Youth Worker On Fire Podcast Doug Edwards

Mackenzie Balmer was a girl who grew up without the church. When she encountered Jesus, she found out that God had a wonderful plan for her life already in place. She and her husband Zane have a unique love story and they both have a ministry profession.
Mackenzie is with Apex Missions for students with the EFCA (Evangelival Free Church of America). She helps youth pastors and their youth groups get onto the national and international mission field. She also works with Apex's Mission and Leadership Team and their "TEN:Two Team", so students can serve Christ and His Church during the summer.
Listen in as we dive into Mackenzie's story!
 
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You can learn more about Apex Missions here: www.apexmissions.org
You can connect with Mackenzie and the Apex Team at: apex@efca.org
 
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Looking for a new student ministry resource? You can read my book “Burn Up Not Out: A Student Ministry Fire Builder’s Guidebook” here: https://amzn.to/3PtBTIy
Listen to more episodes from the Youth Worker On Fire Podcast here: https://bit.ly/3saDyYq
 
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EPISODE CREDITS
Email us at: youthworkeronfire@gmail.com
Hosted by: Doug Edwards
Theme Song: "The One and Only" by The 808 : Listen to more at https://bit.ly/3FTYIAJ
Intro/Outro Voiceover: Michael Helms : https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelTheSoundGuy 
Edited by: Secret Roots Music House

This episode is about taking action! Especially, acting like (aka modeling) the person you want your children and/or students to be like.
“Do what I say and not what I do!” Was an old saying. It didn’t work when it was popular and it doesn’t work now. What do you want your children, grandchildren, students, volunteer staff to be like? Whatever that is... you need to be modeling exactly that. You will start seeing the results!
Jesus modeled to his disciples, family and friends who he wanted them to be. You do the same and you will see the results.
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Looking for a new student ministry resource? You can read my book “Burn Up Not Out: A Student Ministry Fire Builder’s Guidebook” here: https://amzn.to/3PtBTIy
Listen to more episodes from the Youth Worker On Fire Podcast here: https://bit.ly/3saDyYq
_______________________________
EPISODE CREDITS
Email us at: youthworkeronfire@gmail.com
Hosted by: Doug Edwards
Theme Song: "The One and Only" by The 808 : Listen to more at https://bit.ly/3FTYIAJ
Intro/Outro Voiceover: Michael Helms : https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelTheSoundGuy 
Edited by: Secret Roots Music House

25 years seems like a long time until you compare it to history.
We overestimate what we can accomplish in a year and under estimate what we can accomplish in 10 years. Time and longevity matter!
Invest in teenagers and your personal future will change. Life changing events happen. Students grow up and in a few years after school, they are making decisions that change all of our lives.
When you plant the seeds... God grows the people like compounding interest. Trust that God is doing a good work!
 
_______________________________
Looking for a new student ministry resource? You can read my book “Burn Up Not Out: A Student Ministry Fire Builder’s Guidebook” here: https://amzn.to/3PtBTIy
Listen to more episodes from the Youth Worker On Fire Podcast here: https://bit.ly/3saDyYq
_______________________________
EPISODE CREDITS
Email us at: youthworkeronfire@gmail.com
Hosted by: Doug Edwards
Theme Song: "The One and Only" by The 808 : Listen to more at https://bit.ly/3FTYIAJ
Intro/Outro Voiceover: Michael Helms : https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelTheSoundGuy 
Edited by: Secret Roots Music House

How does an Oncologist end up on a podcast like this? Why would she take her precious time to give to us her knowledge and kindness? Great questions! 
 
Dr. Sarah Friend (formally Sarah Cooke) was a student in the youth ministry I was the pastor of. She gives great credit to my wonderful wife, Colleen, for disciplining her during high school. She talks highly of our adventurous mission trips and student ski trips. She gives her time to us, because we gave our time to her when it counted most during her teenage years.
 
What I consistently told our volunteer staff and church was that the students we poured our life into deserved to be respected and treated as though they were world changers. I said much more about the things and leaders our students would become and Sarah is a great example of why long term commitment to student ministry in one place, for as long as God wants you there, is important and necessary.
 
In this episode, Sarah shares about her time in student ministry, about her journey to becoming a doctor and eventually an oncologist (a doctor who treats cancer). As well as, how she approaches patients and the staff that train under her leadership. We hear about the life she and her husband Nick lead with their 2 children, their life story, and their recent trip to Japan where her husband Nick ran in the Tokyo Marathon!
 
But most importantly, we hear the heart of one of the kindness and most caring human beings I have ever met. Whose enthusiasm for life, family and friends has been consistent since she was a little girl.
 
Your journey is to pour Jesus and the Love of God into students, so when they grew up to be greater than you can imagine, that the Creator of the Universe and Lover of each soul ever born, has a light placed in each student that leaves your care.
 
Thank you Sarah for shining His light in you and in the work you continue to do!

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Looking for a new student ministry resource? You can read my book “Burn Up Not Out: A Student Ministry Fire Builder’s Guidebook” here: https://amzn.to/3PtBTIy
Listen to more episodes from the Youth Worker On Fire Podcast here: https://bit.ly/3saDyYq
_______________________________
EPISODE CREDITS
Email us at: youthworkeronfire@gmail.com
Hosted by: Doug Edwards
Theme Song: "The One and Only" by The 808 : Listen to more at https://bit.ly/3FTYIAJ
Intro/Outro Voiceover: Michael Helms : https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelTheSoundGuy 
Edited by: Secret Roots Music House

Having fun with students is hard work... Gettting students to laugh along with you and/or making them smile is even harder!
Why does it matter? When you get students to laugh or smile it raises their IQ levels... no joke! According a study, it makes a person 31% smarter.  When you make someone smarter, they feel better about themselves... and about you.
That’s why you hear most public communicators tell a joke or a funny story. They are engaging the crowd. They are winning the crowd over.  Youth Workers have to win the crowd over every time they meet with students. It’s not a one time thing... it’s an every time thing.
The Apostle Paul said that, “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible… I have become all things to all people, so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessing.” - 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 NIV
We laugh with them and engage with them, so that they might hear what we need them to hear!

 
Here are a few fun and engaging games (provided by the Ministry Coach Podcast): www.youtube.com/@MinistryCoach
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Looking for a new student ministry resource? You can read my book “Burn Up Not Out: A Student Ministry Fire Builder’s Guidebook” here: https://amzn.to/3PtBTIy
Listen to more episodes from the Youth Worker On Fire Podcast here: https://bit.ly/3saDyYq
_______________________________
EPISODE CREDITS
Email us at: youthworkeronfire@gmail.com
Hosted by: Doug Edwards
Theme Song: "The One and Only" by The 808 : Listen to more at https://bit.ly/3FTYIAJ
Intro/Outro Voiceover: Michael Helms : https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelTheSoundGuy 
Edited by: Secret Roots Music House

Organizations and churches want to save money, so they try to hire people for one thing and put too many hats on them... that way they don’t have to spend more on staff. As a result, they complain about everything, because you are doing "little to nothing" well.
That responsibility lies on those who hire without the faith to believe that God wants to do more. It’s your responsibility to say “No” to everything you are not called to do. If you say yes, it will not end. You will not be able to do anything with excellence for long.
So... NICHE DOWN! If you are new in a ministry, focuse for the first 2 years on what you do best. Work most with the type of staff and students that you relate most with. Focus on that type of student... such as the leadership types, art lovers, sports enthusiasts, academic thriving, technology driven, music performance, mechanical, social media aware, homeschooled, private schooled, public school. Not all of those… but one of those at least one day a week.
When that works, then start being "all things" to all students, but maybe through volunteer staff who have the other personalities and leanings. Niching Down makes perfect sense. That’s how students live life and that’s how they will share their faith best.
Stop trying to be the cookie cutter student ministry. Niche Down and make it personal, so that the Holy Spirit has a chance to move and multiply through your students and volunteers. The fastest way to a city wide awakening and beyond is by micro-focusing and teaching them a Great Commission Vision. Teach them about a God World View!

_______________________________
Looking for a new student ministry resource? You can read my book “Burn Up Not Out: A Student Ministry Fire Builder’s Guidebook” here: https://amzn.to/3PtBTIy
Listen to more episodes from the Youth Worker On Fire Podcast here: https://bit.ly/3saDyYq
_______________________________
EPISODE CREDITS
Email us at: youthworkeronfire@gmail.com
Hosted by: Doug Edwards
Theme Song: "The One and Only" by The 808 : Listen to more at https://bit.ly/3FTYIAJ
Intro/Outro Voiceover: Michael Helms : https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelTheSoundGuy 
Edited by: Secret Roots Music House