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Rev. Tim Handrick talks with Mark about ministering to young men. Bio: Rev. Tim Handrick is a baptized child of God and has been married to his wife Ashley for twelve years. They have five children together. As a Director of Christian Education, he served congregations in Texas, Florida and Colorado. After finishing up his vicarage in 2025, he became the pastor at All Saints Lutheran Church in Blairsville, GA.   Resources: YouthESource Website – youthesource.com  Seven Practices of Healthy Youth Ministry available at CPH LCMS Youth Gathering – lcmsgathering.com  Momento 70 – memento70.com    Bible Study: Worth Dying For – youthesource.com/2020/07/bible-study-worth-dying-for Starting a Conversation About Dating –youthesource.com/2022/02/starting-a-conversation-about-dating    Institute for Family Studies, research report on young men: New IFS Report Explores The Social and Emotional State of Young Men in America

Rev. Dr. Justin Hannemann talks with Mark about the mental health of young men and how their parents and the church can help them grow in body, mind, and soul.       Bio: Rev. Dr. Justin Hannemann serves as the Chief Executive Officer at GracePoint Institute for Relational Health.  He holds a Master of Arts in Counseling and Human Development from Saint Louis University, a Master of Divinity from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Saint Louis University School of Medicine. Justin has experience working in both clinical and congregational settings and supports the care of church workers in the Nebraska District of the LCMS. He and his wife Katherine have 4 children, live in the country outside Seward, Nebraska, and enjoy all things outdoors.  Resources: YouthESource Website – youthesource.com  GracePoint Institute of Relationship Health: relationalhealth.org Let’s Talk about Mental Health: youthesource.com/2018/11/lets-talk-about-mental-health Practical Ways to Navigate and Educate on Mental Health: youthesource.com/2021/10/practical-ways-to-navigate-educate-on-mental-health Walking in the Light – Bible Study on Mental Health: youthesource.com/2021/05/bible-study-walking-in-the-light-shining-his-light-on-mental-health Institute for Family Studies, research report on young men: New IFS Report Explores The Social and Emotional State of Young Men in America

Rev. Andy Becker talks with Mark about research surrounding American young men and what parents, church workers, and congregations can do to support them.     Bio: Rev. Andy Becker serves as the director of family discipleship for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. He served three years as a DCE before going to seminary. He served for 15 years as a parish pastor before joining the team at the Office of National Mission. He enjoys music and playing games of all kinds. Andy is married to Nikki and they have two teenage boys.  Resources: YouthESource Website – youthesource.com  LCMS Family Ministry – lcms.org/family    Institute for Family Studies, research report on young men: New IFS Report Explores The Social and Emotional State of Young Men in America

Rev. Shawn Davis joins Mark and Julianna to discuss ways congregations can support young people who are staying close to home following high school graduation.    Bio: Pastor Shawn Davis is pastor at Praise Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, after recently serving at St. Michael Lutheran in Fort Wayne.  In his years in ministry he has worked in Young Adult Ministry, Missions, High School and Junior High Ministries. He has spent concentrated time helping Young Adults and their parents through seasons of transitions.    Resources: YouthESource Website – youthesource.com

Pastor Michael Schuermann talks with Mark and Julianna about how youth leaders can support graduates who are moving away to college.  Bio:  Michael Schuermann is the pastor of University Lutheran Church and Student Center in Champaign, IL (a campus ministry congregation serving the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign). He has served there since the beginning of 2020, and previously served congregations in Sherman, IL and Dallas, TX. He also currently serves on the LCMS Board for National Mission. He is married to Katie. He loves music (especially the music of J. S. Bach and Johannes Brahms), reading, photography, the outdoors, and birds. He strongly dislikes squirrels. Resources: YouthESource Website – youthesource.com

Rev. Craig Muehler from the LCMS Ministry to the Armed Forces joins Mark and Julianna to discuss how congregations can support young adults transitioning into military service while helping them remain rooted in their faith. Bio: Chaplain Craig Muehler is a retired U.S. Navy captain and serves as the director of the LCMS Ministry to the Armed Forces. After retiring as deputy chaplain of the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served from 2011-14, Rev. Muehler stepped into this position. He received his bachelor’s degree from Concordia University, Chicago, River Forest, Ill., and his Master of Divinity from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He also has earned his Master of Theology in Pastoral Counseling from Trinity International University. He also led a session at last summer’s LCMS Youth Gathering titled, “How to Survive and Thrive as a Lutheran Christian in the Military”. Muehler and his wife, Kristen, have four children; Seth, Jesse, Faith and Hope. You can connect with him at [email protected]. Resources: YouthESource Website – youthesource.com  Ministry to the Armed Forces – lcms.org/ministry-to-the-armed-forces

Technology experiences are different for every generation. To get the perspective of young people, Mark and Julianna welcome Isaiah Duport and Madison Sieve to share their insight into how we can support youth as they use technology. Resources: YouthESource Website – youthesource.com

Rev. Dr. Trevor Sutton joins Mark and Julianna to break down the complexity of how AI and technology are impacting our world, our teens and our youth ministry.   Bio: Rev. Dr. A. Trevor Sutton is the Senior Pastor of St. Luke Lutheran Church in Lansing, Michigan. Sutton has written several books, including Redeeming Technology (coauthored with Brian Smith, M.D.) and Authentic Christianity (coauthored with Gene Edward Veith Jr.) and serves as an adjunct professor of theology at Concordia University, Irvine in Irvine, California. He teaches, writes, and speaks frequently about technology and the church in a digital age.  Resources: YouthESource Website – youthesource.com

Technology impacts culture, education, social lives, and more. Youth Ministry isn’t exempt from feeling those changes, even as the Gospel stays the same. Mark and Julianna discuss some of the key topics we are hearing from youth leaders about how those changes are impacting healthy youth ministry.  Resources: YouthESource Website – youthesource.com

Mark and Julianna interview two student athletes, Savannah Butterfield and George Austin, about how the church can support all student athletes in their vocation.   Bios: Savannah Butterfield is from St. Louis, Missouri and plays on the Concordia University, Nebraska basketball team. Her home congregation is The Lutheran Church of Webster Gardens.  George Austin is from Chandler, Arizona and plays lacrosse for Corona De Sol High School in Tempe. His home congregation is Risen Savior in Chandler.  Resources: YouthESource Website – youthesource.com  End Goals is the podcast of LCMS Youth Ministry in the Office of National Mission. LCMS Youth Ministry Staff discuss practices for healthy youth ministry and interview practitioners who provide insight for experienced and new youth leaders.

Dr. Heath Lewis joins Mark and Julianna to try and answer the question “Does God care about sports?” as we continue our series on youth ministry and sports.   Bio: Dr. Heath Lewis joined the faculty at Concordia University, St. Paul in Fall 2015. As Associate Professor of Christian Education & Leadership, Dr. Lewis teaches courses in the Christian Ministry major, working to enhance the historically strong Christian Education and Church Work programs at CSP. In his role as Associate Chair of the Department of Theology & Ministry, Dr. Lewis supports the Department’s faculty, staff, and students in their teaching, research, and professional development. He also leads the academic programming for CSP’s LCMS Colloquy program, and has served as an instructor in CSP’s EdD in Educational Leadership program. Prior to arriving at CSP, Dr. Lewis served as the Director of Christian Education (DCE) at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (Edmond, OK).   Outside the classroom, Dr. Lewis can often be found in the crowd at a concert or sporting event. He is passionate about cheering on his favorite sports teams, including Tottenham Hotspur FC (EPL), Minnesota United FC (MLS), and Gonzaga Bulldogs (NCAA). Above all, Dr. Lewis loves spending time with his wife and daughter.  Resources: YouthESource Website – youthesource.com

Mark and Julianna talk about how youth sports have changed over the past few decades and how the current youth sport environment can impact teens and their families.  Resources: YouthESource Website – youthesource.com

Politics can be a divisive thing to discuss, but it's an important part of engaging in our vocations. Rev. Dr. Chad Lakies comes in to discuss how we can have healthy conversations about politics in our youth ministry.   Bio: Rev. Dr. Chad Lakies is the Vice President for Ministry Engagement with Lutheran Hour Ministries. His work centers around helping the church become more outreach focused by empowering it to share the Gospel with non-churched individuals at more personal levels. His former life as a non-believer provides exceedingly relevant experience for thinking about how to engage with our friends and neighbors outside the kingdom of God. Lakies regularly speaks at national conferences for pastors and church professionals and has published in several journals on the topic of faith and culture. He is the author of How the Light Shines Through: Resilient Witness in Dark Times (Concordia Publishing House, 2024), a guide for helping the church engage in winsome witness while facing the challenges of contemporary culture.  Prior to his time with Lutheran Hour Ministries, Lakies served as department chair and associate professor of religion at Concordia University in Portland, OR. He holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and psychology from the University of Michigan and an M.Div. and Ph.D. in systematic theology from  Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He and his wife Bethany have two daughters.   Resources: YouthESource Website – youthesource.com  How the Light Shines Through by Rev. Dr. Chad Lakies - cph.org/how-the-light-shines-through-resilient-witness-in-dark-times   The Two Realms and the Separation of Church and State by Rev. Dr. Joel Biermann - cph.org/the-two-realms-and-the-separation-of-church-and-state

War is not a new topic, but it is one our young people may be asking about. In this episode, Mark and Julianna are joined by Rev. Dr. Joel Lehehbauer, the Executive Director of the Commission on Theology & Church Relations (CTCR) for the LCMS to give us a brief understanding of how we talk about war in the church.  Bio: Rev. Dr. Joel Lehenbauer is the Executive Director of the Commission on Theology & Church Relations (CTCR) for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. He has been on the executive staff of the CTCR since 1991, having previously served as pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Hillsdale, Mich. (1985-1990). He is a frequent speaker at church-related conferences on a wide variety of theological topics, and has a special interest in current issues, challenges, and opportunities in areas involving the intersection between church and culture. Dr. Lehenbauer attended Valparaiso University, Concordia College, Ann Arbor (B.A.), and Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Mo. (M.Div., STM, Ph.D.). He and his wife Hope live in Union, Mo. and have four grown children and five grandchildren.  Resources: YouthESource Website – youthesource.com  Commission on Theology and Church Relations Library - resources.lcms.org/reading-study/theology-and-church-relations-library Holy Resolve Bible Study from Concordia Publishing House - cph.org/holy-resolve-terror-war-today-downloadable End Goals is the podcast of LCMS Youth Ministry in the Office of National Mission. LCMS Youth Ministry Staff discuss practices for healthy youth ministry and interview practitioners who provide insight for experienced and new youth leaders.

We continue our series on hard conversations by talking with Daniel Weiss, executive director of the Sexual Integrity Leadership Summit, about how we approach conversations around pornography with our young people.   Bio: Daniel Weiss is the executive director of the Sexual Integrity Leadership Summit, which supports, equips, and collaborates with Christian leaders to promote Gospel-centered sexuality in the Church.  Daniel and his wife live in the Wisconsin countryside with their five children.  He has co-authored the book Treading Boldly Through a Pornographic World.  This last summer he spoke at the LCMS Youth Gathering in sessions for both youth and adults on the topic of pornography and also attended the event as an adult leader.  The Weiss family are members of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Omro, WI.   Resources: YouthESource Website – youthesource.com  Daniel Weiss’ Organization: sexualintegrityleaders.com/   Daniel’s book: amazon.com/Treading-Boldly-through-Pornographic-World/dp/1684511607   Family Technology Covenant: youthesource.com/2023/06/family-technology-covenant/   Conversation Guide on Pornography: youthesource.com/2025/10/start-a-conversation-aboutpornography/