might have sparked their interest, the truth is that you can help them take a step. And that step will be part of authentic discipleship, helping students understand and respond to the call of God. But knowing what that step looks like can be overwhelming. That’s why tod...2023-05-3039 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast192: Should You Pressure Kids to Follow Jesus?Whenever new research comes out, we try to make it meaningful and accessible for you to know if and how it affects your ministry. Join today’s conversation with Rick and Lindsay from the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada’s Center of Research on Church and Faith as they dive into one aspect of the brand new Parenting Faith Research Study. When asked how much Christian parents agreed with the following statement: “I want my children to make their own religious choices, without pressure from me,” 73% moderately or strongly agreed. What does that mean for the way parent...2023-05-2241 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast191: How Can You Relate Better With Teenagers?Teen culture can become more and more mysterious as you grow older. But no matter what stage of life you are in, there are some things you can do in order to understand more about the students in your group. Today’s conversation with Chandra Styles will give you some tips both on how to relate to teenagers and why it matters. She’ll also cover these two great questions you can use this week in your ministry… What are you listening to these days? (Or what’s the vibe of your playlist?) Is there...2023-05-0222 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast190: What Happens When A Volunteer Leader Needs To Step Down? Interview with Rob Chartrand from Briercrest College and SeminaryAs much as we believe that every follower of Christ should be serving their community in some capacity there are times a volunteer leader needs to step down. If you’ve ever wondered how to tell if someone should step down or what your role could be if someone is in the process of doing so, this episode is for you! Join Rob from Briercrest and Jeremy as they share frameworks from decades of experience, both as volunteer leaders and point leaders. There are generally four main categories of why a volunteer leader needs to step...2023-04-1852 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast189: What Are The Top Ways To Support Students As They Transition To The Next Phase Of Life?Your students won’t always be in your youth ministry. They’ll move on at some point. At the very least, they’ll all move on after graduating high school. And the research is clear that any time a student experiences a transition in their life there’s a significant chance that faith might not make it through the transition. But that’s where you come in – you can help make sure that a student’s faith remains strong. Join today’s conversation as Jeremy interviews Rolf Nanninga from Power to Change - Students and Ther...2023-04-1129 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast188: How Do You Teach Students About Revelation? Interview With Cody MatchettRevelation is hard to understand at the best of times. It frustrates and fascinates many people with its imagery and apocalyptic tone. And unless you are a Bible scholar, it’s likely you feel intimidated when students ask questions about it. Join today’s conversation with Cody Machett, co-author of Revelation for the Rest of Us with Scot McKnight, as he talks about how to engage students with the book of Revelation. Cody has so many good things to say, but you might discover in this conversation that the best thing you can do to teach...2023-04-0439 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast187: How Do You Run A Great Event For Your Students? Interview With The Team From Briercrest's Youth QuakeThe weekly rhythms of your relational ministry certainly helps disciple students. You don’t want to give up on that. Yet, there’s something special about the experiences that happen outside of the normal rhythms. It’s those special events, retreats, camps, or unique gatherings that so many students point back to as integral for their faith journey. Why is that? And how do you plan those kinds of experiences or events, the kind that transforms your students' faith? Join today’s conversation with AJ and Kaitlin from Briercrest as they offer the frameworks they use when planning and running...2023-03-2844 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast186: How Can You Help Students Build Resilient Faith? Interview With Ebonie DavisThe last three years have left many of our students feeling like they don’t have roots or a solid foundation to stand on. On top of that, as followers of Jesus our students can feel like much of the world is against them. But the truth is that the one who is for them is intimately greater than what is against them. Through her extensive research on developing gritty faith in teens, Ebonie Davis shows us the practices we need to help our students embrace in order for them to...2023-03-2130 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast185: What Do You Do If You Disagree with Leadership? Interview with Kevin JanzenDisagreement is part of being human, so it shouldn’t be any surprise that you have times when you disagree with leadership. Join today’s conversation where Jeremy interviews Kevin Janzen to discover practical steps you can take whenever you find yourself at odds with someone in leadership. Whether it’s someone’s behavior, or a small disagreement about a program element, or even significant theological questions, here’s a few tips on what to do: Lead with humility Pray for your leader Test things out Meet with your leader Figure out what’s next Honour leadership and steward your p...2023-03-0728 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast184: What Should You Do After Attending a Big Event? Interview With Matt WilkinsonWhether you were just at a youth worker training event or you brought students to a retreat – these types of gatherings can be a big game changer for your ministry. But the impact of the event can be measured by not only what happens during it, but what happens afterwards. Join today’s conversation as Matt Wilkinson from Today’s Teens Conference walks you through a simple takeaway step that will help you make the most of the events that you and your students take part in. There are so many ways for you to connect...2023-02-2614 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast183: What Do You Do with Hyperactive Teens Who Don’t Do Well in a Class Type Environment?Even if your ministry doesn’t include a class type environment, chances are you’ve struggled to know what to do with students who don’t engage in the way you hope they would. If so, this conversation is still for you! Join Kara, a fellow Canadian youth worker, and Jeremy as they tackle what you can do with hyperactive teens that don’t do well in a class type environment. Kara will offer a few ideas that you can take action on this week: Set clear expectations Collaborate and talk with parents and families I...2023-02-2129 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast180: What Are The Key Audiences You Should Focus On, What Generation Z Cares About Most, How to Deepen Bible Engagement in Your Students, And More…In this special episode, you’ll join Mariah Smith and Jaden Neufeld from the team at the Canadian Church Leaders Network as they host a review of the Canadian Youth Pastor Summit (West). This event was hosted in partnership between CCLN and the Youth Worker Community. You can still join us for the Canadian Youth Pastor Summit (East) on March 21-23, 2023 and be a part of changing the climate of youth ministry in Canada. This conversation was featured first on the Canadian Church Leaders Podcast. You can find out more about these great partners at htt...2023-01-101h 08Volunteer Youth Worker Podcast042: Randy Carter on How to Love The Unlovable Teen In Your Group? (Replay)Happy New Year! Check out today’s replay from 2019 with Randy Carter! You likely have (or will have at some point) someone in your group that is just really difficult to love. It’s a student who is disruptive, or one that did something awful, or one that is just mean. In those moments it can be difficult to know how to respond. In this week’s conversation, Randy Carter will share two heart-wrenching stories that have the power to help us refocus what unconditional love looks like. You can get in touch...2023-01-0337 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast179: Does Volunteering in Youth Ministry Make a Difference? (2022 in Review)What a year it’s been! The end of the year is the perfect time to be reminded that the answer to whether the work you do matters is… YES! Listen in to today’s episode with the whole YWC team as they share about the difference they’ve seen volunteers make in the past year and be encouraged! Merry Christmas! We can’t wait to see you in the New Year for the Canadian Youth Pastor Summit on March 21-23, 2023 or at our Winter Conferences! Details over here: https://youthworker.community/eve...2022-12-2411 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast178: What Do You Do If Your Students Aren’t Talking?If small group time hits and you start to wonder if you’ll ever have a real conversation with your students, this episode with Steve and Jeremy is for you! It can feel like getting through the question sheet is the goal as a small group leader, but sometimes the questions just aren’t working. Or there’s not enough. Or they just aren’t connecting with where your students are at. Whatever the struggle, be encouraged in knowing that the mark of a successful small group time is actually not just getting your students talking...2022-12-1334 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast177: What Do You Do When Your Students Are Fighting with Their Friends?As followers of Jesus we want to be the type of people that continue to keep relationships, even when conflicts arise. Modeling how to make relationships last will increase our love for one another and is worth the struggle, but will require that you help students learn more about themselves and the people that they are fighting with. Here are the steps that Steve walks through in this conversation: Understand Myself… This can sound like: What’s going on for you? Tell me your story. What significance does that hold? Under...2022-12-0634 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast176: How Should You Talk About Christmas With Your Students?Christmas is just around the corner and the holidays are complicated at the best of times. It’s the perfect time to ask your students some questions to get a sense of how they’re entering into this season and connect their current reality to the story of Jesus. Here’s a few questions you can ask your students to start the conversation about Christmas: What do you know about the story of Christmas? What about Christmas increases your anxiety? What about Christmas increases your peace and joy? What are the highs and lows of Chris...2022-11-2914 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast175: How Can You Help Students Find Faithful Answers to Life's Biggest Questions? Interview with Kristel AcevedoSometimes life gives our students way more questions than answers. And yet it seems like everyone expects them to just figure it all out! Whether they’re looking toward their future or wrestling to get through today, it doesn't have to be so stressful. You can help students process three big questions that will help them find clarity about all the rest: Who am I? Where do I fit? What difference can I make? Check out today’s interview with Kristel Acevedo all about the Fuller Youth Institute’s new resource, a devotion...2022-11-2218 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast174: How Do You Respond to Hard Questions From Students?If you’ve ever been having a “normal” small group time and gotten hit with a hard question that made you start sweating, this conversation with Steve and Jeremy is for you! When students ask hard questions, they are often testing your posture and whether or not you’re actually safe to talk to. Steve pointed out that often the best answers to hard questions are more questions. Here’s a few to get you started: Why do you ask? What does that mean for you right now? What do you think? Who else do you...2022-11-1429 min
Volunteer Youth Worker Podcast173: How Do You Model Spiritual Disciplines?Today’s conversation between Sid Koop and Jason Ballard is a special episode taken from a video series that they recorded together on the 10 Essentials of Volunteering in Youth Ministry. The rest of series covers topics such as: How do we keep our Youth Ministry safe? How do we partner with parents? How do we grow meaningful relationships with teenagers? Want to check out the other 9 Essentials? Check out https://www.youthworker.community/10essentials/ Join us for our Winter Conferences! Details over h...2022-11-0713 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast172: What Are Some Surprising Steps That Your Students Can Take In Their Spiritual Journey?If you’ve ever wondered if your students are taking any steps in their faith, this conversation is for you! Even the most regular of youth group nights can feature important steps that your students are taking steps in their spiritual journey. Some of the markers that we talk about include: Focusing attention and responding to a personal question Seeing their place in community as part of the church Listening and honouring each other in a small group setting Willingness to have someone pray for them Pr...2022-10-3119 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast171: How Do You Find More Volunteers For Your Team?If you’ve ever hoped that there were more volunteers on your youth ministry team then today’s conversation is for you! Even though recruiting other volunteers isn’t something you might feel responsible for, if you’d consider a few simple steps it could make a massive difference in your youth ministry. As a volunteer youth worker you can… Own The Gap: If you see the need in your ministry, you can own filling that gap Make A List: You know the people you want to serve with – make a list of peopl...2022-10-2611 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast170: What Should You Do With Your Students After An Event?Whether you were at the event or not, your students will have some type of extra experience in their youth ministry journey. It might be a conference, retreat, or special trip, but in all cases you can be part making the most of that experience by supporting your students afterwards. Join today’s conversation as Sid walks you through four simple steps that will help you make the most of the events that your students take part in. It’s not too late to check out Change Conference Online: https://changeconference.com/national ...2022-10-1814 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast169: How Do You Engage Your Graduates Who Don’t Move Away After High School?Today’s episode comes directly from a fellow youth worker! More and more students are choosing options other than a post-secondary education directly after their high school graduation. If those students are sticking around your context, it can be tricky to figure out if and how to continue to engage them in a new season of life. Join today’s conversation with Sid and Jeremy as they give some practical ideas of what you can do to continue to engage with those students! Check out Christar at christar.org or book a call with their Execu...2022-10-0417 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast168: How Can You Help Students Figure Out Their Future Vocation?“What do you want to be when you grow up?” That question has been asked of your students since before they can remember. By the time they hit junior high their “answer” informs the classes they need to take to get to whatever it is they think they are chasing. There’s so much pressure for students to know exactly what they want to do and it’s unproductive and unhelpful. As a youth worker you have the unique opportunity to speak about the bigger picture of following Jesus in any occupation. Yo...2022-09-2734 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast167: How Do You Get Your Students' Parents More Involved In Your Ministry?Whether you want to ask for feedback, get to know parents or their students more, have more buy-in for your gatherings, or just see more parents utilizing your resources (aka reading your emails) – this conversation is for you! Parents WANT to get involved and are a tremendous blessing to your ministry, no matter your context. Join today’s conversation with Steve, Sid, and Jer as they give three practical steps to getting your students’ parents involved. Want a practical resource to send to parents connected to your ministry? Check out https://youthworker.community/parentresources/ ...2022-09-1924 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast166: How Can You Help When Your Students Are Stressed About School?School is starting again which means that some (if not most) of your students’ stress levels are increasing again. Going to school is a huge commitment in a teenager’s life and it comes with a lot of pressures. Some of the pressures are honest and real. Some of them are perceived and maybe even imagined. But all of them are real to your students. Join today’s conversation with Steve Zacharias and Jeremy MacDonald as they talk about why we care if students are stressed about school and how to have a healthy curiosity that allows you to discip...2022-08-3032 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast165: What Can You Do When Your Students Are Deconstructing Their Faith? Interview with Randal RauserDeconstruction is a hot topic in many Christian spaces. If your students are at all connected online they’ve heard people talking about it. They might even be doing it themselves. Depending on your age and stage of life, walking with students who are deconstructing can come with a lot of different emotions and varying solutions. Join today’s conversation with YWC’s Steve Zacharias as he interviews Randal Rauser (Coalition Faculty) and they talk about what you can do when your students are deconstructing their faith! Want to learn from great people like Randal Rauser...2022-08-2317 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast164: How Can I Help When Teenagers Get Emotional?Sometimes a teenager will walk into a room and you can just tell that their emotions are through the roof. As a youth worker, you have the incredible opportunity to disciple students, but that means considering their entire selves — emotions and all. While that’s easy to say, it’s much harder to act out. Especially when a student is so sad that they're bringing the whole group down, or so mad that you’re worried they’re going to punch someone, or so excited that their voice has hit new pitches and they seem to be bouncing off the walls...2022-08-0925 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast163: How Can You Redeem Digital Spaces? Interview with Andy GabruchAs youth workers, you see the downstream effects of your students living in a digital age every time you spend time with them. Constant access to information and entertainment are marking our culture, but what do we do with it and is there a way for redemption in the midst? Join Andy Gabruch as he talks about how to understand the digital age and how you can redeem digital spaces as transformed people! Want to check out the Information Overload Assessment? Head to https://bit.ly/3Q9gjrM Youth pastors and pa...2022-08-0230 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast162: What Should You Do When Teens Come Back From Camp?If you’ve ever spent time at camp you know that life changing and faith defining moments are almost inevitable. That means that you have the incredible opportunity to engage with any of your students who served at camp and continue to process their experience with them when they return home. Join Sid and Jeremy as they talk through questions that you can use to spark the right conversations when your students come back from serving at camp (or any major experience)! Want to chat with your students about vocational ministry? Check out this great res...2022-07-2623 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast161: How Do You Shift Your Ministry to a Small Group Model?When you discover ways to make the most of every part of your program (check out episodes 134-142 if you’d like more about that!) you’ll probably also end up assessing what parts are most effective. That’s usually when youth workers recognize that so much life change for your students is happening in your small groups. That’s what happened for Miles Barnes and then his ministry decided to make some dramatic shifts. Join Miles and Jeremy as they talk about how Miles’ ministry made the shift to a small group model, and what they’ve seen come of it!2022-07-1226 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast157: What Should You Do When Your Ministry Is Lonely? Part 3: Who Are You Pouring Into?As a volunteer you know that you have a TON of priorities in your life. So when your volunteer role gets lonely, it can be challenging to know what to do. In fact, you’ve probably wondered if it's time to walk away. But before you make that decision, we think you should join Steve Zacharias in today’s conversation as he unpacks the three types of students that you are likely pouring into. And when you start thinking about these categories you might discover that they are out of balance, which can spark loneliness in th...2022-06-1426 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast156: What Should You Do When Your Ministry Is Lonely? Part 2: Who Are You Running With?As a volunteer you know that you have a TON of priorities in your life. So when your volunteer role gets lonely, it can be challenging to know what to do. In fact, you’ve probably wondered if it's time to walk away. But before you make that decision, we think you should join Steve Zacharias in today’s conversation as he unpacks the three types of people you need in your life. Because there’s a good chance that the struggles you are facing could be solved in a surprising way. Find o...2022-06-0731 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast155: What Should You Do When Your Ministry Is Lonely? Part 1: Who’s Pouring Into You?As a volunteer you know that you have a TON of priorities in your life. So when your volunteer role gets lonely, it can be challenging to know what to do. In fact, you’ve probably wondered if it's time to walk away. But before you make that decision, we think you should join Steve Zacharias in today’s conversation as he unpacks the three types of people you need in your life. Because there’s a good chance that the struggles you are facing could be solved in a surprising way. Find out abou...2022-05-3130 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast154: How Should Teenagers Interact With Their Phones and Other Devices? Interview with Brett UllmanWhat do you hope your students’ relationship is like with their phone? What’s the ideal way for an adolescent to interact with technology? What’s the right amount of screen time per day? These are the questions that we should be wrestling with as youth workers. Instead, teenagers often see adults simply becoming frustrated around their use of technology. But what if we could be thoughtful about the conversation and think strategically about how to help teenagers practically engage better with the devices that are so accessible to them? That’s where the conversation goes in to...2022-05-2431 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast153: Should You Burn All Your Students' Secular Music?The media landscape continues to morph and change, but what isn’t new is the need for critical discernment of the media that we all consume (teenagers included)! But how do you actually teach healthy discernment and the pursuit of holiness without just veering into behaviour modification? Join today’s conversation with Tyler Rody, a youth worker in Saskatoon, as he unpacks some thought provoking ways that we as youth workers can search our own hearts before helping our students with the media that they are entertained by. You should definitely check out cpyu.org for some great...2022-05-1731 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast152: How Can You Thrive (Not Just Survive) in Jr. High Ministry?Youth ministry is an important calling no matter what your role. But for those of you who are Jr. High small group leaders there are special rewards in heaven for you. Sure it can be challenging to keep a Jr. High small group on topic from time to time, but the real challenge is that it’s also this fast changing time developmentally, socially, physically, and emotionally for those students. And unfortunately they don’t all mature at the same rate 😂. All that said, today’s conversation features thr...2022-05-1036 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast151: What Do You Do When The News Headlines Are Bad For Christians?Have you ever seen a public story about when a Christian did something wrong? It could be a national news headline or it could be something a friend shared on social media. Either way, you don’t have to look far to see the effects of sin amongst those that call themselves Christians. But when those stories reach your students, what are you supposed to do? How can you speak truth to terrible circumstances? Is it worth processing every bad news headline? Join today’s conversation with Sid Koop, Lisette Fraser, and Je...2022-05-0326 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast150: Should You Do Youth Ministry Different When The Church Is No Longer Trusted In Culture?You probably have noticed it on the news. Or on social. Or in politics. Or maybe even in your home and workplace. The Church is increasingly distrusted by those outside it (and distrusted by some of those inside it too!). But what do you do when culture doesn’t value church or faith like it used to? Should your approach as a youth worker change? Join today’s conversation with Sid Koop, Lisette Fraser, and Jeremy MacDonald as they talk about the ways that ministry can shift in post-Christian contexts. Do yo...2022-04-2630 min
Marc Jolicoeur (aka "Jolly Thoughts")Episode Twenty-Four // Conversation with Jeremy MacDonald about "Adulting" (Rituals & Coming of Age)On this episode of the podcast I finally land a solid excuse to chat with friend and thought-wizard Jeremy MacDonald. Since he has lots of history working directly with students and now pours out his life working with people who themselves work with students, his perspective on rites of passage for young people and how they learn to “adult” in our current contexts is worth mining. We open things off by taking a cursory look at the third chapter of David Desteno’s book (How God Works), then riff from there. We talk about bullet ants, bar mitzvahs, and we even h...2022-04-2255 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast149: What Should You Know About The Changing Technology Landscape As A Youth Worker? Interview with Brett UllmanThe world is changing fast--the technology and media that your students are navigating are significantly different from the what they were navigating even just a year ago. It is such a huge part of your students’ lives, so what is your responsibility in the midst of it? Join today’s interview with Brett Ullman to learn more about what you should know about technology and media in today’s world! Want to dive deeper into some resources? Check out: Books Brett recommends by category: https://www.amazon.ca/shop/brettullman His new book, Navigati...2022-04-1931 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast148: What Do You Do When Something Significant Comes Up In Small Group That Changes The Course Of The Conversation?Have you ever been in the middle of small group and the conversation takes a dramatic turn that you weren’t expecting? How should you respond in those moments? If you’ve created a safe space for your students you can expect for your conversation to be derailed at some point with some heavy topics. Join Sid, Lisette, and Jer in the final part of the small group series, this conversation being all about what you can do when conversations take a turn you weren’t expecting. Other Volunteer Youth Worker Podcast Episodes that you might fi...2022-04-1214 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast147: What Do You Do When You Have a Student Who Can’t Engage Well With Your Small Group?If you’ve been part of a small group it is almost inevitable that things have felt out of control at some point and you may have wondered if there was any way to get back in control. But sometimes it’s simply because the environment of your group isn’t conducive for everyone to engage. In fact, you might have a student who just can’t engage well with your group in it’s current structure. What are you supposed to do in that situation? Join Sid, Lisette, and Jer in this conversation all about what you can do to make...2022-04-0518 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast146: How Can You Set Up Your Small Group For Success So It Doesn’t Get Out of Control?Setting your group up for success with clear goals and helpful expectations is your best chance at keeping conversations on track. But that means as the leader you have to have an understanding of the role and goal of your small group. Join in the conversation today with Sid, Lisette, and Jer as they talk through the language you can use so everyone in your group knows how to best participate in the group! Other Volunteer Youth Worker Podcast Episodes that you might find helpful… 123: What Makes a Great Small Group Lead...2022-03-2919 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast145: What Do You Do When Your Small Group Is Out Of Control?Have you ever been leading your small group and things just seemed to get out of control? Maybe in the moment you wondered if there was something that you could do better. Or maybe you just gave up and hoped for next week to be better. Let us encourage you – even in the worst of circumstances there’s always a way to regain control! Every group has experienced it at some point, so know that you are not alone. With a few practical steps you can help your group to refocus and get back on track. Join Sid, Lisette, and...2022-03-2232 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast144: What’s New and Different About The Mental Health Journey of Our Students? Interview with Brett Ullman“Youth ministry is messy… and so is mental health.” Mental health has always been a thing, but the conversation surrounding it definitely changes. In today’s world, it is so important to feel equipped to have conversations around mental health with your students, even if it's a bit messy. Join today’s conversation with Brett Ullman as he unpacks how you can make your ministry a safe space for students and have conversations about their mental health. Want to dive deeper into some resources? Check out books that Brett rec...2022-03-1540 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast143: What Do Great Small Group Leaders Do For Their Students After High School? Interview with Sarah Trouborst From Power To ChangeEver wonder what the markers are of students who continue to follow Jesus in their university years? And are there things that you can do to help your students continue walking with Jesus even after high school? Join the conversation with Sarah Trouborst as she shares stories from the trenches of ministry on Canadian university campuses to answer those questions. As Sarah mentions, one of the best things you can do is connect students with a Christian community. There are Christian campus groups at many of the Canadian universities. You can search through the lists f...2022-03-0829 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast142: How Do You Make The Most of Your Program Before It Even StartsHere’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 have a specific situation that you would love to talk more about? We would love to he...2022-03-0109 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast141: How Do You Make The Most of Times Outside of Program Moments?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 talk more about? We would love to hear from you! You can connect with Jeremy via email at Jeremy@YouthWo...2022-02-2223 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast140: How Do You Make The Most of The Farewell Portion of Your Program?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 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 enorm...2022-02-1517 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast139: How Do You Make The Most of Hang Time During Your Program?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 core mission. Join Sid, Lisette, and Jer in the next episode of this series all about making the most of every part of your pro...2022-02-0812 min
Leadership Matters PodcastEP. 46 - LT5 w/Sid KoopHey listeners, we've got another episode in our, Leadership Top 5 series. In this one, I had the opportunity to sit down with Founder and Executive Director of Youth Worker Community, (www.youthworker.community) Sid Koop. Sid is a fascinating leader with a lot of passion for youth ministries across Canada, along with 20+ years of experience in it. In this conversation we talked personal habits/disciplines to how Sid enjoys the odd McDon's apple pie and ice cream. Regardless of where or what you are presently leading, this conversation is worth a listen.2022-02-011h 06Volunteer Youth Worker Podcast138: How Do You Make The Most of Small Group Time?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 so familiar with our program that we are blinded to how it could be more effective. We know that as volunteers there are enor...2022-02-0117 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast137: How Do You Make The Most of The Teaching Time of Your Program?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 become so familiar with our program that we are blinded to how it could be more effective. We know that as volunteers there are enor...2022-01-2519 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast136: How Do You Make The Most of Game Time?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 more effective. But if we would look at everything as if we are first time guests it can be helpful and revealing. Not only that, but as a vo...2022-01-2019 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast135: How Do You Make The Most of Welcome and Check In?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 been paying attention and that your ministry is a place where they are known? Sometimes as youth workers we can become so familiar with...2022-01-1132 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast134: How Do You Make The Most of The Drop Off Time of Your Program?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 look at everything as if we are first time guests it can be helpful and revealing. Because as a volunteer there are enormous...2022-01-0432 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast133: How Do You Mentor Students Who Don’t Attend Regularly Because They’re Engaged In Sports?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 if they don’t always come to programming! Do you have a specific situation that you would love to talk...2021-12-2121 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast129: How Should You Measure Your Ministry? Interview with Nathan ArcherWe 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 straightforward, quantitative, and simple to report back to whoever needs to know. But what if attendance isn’t the best or only metric to measure your succ...2021-11-0930 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast096: Special Christmas Episode with Sid, Jason, and JeremyMerry Christmas from our team to you! As we mentioned, we are having a special giveaway draw for one set of AirPods (2nd generation). You can enter by sharing one of the following posts below. Draw will happen in January. Thanks for listening! Instagram Post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJJGIopryHF/ Facebook Post: https://www.facebook.com/ywcommunity/photos/a.622368524483437/3463892196997708/ Special thanks to this episode’s sponsor, Trinity Western University. Their mission is to develop godly Christian leaders: positive, goal-oriented university graduates with thoroughly Christian minds; growing disci...2020-12-2312 minVolunteer Youth Worker Podcast066: Conversation #1 On What Can You Do With Your Group In Light of COVID-19? With Sid Koop, Tim Gonsalves, and Jeremy MacDonaldWe want to hear from you! Submit your youth ministry question or drop us a line at youthministry.team. We mentioned an Alpha link, which is located HERE.Mentioned in this episode:Update for 2024Lots has changed since this episode initially aired! So to stay current with us here in 2024, head to https://www.youthworker.community/ to find out what we're up to.2020-03-1727 min