NextGen Matters

Rich Brown
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Those leading in Next Generation ministries are navigating a complex landscape of relational, emotional, and organizational pressures that demand resilience, creativity, and deep community connection to sustain impactful ministry in a rapidly changing world.  Does this sound like you?  Then we're glad you're here! NextGen Matters and this podcast are here to guide you through the complexity by providing you with Biblically sound solutions to meet your ministry needs. Why this podcast? Our show helps NextGen ministry leaders overcome the stress of ministry by covering topics that matter for leaders that matter.  With over forty years of continual practical youth ministry experience, Rich understands the journey of where student ministry has been, the challenges facing ministry leaders today, as we prepare another generation to follow Jesus into tomorrow.  His desire is to see this podcast be a resource for those who are professional NextGen Ministry leaders, volunteer NextGen Ministry leaders, and anyone who cares about the Next Generation.   "If we are going to have spiritually healthy students, we must have spiritually healthy local church student ministry cultures, which must come from a place of spiritually healthy ministry leaders.  This podcast exists for that reason!  I want to come alongside you by engaging with you, encouraging you, equipping you, and empowering you to fulfill the God-given calling He has placed on you in your ministry to this current generation of adolescents."  ~ Rich Brown Each episode deals with the real issues today's youth leaders are facing with real solutions based on the timeless truth of God's Word.  And that is a promise! About our Host Rich grew up in a small town in central New York, which featured one stop light and two gas stations. Born into a godly ministry family and consistently seeing and hearing the gospel, Rich gave his life over to Jesus as a young age. During college, he met the young lady of his dreams! Rich says, "Jesus and Janet were the two best decisions I’ve ever made!” They have been married since 1985. Rich and Janet have three adult children (two married), and five grandchildren. His two sons are ordained pastors in ministry, and his daughter owns her own salon. Most important, they all love Jesus! While in college, God called him to student ministries and Rich has been working with students ever since, even now volunteering in his church’s high school ministry. With over 20 years as a student pastor in the local church followed by over 20 years in teaching student ministry in higher education, he loves students and student ministry leaders. In 2019 God called him to begin his own ministry, NextGenMatters, where he seeks to “relationally equip today’s leaders for tomorrow’s generation.” While his primary ministry is now ministering to adults, it all centers back to seeing teenagers be fully mature lifelong disciples of Jesus. He avidly follows baseball, loves landscaping on his two acres, is a history nerd, and doesn't know a day without coffee. His lifelong desire is to live out Colossians 1:28-29.

  1. Sep 24 ·  Video

    #34: One Team / One Mission (Building a Missional Ministry Culture pt.5)

    Episode Show Notes In this episode, Rich wraps up the Building a Missional Ministry mini‑series on cultivating a missional mindset in student ministry across public, Christian, and homeschool environments. He challenges leaders to help students see their schools not as their ultimate identity, but as their mission field, while cultivating healthy school pride and relationships across different academic settings. Rich also unpacks how you can transform a diverse student ministry into one team pursuing one mission – to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ to the most spiritually lost yet spiritually open demographic – today’s adolescents. He lays out three core goals for building unity: Helping students champion their schools, Creating relational unity across school diversity, and Developing missional unity around the gospel.Resources Mentioned Next Gen Matters – https://www.nextgenmatters.com/Email for Rich Brown (NGM): rich@nextgenmatters.comWatch this episode on YouTube The Bible (Scripture references in order: Jeremiah 29:1–9; 2 Corinthians 5:18; Acts 17:26; Matthew 5:44; John 17; 1 Timothy 2:1–2; Romans 9:1–5; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 2:19; John 10:16; Philippians 1:27; Matthew 28:19: Matthew 9:35–38) Timestamps 00:01–00:55 — The Problem: School Identity Hijacks Ministry00:55–01:44 — The Mini-Series Recap01:44–03:17 — Three Goals for Missional Unity03:35–22:09 — GOAL 1: Students Should Champion Their Schools     1. Groups Are From God (03:51–05:36)     2. Identity vs. Assignment (06:01–07:39)     3. Healthy vs. Unhealthy School Pride (07:53–11:44)     4. Desire to See Schools Prosper (11:56–22:09)22:09–31:47— GOAL 2: Creating Group Unity Across School Diversity     1. Unity in Relationships (22:43–25:51)     2. Celebrating Differences Without Divisions (25:51–27:15)     3. Constructing Cross-School Friendships (27:15–28:35)     4. Communicating Oneness (28:35–31:06)31:47–40:34 — GOAL 3: Creating Unity in Purpose     1. Shared Mission (32:02–33:30)     2. Define Success the Same Way for Everyone (33:30–34:13)     3. Tell Disciple-Making Stories From Every Context (34:13–34:43)     4. Public Schools as “Jerusalem” (34:43–39:18)     5. Cross-School Outreach Teams (39:31–40:34)40:34–43:44 — Closing and Call to Action Three Calls to Action Take one step toward relational unity this week. Take one step toward missional unity this week. Take one step toward school appreciation this week.

  2. Sep 8 ·  Video

    #33: Engaging Your Home School Student (Building a Missional Culture Pt.4)

    Show Overview This episode of NextGen Matters pulls back the curtain on the spiritual, social, and emotional realities of homeschool students in youth ministry. Rich sits down with Matt and April McClay of Huntington, WV — both ministry leaders and homeschool parents — to explore misconceptions, discipleship needs, co‑op dynamics, missional engagement, and how churches can better integrate and empower homeschoolers. The conversation highlights the diversity within homeschool families, the balance between protection and mission, the unique struggles homeschool students face, and practical ways parents and ministry leaders can cultivate belonging, spiritual growth, and evangelistic courage. Resources: Next Gen Matters: https://www.nextgenmatters.com/Email for Rich Brown (NGM): rich@nextgenmatters.comEmail for Matt McClay: m.mcclay@lmbc.orgEmail for April McClay: a.mcclay@lmbc.orgSubscribe for NGM Thursday Tools emailatch this episode on YouTubeTimestamps 00:01 — Seeing the homeschool student beyond the stereotype Rich introduces the different school backgrounds represented in a typical student ministry and challenges leaders to see homeschool students as more than observers. 02:28 — Homeschooling doesn't automatically mean spiritual maturity Matt and April explain why homeschool students have varied discipleship needs and why homeschooling families should not automatically be assumed to be Christian or spiritually mature. 08:16 — The McClays' homeschooling journey and the power of community Matt shares how their family began homeschooling during COVID-19 and how their co-op has helped provide connection, community, and ministry opportunities. 17:38 — Helping homeschool students become missional The conversation turns toward evangelism and the assumption that homeschool and Christian-school students don't have opportunities to interact with people who don't follow Jesus. 23:09 — Protectionism vs. mission Rich reflects on his own experiences growing up and the tension between protecting students and teaching them to engage with people who are far from God. Matt emphasizes that wisdom requires both protection and missional engagement. 30:39 — Homeschool students are an asset to student ministry Matt discusses how his perspective has changed over 16 years of ministry—from seeing homeschool students as having limited potential for outreach to recognizing the unique strengths and opportunities they bring. 32:23 — Spiritual struggles homeschool students may face Matt and April discuss isolation, sheltered environments, pride, spiritual vulnerability, and the reality that homeschool students face the same fundamental struggle with sin and the flesh as every other student. 39:24 — Practical advice for parents and ministry leaders Matt and April encourage homeschooling parents to persevere and encourage ministry leaders to build trust with parents, involve them, and treat homeschool students like every other student while validating their experiences and interests.

    #33: Engaging Your Home School Student (Building a Missional Culture Pt.4)

  3. Sep 1 ·  Video

    #32: Engaging Your Christian School Student (Building a Missional Culture Pt.3)

    Christian school students often appear spiritually strong from the outside but what’s happening beneath the surface? In this episode, Rich takes an honest look at the spiritual condition of students in Christian school environments as he interviews Andy Lawrenson.  Andy is campus pastor. of Liberty Christian Academy (Lynchburg, Virginia) where he daily shepherds and leads the spiritual formation of over 2,000 students, specifically over 800 Middle and HIgh School student.  With over 35 years in local church student ministry and the last five in this campus role, Andy definitely knows what makes up teenagers and especially those in a Christian School context. The episode also casts a vision for mobilizing Christian school students as missionaries within their own school and their local church student ministry. Rather than seeing themselves as spiritually “set,” these students can become catalysts—students who pray, serve, invite, and live out the gospel with intentionality. Leaders will walk away with tools to help Christian school students embrace a missional identity and engage the world around them with clarity, humility, and courage.

    #32: Engaging Your Christian School Student (Building a Missional Culture Pt.3)

  4. Aug 18 ·  Video

    #31: Engaging Your Public School Students (Building a Missional Culture pt.2 with Travis Deans)

    As summer fades and backpacks reappear, Rich kicks off Part 2 of the Building a Missional Culture series—focusing on the greatest mission field students will ever step into: their local school. Whether public, private, or homeschool, every student has a place to live out the gospel. In this episode, Rich sits down with longtime friend and ministry veteran Travis Deans, Northeast Director for the National Network of Youth Ministries (NNYM). With 30 years of experience helping students bring Jesus to their campuses, Travis unpacks the vision behind the Nine-Month Mission Trip and shares how youth leaders can cultivate a unified, missional mindset across all school environments. Together they explore how to equip students to pray for, care for, and share the gospel with their friends—and how public school, Christian school, and homeschool students can truly become one team on one mission. The conversation also highlights practical ways leaders can model evangelism, connect students across churches and campuses, and create space for students to share stories of what God is doing through them. “We want to challenge you—think of your school as a nine-month mission trip.” — Travis Deans Travis’ call to action: Use the free resources at 9monthmissiontrip.com. Access the Dropbox toolkit full of videos, training, and club-launch materials. Download the Nine-Day Devotional (Daniel & Esther) on Download Youth Ministry. Schedule a brainstorming call with Travis as he loves helping leaders strategize.“We’d love to help you help your students make this spiritual for eternity.” — Travis Deans

    #31: Engaging Your Public School Students (Building a Missional Culture pt.2 with Travis Deans)

  5. Aug 11 ·  Video

    #30: Students Reaching Students (Building a Missional Culture Pt. 1)

    Episode Summary:In this episode, Rich unpacks why students are uniquely positioned to reach other students with the gospel of Jesus Christ. You’ll hear why the school campus is the greatest mission field your ministry touches, how today’s 34 million teens are spread across public, Christian, and homeschool environments, and the five ways Jesus reached people that students can imitate right now. He challenges ministry leaders to stop thinking merely in terms of “youth group” and instead build a missional student ministry where students are equipped and unleashed to reach their own generation. Rich explores the need to see your ministries become one team on one mission and identifies six reasons Christian students have a unique opportunity to reach their peers: identity, empathy, relationships, proximity, social connection, and credibility. The episode closes with a challenge: build a ministry structure that’s intentionally missional—and equip your students to own the mission themselves. Resources Mentioned: Next Gen Matters: https://www.nextgenmatters.com/Email for Rich Brown (NGM): rich@nextgenmatters.comSubscribe for NGM Thursday Tools emailWatch this episode on YouTubeStudent Ministry Essentials co-authored by Dr. Richard Brown and Dr. Steve Vandegriff (Moody Press). The Bible: (Scripture references in the order of their mention): John 1, 4, 13; Mark 10:21; Luke 4:16–21; Matthew 4; 1 Timothy 4:12 Timestamps: 00:01–00:48 — Friday night football scene; emotional and spiritual realities01:04–01:28 — Individual student stories01:42–02:26 — 4% saved / 96% unsaved breakdown02:26–03:07 — 77% come to Christ before age 2103:25–04:01 — Introduction to the four‑week missional series04:01–04:45 — Why students reach students04:45–06:17 — Public, private, homeschool environments06:17–07:35 — Academic breakdown: 34 million students07:35–08:15 — One team, one mission08:15–09:07 — Signature talk setup09:07–12:28 — Five ways Jesus reached people12:28–14:18 — Personal story: praying over school campuses14:18–18:39 — Who actually reaches students? Data from Liberty University classes18:39–23:56 — Six reasons saved students reach their peers23:56–27:55 — Relational, proximity, social, credibility explained27:55–30:23 — Student ministry is missional ministry30:23–35:22 — Missionary kid story; comparison to student mission field35:22–36:33 — Students as players; adults as coaching staff36:33–40:06 — Final challenge + call to action

    #30: Students Reaching Students (Building a Missional Culture Pt. 1)

  6. Aug 4 ·  Video

    #29: Making the Mission Last (Interview with Tim Wadsworth)

    Episode Summary Every mission trip ends with students returning home inspired and full of stories about what God has done. But what happens when everyday life begins again? School starts, schedules fill up, and the excitement fades. In this follow-up episode, Rich Brown sits down with veteran student pastor Tim Wadsworth to discuss how ministry leaders can intentionally help students carry the spiritual momentum of a mission trip into everyday life. Using the Five Pillars of Mission Trip Follow-Up as the framework, they explore practical ways to partner with parents, engage the local church, disciple individual students, strengthen the student ministry, and maintain relationships with the host ministry. The conversation reminds leaders that success isn't measured by what happens during the mission trip but by how students live on mission long after they return home. Resources Mentioned:Next Gen Matters: https://www.nextgenmatters.com/Email for Rich Brown (NGM): rich@nextgenmatters.comSubscribe for NGM Thursday Tools emailWatch this episode on YouTube The Bible (Scripture references in the order of their mention): James 1:23; Ephesians 4:12; 1 Timothy 4:12; Luke 10:17–20; Philippians 1:27; Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 20:32; Matthew 9:37–38; Luke 12:48; Matthew 25:21; Isaiah 14:12–15

    #29: Making the Mission Last (Interview with Tim Wadsworth)

  7. Jul 24 ·  Video

    #28: "Bringing It Home" (Bridging the mission experience into everyday life)

    A week of serving can change a student's life, but what happens when they come home? The mission trip is over. The excitement begins to fade. School starts back. Daily routines return. Without intentional follow-up, one of the most spiritually significant weeks in a student's life can quickly become just another great memory. In this episode of NextGen Matters, Rich Brown shares a practical framework to help ministry leaders bridge the gap between the mission field and everyday life. Instead of simply celebrating what happened during the trip, you'll learn how to intentionally multiply its impact long after the bus pulls back into the church parking lot. Using a simple Five-Pillar Bridge Framework, Rich walks through practical ideas that help students move from doing missions to living on mission every day. The Five Pillars of Effective Mission Trip Follow-Up The Home – Equip parents and establish healthy rhythms that continue discipleship. The Local Church – Invite the congregation to celebrate, pray, and participate in the mission. The Student Ministry – Process the experience together and create opportunities for continued service. The Individual Student – Invest personally through follow-up, encouragement, and intentional discipleship. The Host Site – Strengthen long-term partnerships through gratitude, prayer, and ongoing connection.Key Takeaways The most important part of a mission trip may be what happens after it ends. Spiritual momentum requires intentional follow-up. Students should return home with a mission, not simply memories. Mission trips should strengthen families, not just student ministries. Healthy debriefing will guard students from pride and redirects their identity back to Christ. The goal isn't simply to create memorable experiences—it is to cultivate lifelong disciples.Scripture Mentioned Matthew 17 (The Mount of Transfiguration); Luke 10:17–20; Hebrews 3; Hebrews 10; Luke 17:11–19 (The Ten Lepers) Resources Mentioned Next Gen Matters: https://www.nextgenmatters.com/Email for Rich Brown (NGM): rich@nextgenmatters.com Subscribe for NGM Thursday Tools email Watch this episode on YouTube

    #28: "Bringing It Home" (Bridging the mission experience into everyday life)

  8. Jul 16 ·  Video

    #27: You Can Win the Stats but Lose the Game (Ministry Lessons from King Uzziah)

    Episode Overview In this episode of NextGen Matters, Rich Brown explores the life of King Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26) and challenges ministry leaders with one sobering truth: it's possible to have an impressive ministry résumé and still fail to finish well. This episode weaves together sports drama, biblical reflection, and a heartfelt challenge for ministry leaders: it’s not how you start the game — it’s how you finish. From Mariano Rivera’s legendary closing ability to the New York Knicks’ historic NBA Finals comeback, Rich draws a vivid parallel to the life of King Uzziah in 2 Chronicles 26. King Uzziah enjoyed decades of remarkable leadership, military victories, economic prosperity, and spiritual influence before pride ultimately destroyed his legacy. This episode is a call for Next Gen leaders to pursue humility, accountability, and lifelong dependence on God so they can finish their ministry faithfully. Side Note from Rich Brown: Right after this was recorded, I saw this on X, "Sean Sweeney, San Antonio’s former top assistant coach and now head coach of the Orlando Magic, offered his take on why his squad is just the runner-up. "They told me if the games were like 46 minutes or whatever, we would’ve won 4-1.'” I am not quite sure how to respond. 😂 Finish strong, bro, and you win. Resources MentionedNext Gen Matters: https://www.nextgenmatters.com/Email for Rich Brown (NGM): rich@nextgenmatters.comSubscribe for NGM Thursday Tools emailWatch this episode on YouTube The Bible (Scripture references in the order of their mention): 2 Chronicles 26; 1 Corinthians 10:11; 2 Kings 15; Amos 5; Hosea 12; Isaiah 6:1; James 4:6; 2 Timothy 4:7; 2 Timothy 4:6–8 Timestamps00:00  Welcome to NextGen Matters00:15   Baseball closers and finishing the game03:00  NBA Finals illustration07:00  Meet King Uzziah08:10  Why Old Testament examples still matter10:00  Background on Uzziah16:20   Becoming king at sixteen19:00   Military victories and national growth21:25    Building a flourishing kingdom24:00   Economic prosperity26:00   Uzziah's early spiritual life27:00   Pride changes everything29:15    God's judgment30:00   Isolation and final years32:10    Legacy of King Uzziah33:15    Leadership lessons for today35:10    How to finish strong36:20   Final encouragement

    #27: You Can Win the Stats but Lose the Game (Ministry Lessons from King Uzziah)
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About

Those leading in Next Generation ministries are navigating a complex landscape of relational, emotional, and organizational pressures that demand resilience, creativity, and deep community connection to sustain impactful ministry in a rapidly changing world.  Does this sound like you?  Then we're glad you're here! NextGen Matters and this podcast are here to guide you through the complexity by providing you with Biblically sound solutions to meet your ministry needs. Why this podcast? Our show helps NextGen ministry leaders overcome the stress of ministry by covering topics that matter for leaders that matter.  With over forty years of continual practical youth ministry experience, Rich understands the journey of where student ministry has been, the challenges facing ministry leaders today, as we prepare another generation to follow Jesus into tomorrow.  His desire is to see this podcast be a resource for those who are professional NextGen Ministry leaders, volunteer NextGen Ministry leaders, and anyone who cares about the Next Generation.   "If we are going to have spiritually healthy students, we must have spiritually healthy local church student ministry cultures, which must come from a place of spiritually healthy ministry leaders.  This podcast exists for that reason!  I want to come alongside you by engaging with you, encouraging you, equipping you, and empowering you to fulfill the God-given calling He has placed on you in your ministry to this current generation of adolescents."  ~ Rich Brown Each episode deals with the real issues today's youth leaders are facing with real solutions based on the timeless truth of God's Word.  And that is a promise! About our Host Rich grew up in a small town in central New York, which featured one stop light and two gas stations. Born into a godly ministry family and consistently seeing and hearing the gospel, Rich gave his life over to Jesus as a young age. During college, he met the young lady of his dreams! Rich says, "Jesus and Janet were the two best decisions I’ve ever made!” They have been married since 1985. Rich and Janet have three adult children (two married), and five grandchildren. His two sons are ordained pastors in ministry, and his daughter owns her own salon. Most important, they all love Jesus! While in college, God called him to student ministries and Rich has been working with students ever since, even now volunteering in his church’s high school ministry. With over 20 years as a student pastor in the local church followed by over 20 years in teaching student ministry in higher education, he loves students and student ministry leaders. In 2019 God called him to begin his own ministry, NextGenMatters, where he seeks to “relationally equip today’s leaders for tomorrow’s generation.” While his primary ministry is now ministering to adults, it all centers back to seeing teenagers be fully mature lifelong disciples of Jesus. He avidly follows baseball, loves landscaping on his two acres, is a history nerd, and doesn't know a day without coffee. His lifelong desire is to live out Colossians 1:28-29.

Information

  • Creator
    Rich Brown
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    NextGen Matters