Every youth ministry dreams of being a welcoming place where students bring their friends — but what happens when the openness of your group makes it harder for your students to go deep? In this week’s conversation, Deniel Sewell from Connexus Church joins us to talk about how to navigate the tension between open groups and deep relationships. He shares practical ways volunteers can stay relationally connected to students, even when new people show up every week — and how small group leaders can step into bold, meaningful conversations that shape students' faith for the long haul.

Learn more about where Deniel serves by heading to ConnexusChurch.com or instagram.com/connexusinsideout

The impact of community and friendship makes much more of a difference then we sometimes understand. In this episode, Roger highlights the significance of the Sunday morning service and in particular the opportunity to connect students with each other. Fortunately, the principles he shares will work great anytime you gather students, no matter the time of week. He'll also give you practical ideas to inspire your student leaders to be part of the solution.

"I think it's community. I think community is really important. We have to raise the culture of friendship because the reality is if a teenager doesn't have their friends and they don't feel welcome or don't feel seen, they're not coming back no matter how good your program is."

Find out more about where Roger serves by heading to hillsidemoncton.org/students/

Roger mentioned this video curriculum: darkroomfaith.com

Want to chat about youth ministry? Give us a shout by emailing jeremy@youthworker.community

Every ministry team has a point person (or two… or three!) that carries a little extra responsibility. Sometimes that person is paid for their time, but sometimes that person is another volunteer. Either way, the weight of leadership can be challenging and sometimes it can be hard to know how to be helpful for them. In this week’s conversation, Jordan from The Pastorate shares some ideas on how to support your point leader – both for their sake and for the students that you minister to.

You can follow along with Jordan and The Pastorate on Instagram or through their website.

Whether your team is small or large, it’s always helpful to have more people investing into the faith of the next generation. But how do you actually go about doing that? Kara has seen her team grow immensely over the past few years and she’ll offer some ideas that you can use whether you are a point leader or a volunteer in your ministry.

You can follow along with Kara at thisisvillagechurch.com

In this conversation, Sid interviews Tim Barnett on the topic of the deconstruction of faith. Tim will explore the reasons behind deconstruction, the role of social media in organizing the deconstruction movement, and the difference between doubt and deconstruction. He’ll share his personal journey of discovering apologetics and his work in helping young people navigate their faith. They also discuss the importance of Scripture in youth ministry and how the shift away from the authority of Scripture has radical implications. Tim will also explain how Scripture is not only right but also good, and how it is relevant to our lives. You’ll discover practical steps for walking with someone going through deconstruction in your ministry.

Learn more about Tim by following him on Youtube, Instagram, or through his website. And check out Tim’s book, The Deconstruction of Christianity.

Lydia 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/3XiRxdZ

You can access the Renegotiating Faith research project at renegotiatingfaith.ca.

Learn more about the Coalition for Youth Ministry Leadership at youthworker.community/coalition

Find out more about where Lydia serves by heading to cschurch.ca. You can also access some of her student leadership resources at this link: https://bit.ly/3XiRxdZ

Want to chat about youth ministry? Give us a shout by emailing jeremy@youthworker.community

Listen 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 more about where William serves by heading to ebenezerbaptist.ca/youth or follow him on Instagram.

Want to chat about youth ministry? Give us a shout by emailing jeremy@youthworker.community

Jeremy 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 where Josh serves by heading to https://www.lewisville.church/ or https://www.cbmin.org/

Want to chat about youth ministry? Give us a shout by emailing jeremy@youthworker.community