My review for Episode #49: Stand in the Gap | A Long Obedience in NextGen Ministry feat. Joe Martin
I’ve known Pastor Joe Martin since he was a little kid, so trust me when I say this…nobody’s better at making ministry look like a middle school lock-in gone wrong. I’ll be honest though…I haven’t even listened to this podcast episode. And honestly? I don’t need to. I already know what Joe’s about.
Pastor Joe claims he’s serving the NextGen…but let’s be real, he just wanted a job where TikTok counts as sermon prep. He’s been in NextGen ministry for 12 years, which is exactly how long his mustache has been in training. And that mustache? Less “serious ministry leader” and more “failed 80s youth camp counselor,” giving off strong Creed Bratton energy…confusing, unnecessary, and probably hiding something.
When Joe says “back to the basics,” I think he means he finally learned how to plug in the projector without calling the tech team. (Ask me how I know) His ministry philosophy? If you can’t fix it with pizza, smoke machines, or another conference, it’s not worth fixing. Translation: if it involves dodgeball, loud music, or Mountain Dew, Joe’s your guy. He thinks he’s a NextGen expert, but really he’s just mastered the art of pretending dodgeball is discipleship.
Joe moved from the West Coast to Fort Wayne…basically a witness protection program for pastors who couldn’t cut it in California. Honestly, it proves once and for all that God still works miracles. He says he’s reaching the Next Generation, but bro… you can’t even reach the top shelf without a stepstool.
Don’t be fooled by his degrees…Joe’s got more than a thermometer, but still can’t figure out how to mute himself on Zoom. He’s got a Master’s in Strategic Leadership, which is just fancy talk for “I know how to order extra pizza when more kids show up.”
And let’s not forget…Joe grew up in Idaho. Which explains his ministry style…bland, starchy, and only useful if you add cheese and bacon. His sermons? Just like Idaho potatoes…half-baked. Truth is, Joe didn’t choose ministry. Ministry was his backup plan after his art career flopped harder than a watercolor in the rain. His stick figures couldn’t even get saved. Growing up in Idaho, his only two options were farming potatoes or boring teenagers. Lucky us, he picked the second one. And moving from Idaho to Indiana? That’s not a divine call…that’s just trading one cornfield for another.
And who could forget Joe’s short-lived dream of doing prophetic face painting? Yeah, nothing says ‘Spirit-led’ like a crooked lion smeared on a teenager’s cheek. The one time he tried it, half the kids thought it was a cat, the other half thought it was broccoli. Needless to say, that ministry didn’t make it past the trial run.
So yeah…give the episode a listen if you want. Just know you’ll get “strategic leadership” that mostly sounds like “add more dodgeball,” “mobilizing leaders” that looks a lot like “free coffee refills,” and a mustache that’s seen more failed lock-ins than actual revivals.
Five stars. Would recommend. But again…I still haven’t listened.
