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What does it look like to not only share Jesus with the next generation but to also equip parents as the spiritual leaders in their homes? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we’ll talk with Sam McDowell, author of Parent Equip, about what all of that means and share some practical steps on how … Continue reading 120: Equipping Parents to be Spiritual Leaders with Sam McDowell

 Should we take a  break from our student ministry over the holidays, canceling our programs that week. This is a common question among youth leaders. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we share five reasons of why it's important to take a break over the holidays.  Links referenced in this episode:  Read about 5 Youth … Continue reading 119: Reasons to Take Holiday Breaks

While we often talk about the importance of partnering with parents, what does that actually look like? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we brought on a parent to ask her directly what she has appreciated and what she believes all youth pastors should know.  Links referenced in this episode:  Email Michelle at teamgreger@gmail.com  … Continue reading 118: What Parents Want Youth Pastors to Know with Michelle Greger

How can we take a Cobra Kai approach to our ministry? Not necessarily how can we strike first, strike hard and show no mercy, but how can we take some of the principles we see in that show and apply them to our ministry with teenagers. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Travis Deans … Continue reading 117: Cobra Kai Youth Ministry with Travis Deans

Are you a bivocational youth leader, or are you curious what it’s like to be bivocational, where your ministry is not your only source of income? Maybe you’re wondering how you can even do that. While it’s not for everyone, Caleb Julin joins us to talk about how he’s balancing everything and also writing a … Continue reading 116: Bivocational Student Ministry with Caleb Julin

Once we have our student ministry team, and we’ve begun to train them, what do we do with them? Where exactly can they serve in the ministry, and how do we set them up for success now and in the future? This is part 3 of Student Ministry Connection’s mini-series on teams, and today we’re … Continue reading 115: Empowering and Multiplying a Student Ministry Team

How do we help our leaders become better leaders, setting them up to succeed? And how can we continue to develop them with the skills and abilities they need, as well as help them grow as a follow of Jesus? This is part 2 of Student Ministry Connection’s mini-series on teams. On this episode, we … Continue reading 114: Training and Discipling a Student Ministry Team

Whether you’re a full-time youth pastor or a very part-time volunteer, along the way, we've all realized we can only do so much our own. On top of that, we need to build something that doesn’t rely solely on us. So welcome to Student Ministry Connection’s 3-part mini-series of podcast episodes focused on student ministry … Continue reading 113: Forming and Onboarding a Student Ministry Team

It’s no secret that teenagers all over are dealing with anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and all kinds of mental health struggles. So how do we support them? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we are joined by Dr. Chinwé Williams to talk about mental health and teenagers. Among many things, Dr. Williams is a … Continue reading 112: Mental Health and Teenagers with Dr. Chinwé Williams

Camps, mission trips, and retreats are great for those times when we can get away and spend longer uninterrupted time with a group of leaders and students. But how do we make it through those times without feeling incredibly tired and burned out? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve offers 3 tips that … Continue reading 111: Thriving During Camp