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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!

Send us Fan Mail When a student walked into the office during the pandemic asking whether his father would live long enough for a transplant, it exposed a gap many youth pastors feel but rarely name: we can teach Scripture and organize programs, but do we know how to shepherd teenagers when fear, grief, and uncertainty overwhelm them? We sit down with Dr. Randy Jackson to talk about a gospel-shaped approach to soul care that equips parents as the primary shapers of a teen’s faith. We trace his journey from a pandemic crisis to building a practical framework that deepens conversations at home and in small groups and why equipping parents remains the most strategic work in student ministry. This episode offers practical tools for youth pastors, volunteers, and parents who want to move beyond behavior management and into Christ-centered care for the inner lives of teenagers. 🧠 What You’ll Learn in This Episode A clear, Scripture-rooted definition of soul care for youth ministryWhy crisis moments reveal the limits of program-driven ministryHow the Gospels connect soul care with healing and restorationEight core components of biblical soul care every leader can practiceWhy parents and grandparents remain the primary influencers in teens’ livesHow to equip families to talk about identity, emotions, and mental healthThe most transferable skill for shepherding students: active listeningHow better questions lead to deeper spiritual conversationsWhy vulnerability should come from scars, not  woundsHow volunteers can provide meaningful care without being counselors📖 The 8 Components of Gospel-Shaped Soul Care Dr. Randy Jackson outlines eight practical dimensions of caring for the soul that apply to both ministry leaders and parents: Time — Slowing down to be present (Psalm 90)Influence — Recognizing who shapes a teen’s inner worldMotivation — Understanding the “why” behind behaviorVulnerability — Modeling honest faith from healed placesEmpathy — Entering a student’s experience without rushing to fixMindfulness — Paying attention to God, self, and surroundingsDiscernment — Seeing spiritual realities beneath surface issuesCommunication — Speaking truth with grace and clarityParents and grandparents outrank social media influencers, celebrities, and youth pastors as the most influential voices in teenagers’ lives. Connect w/ Dr. Randy Jackson, Youth Pastor, FBC Atlanta, Texas Email: [email protected] Facebook: facebook.com/rsjacksonus Book Recommendations: Aundi Kolber, Try SofterT. Dale Johnson, The Church as a Culture of CarePaul David Tripp, Instruments in the Redeemer's HandsHarley Atkinson, W. Lee Barnett, and Mike Severe. Ministry with Youth in Crisis. 3rd ed.Richard Foster, Celebration of DisciplineRobert D. Jones, Kristin L. Kellen, and Rob Green. The Gospel For Disordered LivesKara Powell and Brad Griffin, 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager- J. Alasdair Groves and Winston T. Smith, Untangling Emotions - Timothy Paul Jones. Family Ministry Field Guide: How Your Church Can Equip Parents to Make Disciples - Edward T. Welch, Caring For One Another: 8 Ways to Cultivate Meaningful Support the show Join the community!

Send us Fan Mail Which snack would you like to popsicle?  In this episode, Chad Daugherty joins Zac and the crew for a conversation that starts with dad-life fitness in the “llama lift lair” and ends with a practical blueprint for building a healthy, sustainable volunteer culture. Let's talk about the wild world of Gen Alpha — deodorant before rec, ball pumps on standby, and a suspicious loyalty to red Doritos. Then everything shifts when a middle schooler asks a deceptively deep question: Why does the Bible use so many bread images for God? Suddenly, frozen Uncrustables become a doorway to manna, the Bread of Life, communion, and daily dependence on God. That pivot — from silly to sacred — is youth ministry in a nutshell. 🔑 Key Takeaways Pause Your Way Out When big questions land, you don’t have to have instant answers. Chad shares how to slow the moment, invite students into discovery, and model a faith that seeks together. Clarity → Confidence → Consistency → Culture Healthy volunteer teams aren’t built on hype. They grow through clear expectations, steady investment, and repeatable rhythms. Recruitment Is Not Development Most ministries stop after “yes.” Real leadership happens in what comes next. A Simple Leadership Rhythm Pray • Ask • Invest • Wait Care that continues long after the initial excitement fades. 👥  Chad’s 3–2–1 Weekly Volunteer System A practical framework you can start this week: Pray for 3 people Make 2 proactive touchpoints Schedule 1 face-to-face connection Coffee, hallway chat, game night, or visit Do this for 50 weeks: 💯 ~100 families personally touched 🤝 50 in-person connections 🌱 A culture shaped over time Make sure you hit the links below, whether we're gonna see you in a couple states, in a couple regions in the next few ways, or catch us online Lifeway.com/essentials Lifeway.com/experience We'd love to see you in Virginia, in North Carolina, or one of our youth pastor summit locations Support the show Join the community!

Send us Fan Mail What if your calendar didn’t own your ministry — but served it? Welcome to the podcast garage Amanda Mejias! Lifeway Specialist for Girls' Ministry and Women in Youth Ministry. Check this pastoral note: We to need to make the move from submission (giving in after the fight) to surrender (choosing trust before the fight begins). In this episode, Zac and Amanda unpack a simple, repeatable framework to audit your year: Stop – Start – Change Stop what burns energy without bearing fruit (even if it’s beloved).Start where your God is calling you out: only when you have conviction and capacity.Change the good-but-not-great by adjusting structure, timing, and goals to serve outcomes that actually matter.We talk: Anchoring your plans to your church’s missionWorking backward from your budget cycleDefining fruit before you planVolunteer buy-in and giving ideas real runwayWhy leaders must measure what mattersPlus, a live case study: Her Good Retreat — a focused gathering for women leading in youth and college ministry. Born from real needs (belonging, rest, targeted training), it models how vision, people, and place shape events that last. Key Points • the value of discipline through a swim lesson story • moving from submission to surrender • defining fruit before planning • annual audit using stop, start, change • aligning events to church mission • budgeting timelines and approvals • volunteer capacity and early buy-in • when to kill traditions and when to tweak what you inherited • launching Her Good Retreat for women in youth and college ministry • links to Youth Pastor Summit and  Experience Check the links below for the Her Good Retreat this March, the Youth Pastor Summit locations in April, and the Preaching Experience in May. Like, rate, subscribe, and review, and we’ll see you next time Her Good https://www.lifeway.com/en/events/her-good-retreat Preaching Experience https://www.lifeway.com/en/events/experience-2026 Support the show Join the community!

Send us Fan Mail Trade the contemporary hype for a deep concern with holiness!  What if your youth ministry felt unmistakably sacred and still radically welcoming? In this episode of Youth Ministry Booster, Zac Workun sits down with Ribbin Dorado to explore a youth ministry model built on formation over frenzy, one that helps teenagers love the church they’re actually growing into. Together, we unpack a fresh durable, and repeatable,  youth ministry framework designed for long-term faith formation: A two-hour Sunday night gathering that prioritizes formation over gamesA monthly rhythm that includes a Student Sabbath at home, complete with table liturgiesA mid-month Worship in the Round, where students lead and testifySacred worship spaces using incense, kneelers, and iconography to signal reverence. Elements of signs, symbols, and wonder. Memorizing creeds, spontaneous testimonies, and students “fighting for the mic” to name where they see God at workTeaching shaped by the lectionary, offering a balanced diet of Scripture and resisting cherry-pickingWe also talk about rethinking leadership in student ministry: Hospitality leaders who cultivate belongingFormation leaders who guide 30-minute Bible circlesThoughtful training, interviews, and resources that treat leaders as ministers—not just volunteersLanguage that dignifies the calling and responsibility of those shaping students’ faithAt the core is the soul of the youth pastor. Ribbin challenges leaders to abide in Christ (John 15), practice the daily Examen, read Scripture beyond sermon prep, and develop a living rule of life. Teenagers don’t just hear what we teach, they catch what we love.  We lead from overflow, not exhaustion. Finally, we reframe success in youth ministry: Are students worshiping with the broader church?Are families practicing prayer and Scripture at home?Two years after graduation, are students rooted in a local church?Formation is a long obedience in the same direction—formed inwardly and sent outwardly. Subscribe, rate, and review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. Check out Lifeway.com/Essentials for free roundtable days this spring in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Virginia, and North Carolina. Sign up and bring your team. Support the show Join the community!

Send us Fan Mail Well well look who just sledded into town! Hi Joseph Kellogg!  "Presence rises above parties every time." Joseph traces how one ordinary moment in a youth ministry service became a lifetime of discipling teenagers—with humility, consistency, and deep trust in what God does when leaders simply show up. We talk about Pre-iPhone youth ministry to the post-Christian reality: what’s actually changed (and what hasn’t) We explore the changes in student ministry: from lock-ins and flyers to algorithms and anxiety, and why presence still beats parties every time:  Creating sustainable youth ministry rhythms  prevent burnout.Learning calendar competency (not just busyness)Real Sabbath, not “ministry-adjacent rest”Faithful presence in the in-between moments—ball games, car rides, late-night queso conversationsPartnering with parents who grew up in youth group starts by asking them what they remember and what they imagine.How to honor what parents loved about their own youth ministry experiencesActs 2 as a youth ministry frameworkStart with the essentials. Build a balanced discipleship calendar. Design ministry that feeds students a full plate—not just sugar highs.For new and seasoned youth pastors alikeNew leaders: a playbook for pace, purpose, and longevityVeteran leaders: language for what your gut already knows—students are hungry 🎧 If you’re longing to lead youth ministry that produces fruit that remains, this conversation will steady you, challenge you, and remind you why you said yes in the first place. Make sure to check the links below to sign up for either an essentials event coming to you in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Virginia, North Carolina, or for our preaching conference, The Experience, back in Nashville again this May. Lifeway.com/essentials Lifeway.com/experience Support the show Join the community!

Send us Fan Mail New Year, New Episode. Welcome special guest Wyatt Pennington everybody! A new father, emerging and awesome youth ministry leader Wyatt walks us through a practical reframe: treat parents as partners, not an inbox. He details quarterly parent nights that include worship, teaching for adults, prayer, and a genuine response, plus simple series-based resources that turn “What did you learn?” into real conversations around the table. The result: families feel pastored, not processed—and students keep growing after Wednesday night ends. We also tackle the screen-shaped world teens inhabit. Instead of declaring tech the enemy, Wyatt models a wiser way: analog alarm clocks, physical Bibles that never ping, printed workbooks, and clear boundaries that make space for God. We unpack how algorithms disciple kids with precision and why embodied practices and honest witness can out-form what big tech outspends. Finally, we get granular on communication: preach shorter sermons with one sticky point, yup just one, and lead descriptively by sharing your actual habits and failures, and commit to loving Jesus when no one is watching. High Points • new dad lessons on sacrifice and joy • modeling boundaries students can see • calling story from midweek to camp • caught not taught approach to mentoring • rebalancing ministry toward parents • practical parent nights with response • screens, algorithms, and formation • analog habits that make space for God • descriptive leadership over prescriptions • why shorter sermons carry further Signups for the Youth Ministry Preaching Experience are live. Check it out at lifeway.com/experience come check it out… sign up, let’s hang out in Nashville for three days and talk about what it means to teach, preach, and connect with students in 2026 and beyond Support the show Join the community!

Send us Fan Mail Want a youth ministry that outlasts the hype cycle and survives staff turnover without losing momentum? Oh for sure, eh!  This week's conversation with Canadian veteran youth pastor Jonathan Kornelsen dives into the shift from big events to spiritual formation, equipping teens to lead, and building a ministry that actually gets healthier over time. Jonathan outlines nine core convictions from his Youth Ministry Blueprint—clarifying mission and priorities before any program, crafting a discipleship strategy with measurable wins, protecting leader health as the true foundation, building a volunteer pipeline with strong onboarding, and designing gatherings that are excellent without becoming the point. We connect those principles to biblical models: Nehemiah’s prayerful planning, Moses’ detailed tabernacle instructions, Paul’s leadership structures, and Jesus’ focus on disciples over crowds. The result is a practical path for ministries of any size to create belonging, sustain growth, and hand off a stronger system to the next leader. The takeaway is direct: stop chasing attendance as the primary metric and measure formation, ownership, and calling. Jon shares a nine-conviction blueprint for building healthy, transferable structures that outlast any one leader. • defining mission, vision, and priorities before programming • building a discipleship strategy with clear wins • prioritising leader health as the true foundation • equipping students to lead worship, teach, and serve • onboarding and aligning volunteers with clear expectations • designing programs that form disciples, not consumers • creating belonging through small groups and culture • assessing health with simple tools beyond headcount • applying biblical models for structured, durable ministry • resourcing and connecting with Youth Ministry Blueprint Order Youth Ministry Blueprint on Amazon and follow us on Jonathan at Youth Ministry Blueprint https://www.youthministryblueprint.com/ Support the show Join the community!

Send us Fan Mail Cleaner, Braver, More Effective: Youth Ministry in 2026 In this episode of Youth Ministry Booster, Zac and Chad lay our cards on the table, personal stakes, ministry wins we’re chasing, habits we’re cutting, and the simple shifts that actually build momentum with teenagers. 🌦️ Cultural Forecast: Where Teen Attention Is Really Going Teen culture is shifting—and the old plays aren’t working like they used to. Teens are less platform-hopping and more rooted in one primary laneThe “grow your Instagram” for the sake of reach is a strategy that is losing effectivenessVanity metrics are fading; trusted circles are winningIf reach is fragmenting, trust is the new algorithm. 🏆 The Big Youth Ministry Win for 2026: Practical Evangelism The most effective move forward is surprisingly old-school: Teach students how to share their faith simply and confidently. We break it down into repeatable tools: A 2-minute personal testimonyOne gospel verse every student memorizesThree conversation-opening questions for real-life momentsPair that with a program shift: Less content, more confidenceProverbs over lecturesMake the move to Coaching over InfluencingEnd every gathering, every week with one crystal-clear action step students can actually live out this week. 🔄 From More Content to More Confidence Instead of piling on teaching: Build repeatable prayers and rhythmsReinforce the same tools until students own themMeasure success by clarity and courage, not coverageConfidence compounds when expectations are clear and doable. 🎮 Rethinking Games, Hangouts, and Connection Let’s be honest—forced mixers and tired screen games aren’t doing the work anymore. We suggest: Structured hangout time instead of awkward programmatic icebreakersSimple competitions with small stakesLeader-led engagement that models participationConnection grows when leaders go first and environments feel safe, playful, and intentional. Support the show Join the community!

Send us Fan Mail Merry Christmas Adam & Eve everyone!  The holiday calendar swirls, the phone notification buzzes, and suddenly December is deciding everything for you. We pressed pause to talk about the real pressure of ministering well at church and home. Our gift this year to share is presence. Chad and Zac share practical ways to build margin without dropping what matters. There’s a tender side to all this too. The holidays carry joy and grief in the same pew. We talk about walking slowly enough to notice the first Christmas after a loss, the newcomer who needs a name remembered, and the family who only shows up in December. With clear expectations at home and a plan for attention—yes to phone-free days—you can serve your church without sacrificing your people • mapping service schedules and roles before crunch time • choosing “Christmas Adam” and micro-traditions to free family time • weekly and twice-weekly family meetings for clarity • device boundaries, batching messages, phone-free days • moving prep earlier to be present with people • shifting from the booth to visible shepherding • noticing grief and first holidays without loved ones • simple follow-ups that turn holiday hellos into care “Please drop a comment and tell us how you drink your coffee” Support the show Join the community!

Send us Fan Mail understand your words. We sat down with the Champion Forest student team to unpack how a “one church, two languages” model becomes one student ministry that actually belongs to everyone. If your context includes Spanish-speaking parents, English-dominant teens, and first-generation families navigating two worlds, this conversation offers a blueprint that’s both practical and hopeful. We share how one student ministry serves Spanish-speaking families and English-dominant students without splitting community. From staffing to services, we explain the model, the mistakes, and the practical moves that make unity real. • one church in two languages with one student ministry • culture valued over vocabulary in programming • integrated Wednesdays with bilingual worship moments • Sunday hours aligned with adult services for families • intentional staffing across student, admin and production • communication to parents in both languages at once • planning events together to avoid silos • defining success as connection, not room counts • honoring family traditions and calendars • giving leaders courage to try and learn We’ll drop emails in the show notes below or folks that have questions Support the show Join the community!

Send us Fan Mail What if the fastest way to build a strong student ministry isn’t a bigger stage, but a crowded living room? We pull back the curtain on our biggest do-overs: why we’d start with relationships, not programs; why a right-sized room beats a flashy setup; and why coaching volunteers weekly will outperform any event on your calendar. • starting in homes to build belonging • coaching volunteers rather than just filling roles • using the 80 percent rule for room choice • fast handoffs from staff to leaders and peers • connecting new families to adult community quickly • becoming the storyteller to senior adults • reframing criticism with real student wins • choosing joy and hospitality as strategy Make sure to drop a comment below or email us at chad.higgins at lifeway.com your stories of what it's like to be ministry in the new place that you are, or the wisdom that you would give to be featured on an upcoming episode Support the show Join the community!

Send us Fan Mail Ten years in and we’re still showing up, still laughing about late-night Taco Bell runs, and still fighting for youth pastors to feel seen on that drive home after midweek. We rewind to the After Nine roots—two friends comparing notes before weekend trainings—and trace how a simple idea to be a caring voice turned into a decade of community, practical help, and honest talk about the inner life of ministry. We mark ten years by tracing our start as a late-night voice for youth pastors, then share honest, practical ways to celebrate volunteers and students without adding noise to busy calendars. The thread is clear: what we honor out loud is what our ministries become. • origin of After9 and the late-night drive home vibe • why healthy ministers create healthy ministries • celebrating too quietly and how to fix it • practical leader appreciation ideas that scale • milestone moments for teens with simple spiritual markers • training your heart to notice wins, not just problems • building community with low-cost, high-meaning gatherings • choosing meaning over more events in busy families Thank you guys so much for being with us in this journey Support the show Join the community!

Send us Fan Mail 🔥 Feel like you need to throw a last-minute mega event to fix that attendance dip? You’re not alone—but there’s a better way. This week, Chad and Zac kick things off with a hilarious misheard small group moment 😂 and dive deep into the tension youth pastors feel when numbers start to slip. Instead of chasing hype, we talk about trading panic for purpose, and crafting a longer runway for deeper discipleship. 🎯 Learn how to move from reactive programming to intentional ministry formation. We get honest about what doesn’t work (spoiler: slip‑n‑slides 🛝 aren’t a strategy), and share what does—from simple measurable goals to empowering students and engaging parents. 🔑 What's Inside This Episode:  📉 How to name the seasonal dip without spiraling into panic 🗓 Why a 2–3 month planning runway beats last-minute burnout 📚 Building a scope and sequence that serves 2–7 years of ministry 🧠 Helping students go beyond knowledge to confidence and competence 📊 Measuring success with more than just headcount 👫 How to publish your plan to parents and leaders for real alignment 🚫 Why SWOT analysis usually flatters but doesn’t change much 💛 The soul work behind sustainable strategy 🔁 A practical 12-week focus model that builds student discipleship skills 👀 What if your youth ministry wasn’t about doing more, but about doing what matters—better? We’re inviting you to shift from reactive busyness to a sustainable rhythm of planning, evaluating, and forming students with purpose. From testimony practice to small group consistency and Scripture engagement, we’re talking practical ways to track real growth 📈. 🎙 Whether you're leading solo or with a team, this episode is packed with real talk, helpful tools, and hope for the road ahead. Let’s build something that lasts. 📌 Subscribe for weekly conversations that boost your ministry leadership with practical wisdom, soul care, and community. 👍 Like, comment, and share this episode if it helped you breathe a little easier about planning the next season! #YouthMinistry #StudentMinistry Support the show Join the community!

Send us Fan Mail Hey buddy... Are your teaching methods actually connecting with how today's students learn? I mean they love Roblox, Minecraft, and Cedarwood Scents. In this conversation, Chad and Zac challenge youth ministry leaders to move beyond traditional sermon-style approaches to create more engaging, effective learning experiences. The disconnect is clear: while schools have changed their teaching methods to include more group work, technology integration, and interactive learning, many youth ministries still rely on one-way communication models that don't match how students absorb information the other five days of the week.  As Chad notes, "If modern day teachers are trying to shorten lessons to be more engaging and hands-on, why are we trying to defend a longer sermon?" • Teaching approaches should differ based on room size, audience age, and learning context • Students learn differently in school than previous generations, with more group work and interactive methods • Fill-in-the-blank worksheets and guided notes help students track with teaching and practice note-taking • Visual aids and object lessons create memorable sensory connections to abstract concepts • Teaching students to teach others builds confidence and develops them as disciple-makers • Our goal should be equipping confident believers who can articulate and apply their faith • Consider your specific audience when planning - teaching 10-year-olds differs from teaching adults • Moving beyond content delivery to skill-building and confidence development transforms youth ministry Support the show Join the community!