Advertise on podcast: Women in Youth Ministry

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: This season, we’re interviewing the incredible members of WYM who make up our board, moderators team, and conference team! This week our WYM Conference Chief of Staff, Bethany Parker is joining Heather to introduce our 2026 Conference Speakers! Bonus? You get to hear Heather's favorite unhinged icebreaker of all time. ABOUT BETHANY: Bethany Parker (she/her) lives in Columbia, South Carolina with her husband, Jesse, and their miniature poodle, Charlie. Outside of work, Bethany spends her time reading romantasy books, playing cozy video games, and helping bring the WYM Conference to life. ABOUT WYM: Go to ⁠⁠⁠womeninyouthministry.com⁠⁠⁠ to read our blog, follow us on social media, join our online Community, purchase our merch, or support our Patreon.Our next WYM Conference is March 4-6, 2026 in Arlington, TX. Sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://womeninyouthministry.com/conference⁠Support the podcast by subscribing to our Patreon for as little as $1 a month!⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/womeninym⁠⁠⁠

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: This season, we’re interviewing the incredible members of WYM who make up our board, moderators team, and conference team! This week we are chatting with Samantha! We talk about her call to ministry and her passion for including youth who don't typically get asked into leadership roles. ABOUT SAMANTHA: Howdy! My name is Samantha Green! I’m the host of the stuttering christian podcast. I work in camp ministry full time as the media director. I’m a big fan all things Harry Styles, Elvis Presley, and Survivor. Maybe one day I’ll be on the show. Follow her on TikTok & Instagram @stutteringchristian Listen to her Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6TruQOyHOkuWx85sXSpWVN?si=dudSJrXISZ2gpc20ypBFqQ ABOUT WYM: Go to ⁠⁠⁠womeninyouthministry.com⁠⁠⁠ to read our blog, follow us on social media, join our online Community, purchase our merch, or support our Patreon. Our next WYM Conference is March 4-6, 2026 in Arlington, TX. Sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://womeninyouthministry.com/conference⁠ Support the podcast by subscribing to our Patreon for as little as $1 a month!⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/womeninym⁠⁠⁠

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: This season, we’re interviewing the incredible members of WYM who make up our board, moderators team, and conference team! This week we are chatting with Christina and her passion for including students in your context - not anyone else's, babes. Yours. We also spend some time talking about how each of us rebuilt our personal community in our thirties, giving renewal to life! ABOUT CHRISTINA: Christina Rees-Fletcher is the Family Ministry Director at Christ the Savior Lutheran Church in Fishers, Indiana, where she oversees discipleship and ministry for children, youth, and young adults. A lifelong Presbyterian, she has also worked in a variety of ecumenical and progressive Reformed spaces, shaping her passion for radical hospitality, inclusion, and authentic faith practices. After more than a decade in Missouri, Christina returned to her hometown of Indianapolis following the sudden loss of her husband, Zach. In both her life and her ministry, she is committed to creating spaces of welcome, connection, and healing. She is currently writing a book of poetry and blessings that weaves together themes of faith, grief, and resilience. When she’s not writing or serving in ministry, Christina can be found at a live music show, watch football or hockey, or at home with her beloved pets. Follower her on Tiktok or Instagram @binafletch ABOUT WYM: Go to ⁠⁠⁠womeninyouthministry.com⁠⁠⁠ to read our blog, follow us on social media, join our online Community, purchase our merch, or support our Patreon.Our next WYM Conference is March 4-6, 2026 in Arlington, TX. Sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://womeninyouthministry.com/conference⁠Support the podcast by subscribing to our Patreon for as little as $1 a month!⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/womeninym⁠⁠⁠

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: This season, we’re interviewing the incredible members of WYM who make up our board, moderators team, and conference team! This week we are chatting with Azia and how she responded to a need in her congregation, sparking a 15-year career in youth ministry. Her ministry is focused on empowering young leaders in congregations - and you won't want to miss her passion for it! ABOUT AZIA: Azia Raju is a youth pastor of 15+ years, conference speaker, and founder of Young Leaders' Life, a ministry equipping churches to release students into spiritual leadership now. Serving Metro Detroit and beyond, she empowers youth and adults alike to shift culture and lead with courage. Follow her online at Youngleaderslife.com ABOUT WYM: Go to ⁠⁠⁠womeninyouthministry.com⁠⁠⁠ to read our blog, follow us on social media, join our online Community, purchase our merch, or support our Patreon. Our next WYM Conference is March 4-6, 2026 in Arlington, TX. Sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://womeninyouthministry.com/conference⁠ Support the podcast by subscribing to our Patreon for as little as $1 a month!⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/womeninym⁠⁠⁠

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: This season, we’re interviewing the incredible members of WYM who make up our board, moderators team, and conference team! This week we are chatting with Jess and how her views of inclusion ministry have changed. In this episode we emphasize the importance of creating organic, everyday opportunities for inclusion rather than relying solely on structured programs. ABOUT JESS: Jess Berryhill serves as the Student and Disability Minister at Mt. Pleasant Church in Terre Haute, IN. In that role, she walks alongside and serves teenagers as well as individuals with disabilities. Since founding Grace Unlimited Disability Ministry in 2015, the program has grown to serve over hundred individuals each week and houses holistic programming that extends beyond the walls of the church. This approach currently includes a dating and relationships class, a mental health group, and several weekly gatherings. Through conversations with friends in the program, Jess heard young adults with disabilities repeatedly share that they wanted to live on their own and strive towards independence. Out of those conversations, Terre Haute Friendship House was born in 2019. It is an affordable housing model that allows college students and young adults with disabilities to live in community. Residents live together as roommates. It operates as a launchpad into independent living. Jess serves as the Executive Director and currently resides there as the “house mom” with her dog, Cooper. View her FREE Disability Ministry Resource here - https://www.canva.com/design/DAGS68WWwSI/otwLF7kPGlREc-JCQ0AnKw/edit ABOUT WYM: Go to ⁠⁠⁠womeninyouthministry.com⁠⁠⁠ to read our blog, follow us on social media, join our online Community, purchase our merch, or support our Patreon.Our next WYM Conference is March 4-6, 2026 in Arlington, TX. Sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://womeninyouthministry.com/conference⁠Support the podcast by subscribing to our Patreon for as little as $1 a month!⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/womeninym⁠⁠⁠

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: This season, we’re interviewing the incredible members of WYM who make up our board, moderators team, and conference team! This week we are chatting with Gwen and her passion for creating more inclusive environments for young people, especially and particularly in Confirmation! Stick around until the end to hear Gwen and Heather chat about self-compassion and its importance as ministry leaders! ABOUT GWEN: Gwen is passionate about storytellling, queer theology, and being anti-racist. During her childhood, she learned the importance of faith education by volunteering with her mom at church. Gwen graduated with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in Youth Ministry from Oral Roberts University. Gwen earned her Masters in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Ohio Dominican University. Gwen, and her wife, Felicia, have been members of King Ave UMC since February 2015. In her staff role, Gwen is responsible for Worship Connections during the 9 am and 11 am services (age 4 to 3rd grade), Godly Play, Chrysalis Club for 4th & 5th graders, and C.O.R.E. Youth Sunday School. She facilitates the Discipleship Program (grades 4 to 12), and assists with teaching Confirmation classes with Rev. Andy Burns. Most adults see Gwen when she gives the Children’s Message during the 11 am service. Gwen is also the director of Kinship Campus Ministry, which seeks to build connections within The OSU campus, reach out to high school graduates, and facilitate meaningful fellowship. ABOUT WYM: Go to ⁠⁠⁠womeninyouthministry.com⁠⁠⁠ to read our blog, follow us on social media, join our online Community, purchase our merch, or support our Patreon.Our next WYM Conference is March 4-6, 2026 in Arlington, TX. Sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://womeninyouthministry.com/conference⁠Support the podcast by subscribing to our Patreon for as little as $1 a month!⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/womeninym⁠⁠⁠

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: This season, we’re interviewing the incredible members of WYM who make up our board, moderators team, and conference team! Jennifer is one of the founding fathers of Women in Youth Ministry—she’s been here since the very beginning, 11 years ago! When she and Heather first met, they were both serving in the SBC, working in youth ministry and Southern Baptist group homes (no coincidence, right?). Thirteen years later, they’re in two very different ministry contexts but still share a deep bond. In this episode, Jennifer opens up about her faith journey, her passion for kids in foster care, and how the Church can better support families who foster. ABOUT JENNIFER: I’m Jennifer Weaver, and I serve as the Kids Minister at First Baptist Church of White Hall. I studied Christian Ministries at Williams Baptist University and later earned a master’s in Christian Education from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. My husband, Eddie, and I have beenmarried for eight years, and we’re thankful for our daughter, Lydia Joy, who we adopted after fostering. We’re also a foster family and love opening our home to children in need. I enjoy Disney trips, watching sports, and making memories with my people. ABOUT WYM: Go to ⁠⁠womeninyouthministry.com⁠⁠ to read our blog, follow us on social media, join our online Community, purchase our merch, or support our Patreon.Our next WYM Conference is March 4-6, 2026 in Arlington, TX. Sign up at ⁠⁠⁠https://womeninyouthministry.com/conferenceSupport the podcast by subscribing to our Patreon for as little as $1 a month!⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/womeninym⁠⁠⁠

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: This season we are interviewing all of the women who make WYM happen behind the scenes! We are starting off with interviewing Heather! 3 years ago, Heather's life looked massively different. She quit her job, ended her marriage, lost 100 pounds - and is here to tell her story about it all. This is the LONGEST episode we'll probably ever have - but after 75 episodes you finally get to hear all about her call to ministry, why she started WYM, where she's at today, and every brave decision in between. ABOUT HEATHER: Heather’s first love is youth ministry, and her second love is youth ministers. Heather Lea Campbell (she/her) has served in full-time youth ministry since 2010, serving various congregations and denominations. Heather serves The Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis as the Diocesan Youth Minister, resourcing youth and their youth leaders. Heather is also the Founder & CEO of Women in Youth Ministry, an organization that celebrates the leadership of women. A certified leadership coach, Heather is most energized when helping people discover and utilize their gifts. You can follow her blog at ⁠⁠https://heatherleacampbell.me ⁠⁠or on Social Media @heatherlea17 Go to ⁠womeninyouthministry.com⁠ to read our blog, follow us on social media, join our online Community, purchase our merch, or support our Patreon. Our next WYM Conference is March 4-6, 2026 in Arlington, TX. Sign up at ⁠⁠https://womeninyouthministry.com/conference⁠⁠ Support the podcast by subscribing to our Patreon for as little as $1 a month!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/womeninym⁠⁠

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: It's been two years -- and so much has changed! This season we are interviewing each member of our newly developed Women in Youth Ministry Team - but first we wanted to share Heather's keynote from the 2024 Conference as we prepare for 2026's! Sign up at https://womeninyouthministry.com/conference ABOUT HEATHER: Heather’s first love is youth ministry, and her second love is youth ministers. Heather Lea Campbell (she/her) has served in full-time youth ministry since 2010, serving various congregations and denominations. Heather serves The Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis as the Diocesan Youth Minister, resourcing youth and their youth leaders. Heather is also the Founder & CEO of Women in Youth Ministry, an organization that celebrates the leadership of women. A certified leadership coach, Heather is most energized when helping people discover and utilize their gifts. You can follow her blog at ⁠https://heatherleacampbell.me ⁠or on Social Media @heatherlea17 Go to womeninyouthministry.com to read our blog, follow us on social media, join our online Community, purchase our merch, or support our Patreon. Support the podcast by subscribing to our Patreon for as little as $1 a month!⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/womeninym⁠

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: With the Women in Youth Ministry Conference just 86 days away, we wanted to take the opportunity to share this year's opening keynote by our Founder and SHE-E-O Heather Lea Campbell. Growing up in a fundamentalist church, Heather heard conflicting messages around being too much and yet not enough. Why do so many youth ministers struggle with imposter syndrome? Heather explores this and gives some tangible tips to deconstruct toxic narratives. ABOUT HEATHER: Heather’s first love is youth ministry, and her second love is youth ministers. After serving in various churches for 13 years, Heather Campbell (she/her) joined The Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis as the Diocesan Youth Minister, resourcing youth and their youth leaders. Heather is also the Founder & CEO of Women in Youth Ministry, an organization that celebrates the leadership of women. A certified leadership coach, Heather is most energized when helping people discover and utilize their gifts. I You can follow her blog at https://heatherleacampbell.me or on Social Media @heatherlea17 To listen to more podcasts from the Youth Cartel Podcast Network, click here! Support the podcast by subscribing to our Patreon for as little as $1 a month! https://www.patreon.com/womeninym

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: Each year, it is estimates that a million teenagers walk away from faith. This is why Fuller Youth Institute launched Tenx10, a collaboration of youth ministry organizations with the goal of reaching ten million teenagers over the next ten years. Women in Youth Ministry is one of Tenx10's hundreds of partners, as we connect to the belief that by resourcing youth leaders, leaders will be more able to reach the teenagers in their community. ABOUT KARA: Kara Powell, PhD, is the Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI), helps lead the TENx10 Collaboration, and is the Chief of Leadership of Leadership Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary. Named by Christianity Today as one of “50 Women to Watch,” Kara serves as a Youth and Family Strategist for Orange, and also speaks regularly at parenting and leadership conferences. Kara is the author or co-author of a number of books including 3 Big Questions that Change Every Teenager, Faith in an Anxious World, Growing With, 18 Plus, Growing Young, The Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family, Sticky Faith Curriculum, Can I Ask That?, Deep Justice Journeys, Essential Leadership, Deep Justice in a Broken World, Deep Ministry in a Shallow World, and the Good Sex Youth Ministry Curriculum.  To listen to more podcasts from the Youth Cartel Podcast Network, click here! Support the podcast by subscribing to our Patreon for as little as $1 a month! https://www.patreon.com/womeninym

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: We grow up hearing "there are no such thing as dumb questions," and yet the Church has historically been a place where questions aren't always welcomed. In order to engage the next generation, how can we not only respond to their questions well, but set up an environment where they are comfortable to ask them? This is what we talk about with this week's guest, Kristel Acevedo. ABOUT KRISTEL: Kristel is the Spiritual Formation Director at Transformation Church in South Carolina where she oversees discipleship pathways and environments. She also serves in the TC Teens ministry as a small group leader where she has the honor of sharing life with teen girls. Her first co-authored book, 3 Big Questions That Shape Your Future, is a devotional written specifically for teens as they navigate all the big questions of life. To follow her work, go to kristelacevedo.com Purchase her book, 3 Big Questions That Shape Your Future, here: https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/3-big-questions To listen to more podcasts from the Youth Cartel Podcast Network, click here! Support the podcast by subscribing to our Patreon for as little as $1 a month! https://www.patreon.com/womeninym

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: As women in ministry, many of us are up against the narrative that it is not "biblical" for us to serve in ministerial leadership, simply based on our gender. But is that actually true? What was it like when Jesus was alive? Heather Quiroz, author of First Century Youth Ministry, leans on the word of Dr. Dwight Pryor to explain what women in ministry looked like in Jesus's time. ABOUT HEATHER QUIROZ: Heather loves all things youth ministry and has been serving in youth ministry for over 15 years. She's married to her husband Rodrigo. They have one child, Adah who is three and is the light of their lives. Heather is the founder and director at First-Century Youth Ministry and loves helping bridge the world of the first century with todays' youth ministry leader. To learn more about her work, go to www.firstcenturyyouthministry.com or follow on Facebook @FirstCenturyYouthMin Purchase Dr. Dwight Pryor's lecture, The Ministry of Women in the Early Church & Synagogue, here: https://www.jcstudies.store/the-ministry-of-women-in-the-early-church-synagogue/ To listen to more podcasts from the Youth Cartel Podcast Network, click here! Support the podcast by subscribing to our Patreon for as little as $1 a month! https://www.patreon.com/womeninym

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: Paula is passionate about creating safe environments for black-and non-black women to have reconciliatory conversations. Paula is the author of Dear Sister: There's Something Black Women Want You to Know, as well as several Dear Sister Events. This week Paula and Heather chat about what conversations need to be had, as well as how women in ministry can come together to support one another. ABOUT PAULA: Paula Dannielle serves a multi-site congregation in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has worked in Next Gen Ministry for over 25 years. She is passionate about helping people love God more by treating their neighbor better. Follow @paula_dannielle on all platforms To learn more about her work, go to https://www.pauladannielle.com/ To listen to more podcasts from the Youth Cartel Podcast Network, click here! Support the podcast by subscribing to our Patreon for as little as $1 a month! https://www.patreon.com/womeninym

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: Amy is a youth minister, passionate about grief ministry. This week we talk about how to help students who are grieving. ABOUT AMY: Amy is a youth minister and Director of Operations in Murphy TX and has a Master’s Degree in Christian Counseling. She spends her time ministering at public schools, in the church, and through equestrian ministry. She has a heart for grief ministry and considers her calling to help the hurting like God helped her during a time of her own grief. You can follow her ministry on Instagram: agape_studentminYou can follow her blog: Blog: https://livingwithgriefandhope.blogspot.com/ To listen to more podcasts from the Youth Cartel Podcast Network, click here! Support the podcast by subscribing to our Patreon for as little as $1 a month! https://www.patreon.com/womeninym