What do you do when you’re just starting a new student ministry? What should you focus on? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve shares 10 tips on how to start well at a new ministry, whether you’re in your very first ministry or you’re about to start at your 10th church. And if you're not in a situation like this right now, these tips can also help you take an inventory of where you are in your current ministry and help to identify some areas you can work on, even if you’ve been there for a while.
184: Student Ministry Staffing with Todd Rhoades
What do we need to know about student ministry staffing in 2026? What do we need to pay attention to? What can we do to improve it? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve talks with Todd Rhoades of Chemistry Staffing about his recent research and what we can learn from it.
183: Shepherding the Teenage Mind with Tomy Cummins
What role does mental health play in ministry, and how can we create safe spaces for open conversations? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve dives into this critical topic with Tomy Cummins, student ministry veteran and author of "Shepherds of the Mind."
182: How to Win with Your Boss with Brent Squires
How do we win with our boss or supervisor? No matter where we are serving, we all have a someone who is tasked to supervise us and help us lead better and achieve our goals. And on this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve talks with Brent Squires on what mistakes to avoid, how to build trust, and how to lead up well.
181: Leading Through Programming Changes
How do you go about making changes in your programming? On this quick-hit episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve shares some tips he’s learned over the years on how to lead change well, specifically in programming.
180: Youth Pastor Compensation Update 2026 with Josh Boldman
What’s the average salary of a youth pastor, and how do you go about getting a raise? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve talks with Josh Boldman, CEO of Download Youth Ministry, about the 2026 Youth Pastor Compensation Report and more.
179: Finding Your Voice
What’s the one thing that can take your speaking and teaching to the next level? That’s what we’re talking about on this quick episode of Student Ministry Connection.
178: Why Discipleship is Important with Matt Brinkley
We often throw around the word discipleship within student ministry, but what does it actually mean, and how can we not only make sure we are discipling students well but that we are experiencing it ourselves? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve talks all about discipleship with Matt Brinkley, founder of PACT Ministry and author … Continue reading 178: Why Discipleship is Important with Matt Brinkley
177: Celebrating 10 Years of Student Ministry Connection
What happens when God takes a simple idea of wanting to talk to other leaders in student ministry and turns it into an entire ministry? On this episode, we’re celebrating 10 years of Student Ministry Connection with a trip down memory lane from Steve and some of you. We also announce some amazing giveaways from … Continue reading 177: Celebrating 10 Years of Student Ministry Connection
176: Staying Power with Jody Livingston
Student Ministry is tough sometimes, and there are a lot of reason why you’ve probably thought about leaving, but there are also many more reasons why you should stay. So how do we stay? What are the things we need to focus on in order to stick around for the long haul? Well, get ready, … Continue reading 176: Staying Power with Jody Livingston