Youth Ministry Booster

Youth Ministry Booster
  • 4.3 (157)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to the Youth Ministry Booster podcast! The most honest and hilarious podcast in student ministry. Hosted by Zac Workun and Chad Higgins. We are the biggest fans of youth ministry leaders like you! We are here for you with the humor and the help to engage, entertain, equip, and encourage.Youth ministry is better together. Learn more @ http://www.youthministrybooster.com

  1. 5d ago ·  Video

    How Youth Ministry Can Help College Students Thrive w/ Paul Worcester

    Send us Fan Mail What if the greatest measure of success in youth ministry isn't getting students to graduation... ...it's what happens after they leave? Every youth pastor has watched it happen. A student who was faithful all through high school slowly disappears during their first semester of college. Rarely is it one dramatic decision. More often it's loneliness, distraction, isolation, and never learning how to follow Jesus without someone planning their spiritual life. In this episode, Zac Workun sits down with Paul Worcester (North American Mission Board) to explore what college ministry leaders see every fall—and what youth pastors can do before graduation to help students develop a faith that actually lasts. Together they unpack why the first 90 days of college are one of the most important windows in a student's spiritual life, how discipleship must move beyond teaching into training, and why smaller discipleship groups may be one of the missing pieces in modern youth ministry. 📘Paul also introduces Thrive, a new Bible study designed to help students navigate the transition from high school to college with a gospel-centered identity and sustainable spiritual habits. If you want your graduates to leave your ministry prepared—not just inspired—this conversation is for you. In This Episode Why the first 90 days of college often determine a student's spiritual trajectoryThe difference between teaching students and training disciplesWhy youth ministry small groups may still be too bigHow accountability changes spiritual growthHelping students learn to feed themselves through Scripture and prayerCreating a better handoff between youth ministry and college ministryWhy every youth pastor should connect graduates to a BCM or healthy collegiate ministry before move-in dayPreparing students for head, heart, and hands discipleship—not just apologeticsHelping students build identity in Christ instead of performanceWhy sanctification is a lifelong journey—not a finish lineGrace-centered discipline versus legalism in a distracted generationSimplifying youth ministry around a wide front door and a deep discipleship coreKey Takeaways One of the biggest ideas from this conversation is simple: Students don't simply need more or better sermons. They need better training. Intentional, relational, and personal. Teaching informs. Training transforms. When students regularly practice Scripture, prayer, accountability, evangelism, and spiritual disciplines before graduation, they're far more likely to continue those rhythms when nobody is checking attendance. As Paul says: "More time with fewer people leads to greater lasting Kingdom impact." Support the show Join the community!

  2. Jul 9 ·  Video

    Help For Counseling Overwhelmed Teens w/ Dr. Kristin Kellen

    Send us Fan Mail Teenagers are drowning in noise, and most of them don’t have the brain bandwidth or life experience to sort it all out yet. From the SBC 2026 exhibit hall, we talk with Dr. Kristen Kellen about what it looks like to counsel teens faithfully when anxiety, comparison, and overwhelm feel like the background music of adolescence. If you've ever wondered: "Am I doing enough for struggling students?" "When should I listen...and when should I refer?" "How do I help teenagers who feel anxious all the time?" ...this conversation is for you. We get specific about emotional health and why it can’t be separated from the rest of life. Sleep, food, hydration, exercise, and screen time matter more than we want to admit, especially for developing bodies and brains. Then we challenge a popular idea that quietly shapes teen culture: the belief that emotions are authoritative and binding. Dr. Kellen gives language that protects kids from shame while still giving them agency, helping them move from “I feel anxious, so I am anxious” to “I’m experiencing anxiety, and I can respond wisely.” For youth pastors and youth leaders, we dig into the difference between helping a student feel better in the moment and helping them become healthy over time. We talk modeling emotional regulation, naming feelings without being ruled by them, and using practical steps that build resilience. We also explore suffering and spiritual maturity, why Scripture assumes hardship, and how patience and the fruit of the Spirit grow through repeated practice, not instant change. If you’ve wanted a clearer framework for Christian counseling and pastoral care with teens, this conversation will give you traction. We talk about why so many teenagers feel overwhelmed and how we can respond with wisdom instead of panic. We lay out practical ways to help students name their feelings, build agency, and grow toward long-term health and spiritual maturity.  In This Episode Why so many teenagers feel overwhelmed todayThe relationship between brain development and emotional maturityWhy feelings are real—but shouldn't become our authorityHelping students become healthy instead of simply helping them feel betterSimple counseling principles every youth pastor can practiceWhy modeling emotional regulation matters more than having all the answersBuilding spiritual resilience instead of instant reliefThe role suffering plays in Christian maturityHow youth ministry can become a "laboratory" for practicing the Fruit of the SpiritKnowing when to partner with parents, counselors, and mental health professionalsWhy your faithful presence matters more than you realize Quotes "If we always focus on the fix, students may never learn the skill.""Teenagers don't just need answers—they need adults who model healthy faith.""Youth ministry is a long game played inside a very short season.""Don't underestimate the ministry of simply being present.""Our goal isn't just to remove suffering—it's to help students meet Christ in the middle of it." Support the show Join the community!

  3. Jul 2 ·  Video

    How Youth Ministry Can Reach Gen Alpha w/ Dr. Shelly Melia

    Send us Fan Mail Gen Alpha Is Here. Is Your Ministry Ready? The students walking into your ministry today have never known life without smartphones, algorithms, or instant access to the world. They're also asking bigger questions than many churches are prepared to answer. In this episode Zac Workun sits down with Dr. Shelly Melia at SBC2026 to discuss what makes Generation Alpha unique,and why youth ministry may need to rethink some of its biggest assumptions. From AI and biblical literacy to belonging and family discipleship, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom for leaders who want to disciple students instead of simply entertaining them. Why Gen Alpha is fundamentally different from Gen ZThe coming impact of AI on discipleshipWhy biblical literacy is declining faster than many leaders realizeHow COVID shaped students' expectations of faith and sufferingThe importance of teaching lament and resilienceWhy belonging—not attendance—is becoming the key metricHelping parents become disciple-makers at homeMoving from information transfer to transformational dialogueWhy every student needs trusted adults—not just a great youth pastorPractical ways to reduce digital dependence inside your ministry"The whole world is Gen Alpha's neighborhood." "Students are receiving far more discipleship from their phones than from the church." "Stop talking at students. Start dialoguing with them." "Students don't just need to belong. They need to be needed." "The truth is stronger than the questions." "Youth ministry isn't just about entertaining students. It's about empowering disciples." Practical Takeaways Build your ministries that prioritize relationships over production.Teach students how to wrestle with suffering before suffering arrives.Assume less biblical knowledge and teach foundational Scripture intentionally.Create environments where questions are welcomed.Equip parents instead of replacing them.Help students practice presence in an age of constant distraction.Shift from event-centered ministry to disciple-making communities.Reaching Generation Alpha — Dr. Shelly Melia & Shane Pruitt Support the show Join the community!

  4. Jun 18 ·  Video

    Youth Ministry That Lasts w/ Dr. David Odom

    Send us Fan Mail This episode wraps up our three-part conversation with Dr. David Odom on Deconstructing Youth Ministry and offers a timely reminders for youth ministry friends. The future of youth ministry doesn't hinge on doing more. It depends on becoming the kind of leader who can faithfully serve for longer.  🎙️ In this episode: Why working harder isn't the answerThe hidden cost of ministry without marginRed flags that reveal you're running too close to emptyThe power of honest accountability and trusted friendshipsWhy every youth ministry leader needs a place to be a person, not just a the persona of pastorHow confession and failure are tools for spiritual growthWhat long-term success in youth ministry actually looks likeCelebrating spiritual victories instead of only event victoriesPractical ways to rest without feeling guiltyWhy debriefing camps and mission trips may be more important than planning themAbout David Odom Dr. David Odom serves as a leader, researcher, and professor with decades of experience in student ministry. His book, Youth Ministry Deconstructed: Rethinking Your Ministry to Build Lasting Faith in Students, challenges churches to evaluate the assumptions behind modern youth ministry and reimagine discipleship for the next generation. Support the show Join the community!

  5. Jun 11 ·  Video

    Rethinking Relational Youth Ministry w/ Dr. David Odom

    Send us Fan Mail Before we know it, youth ministry can become really good at running events—and not as effective at making disciples. In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. David Odom and Deconstructing Youth Ministry, we tackle one of the biggest questions facing churches today. How do we build student ministries that produce lasting faith, not just busy calendars? We explore why teenagers today are both different and surprisingly the same. Students still wrestle with identity, belonging, purpose, and faith, but they’re doing it in a world shaped by social media, digital overload, and increasing isolation. That’s why relational youth ministry matters more than ever. Dr. Odom shares two powerful truths every youth leader should remember: ✅ True discipleship happens in the context of relationships. ✅ The leader is the lesson. We also unpack Dr. Odom’s research into the three arenas of effective youth ministry: 🔹 Teenagers in the youth group 🔹 Teenagers and their families 🔹 Teenagers in the congregation We discuss practical parent ministry strategies, helping students connect to the larger church, creating meaningful service opportunities, mentoring teenagers into leadership, and avoiding the trap of measuring success by attendance, events, and programming alone. 🎙️ In this episode: • The future of youth ministry • Gen Z and Gen Alpha discipleship • Relational ministry vs. attractional ministry • Student leadership development • Parent ministry strategies that actually work • Building intergenerational church connections • Why students need to be known, not just entertained • Youth group trends worth keeping—and retiring About David Odom Dr. David Odom serves as a leader, researcher, and professor with decades of experience in student ministry. His book, Youth Ministry Deconstructed: Rethinking Your Ministry to Build Lasting Faith in Students, challenges churches to evaluate the assumptions behind modern youth ministry and reimagine discipleship for the next generation. Support the show Join the community!

    Rethinking Relational Youth Ministry w/ Dr. David Odom

  6. Jun 6 ·  Video

    Youth Ministry Presence Over Hype w/ JP Black

    Send us Fan Mail What actually makes a youth ministry fruitful? Bigger crowds? Flashier events? Viral moments? In this episode  Zac sits down with JP Black to wrestle honestly with those questions: presence, not popularity. From the moment you walk into JP’s student building—covered in photos, memories, and a “Trophy Wall of Awesome”—you can feel a culture of belonging. But the real transformation didn’t come from décor. It came from a deliberate shift away from event management toward spaces where students encounter God. JP shares how the post-COVID reset forced his team to rebuild from the ground up. Instead of chasing attendance as proof of “anointing,” they began measuring spiritual fruit through markers like confession, repentance, prayer, and resilient discipleship. The result? A ministry less driven by hype and more shaped by genuine transformation. One standout example is their redesigned Venture Weekend, now treated as a modern “stone of remembrance.” Students participate in a powerful concert of prayer, laying down idols and naming what’s holding them back. Fruitful youth ministry isn’t built on popularity, it’s formed through presence, repentance, prayer, and patient discipleship. • history and community markers in the student space • why the Trophy Wall of Awesome matters for belonging • JP’s calling story and long obedience • post-COVID reset of metrics and motives • presence of God as the ministry north star • redesigning Venture Weekend for encounter • splitting middle school and high school for depth • testing hype vs transformation through repentance • practical ways to bring camp home weekly • modeling humility and pressing on from Philippians 3 • concert of prayer and a seventh grader’s salvation • how to connect with JP Black First Rockwall Students on Facebook and Instagram  Instagram: @JPBlack_ Support the show Join the community!

  7. Jun 4 ·  Video

    Youth Ministry Deconstructed w/ Dr. David Odom

    Send us Fan Mail Youth Ministry Deconstructed with David Odom | What If We've Been Doing Youth Ministry Wrong? Have we built youth ministries that attract students… but struggle to form lasting faith? In this first episode of a 3 part series of the Youth Ministry Booster Podcast, Zac Workun sits down with Dr. David Odom from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and author of Youth Ministry Deconstructed, for a conversation about the past, present, and future of student ministry. Together we talk  the history of youth ministry, the assumptions we've inherited, and why many youth pastors are feeling both hopeful and exhausted in today's ministry landscape.  This isn't a conversation about abandoning youth ministry. It's a conversation about rethinking it, breaking it down to rebuild it. Dr. Odom challenges youth leaders to evaluate whether our ministries are producing attendance or discipleship, activity or transformation, participation or ownership of faith. In Part 1 ✅ The surprising history of youth ministry in America ✅ How Youth for Christ helped shape modern student ministry ✅ Why youth ministry became a "church within a church" ✅ What David Odom means by "deconstructing" youth ministry ✅ Why doubt can be a sign of spiritual growth ✅ The problem with measuring success only by attendance ✅ Better discipleship metrics for youth pastors ✅ The difference between programs and environments ✅ Why small groups may need to become even smaller ✅ How mentoring relationships help students own their faith Key Takeaways Youth ministry isn't broken because youth pastors aren't trying hard enough. Student doubt is not always a crisis. Attendance matters, but it isn't enough. Programs don't disciple people. Environments do. "We're not just trying harder. We're rethinking what we're doing.""Student doubt is not a freak-out moment. It's often a faith-forming moment.""The question isn't simply how many students showed up. The question is whether we're helping students build a faith that lasts.""Think in terms of environments, not programs." About David Odom Dr. David Odom serves as a leader, researcher, and professor with decades of experience in student ministry. His book, Youth Ministry Deconstructed: Rethinking Your Ministry to Build Lasting Faith in Students, challenges churches to evaluate the assumptions behind modern youth ministry and reimagine discipleship for the next generation. Support the show Join the community!

  8. May 14 ·  Video

    The Great Commission for Gen Alpha: Go to the ends of the earth w/ Kyle Wiltshire

    Send us Fan Mail And we're back! Back in Nashville that is!  Zac and Chad sit down with Kyle Wilshire to talk about why youth ministry has to move past keeping students busy and doing and start forming students who go and live sent.  We unpack the Great Commission, what mission trips can and cannot do, and how to build everyday courage for gospel conversations in real life and online.  Pickup Kyle's book "GO" here In a digital-first generation, the “ends of the earth” are closer than ever. This conversation explores digital discipleship, social media integrity, and practical ways students can start meaningful conversations about faith online and in person.  In This Episode: Why the Great Commission means “as you go”How to create a missional culture in youth ministryThe real value of student mission tripsTurning mission trip moments into long-term discipleshipHelping students overcome fear in evangelismDigital discipleship and sharing faith onlinePractical ways students can live on mission every dayDon't Miss...  • Ghostbusters memories and why timing matters  • A senior speech that shows the power of owning a moment  • Youth ministry as belonging and the tension when students drift  • Why “go” matters and what “as you go” means  • Mission trips as disruption that widens worldview  • Turning a trip into lasting formation through reminders and follow-up  • Reframing evangelism so students are not carrying the results  • Building gospel familiarity so conversations feel natural  • Acts 1:8 as a map for where we witness  • Modeling faith as leaders in parking lots and daily life  • Digital discipleship and using social platforms as witness  Whether you’re a youth pastor, volunteer leader, parent, or student ministry team member, this episode will encourage you to create a ministry culture that both welcomes students in and sends them back out with purpose. https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/go-teen-bible-study-book-P005852665 Support the show Join the community!

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4.3
out of 5
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About

Welcome to the Youth Ministry Booster podcast! The most honest and hilarious podcast in student ministry. Hosted by Zac Workun and Chad Higgins. We are the biggest fans of youth ministry leaders like you! We are here for you with the humor and the help to engage, entertain, equip, and encourage.Youth ministry is better together. Learn more @ http://www.youthministrybooster.com

Information

  • Creator
    Youth Ministry Booster
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    329
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Youth Ministry Booster
  • Show Website
    Youth Ministry Booster

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