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At the recent TYLT '23 conference it was a common theme that senior high students were dropping out of youth group. So we talked about it ...

It's not all doom and gloom in youth ministry. Here's some reasons that make youth leading so great!

Whatever glory you thought there would be leading youth group, is fleeting. In reality youth leading is costly, painful and full of trials.You feel like giving up? Listen in for some comfort. Because we need you.

Before we blame this new tech generation for being unable to engage, it's worth shining the torch on our own youth ministry. Are we creating disengagement? Are we boring or irrelevant? Get uncomfortable as we explore the topic of disengaged youth at youth group.

No matter who you are, if you're leading a youth group, you've probably messed these 5 things up. But don't worry, this episode will get us thinking clearly again and provide some solutions.

Youth Groups thrive and dive according to the health of their leadership. How is your leadership team going to thrive? What is a healthy team and how do we get it? That's on the agenda for today. 

Today's topic is spicy. With Laura, our guest on the Pod, we discuss the need & dangers of talking about sex and dating at youth group. We talk modesty, short-sightedness and the sexualisation of women's bodies. Here are some resources to help you along:  Why Does He Do That by Lundy Bancroft. Written to people who are confused about their partner's abusive behaviour, or who are wondering if they are being abused. Bancroft has spent a lot of his career working with perpetrators of abuse in mandated counseling settings, and this book is designed to help victims see that their abusers, despite claiming to lose control, are actually fully in control of and responsible for their actions, as a first step to helping them get free from their abusers. IMO it's a must-read for any ministry leader to help them recognise signs of coercive control and get an inside perspective on abuse dynamics. The Great Sex Rescue by Sheila Wray Gregoire et. al. Based on data collected from a worldwide survey of over 20,000 women, this book is another must read. It exposes the harm of Purity Culture beliefs within evangelicalism, using peer-reviewed and published data. A very high-quality resource. As a companion to the book, Sheila and her co-authors have also published a rubric to help in evaluating other resources for healthy views of sexuality and intimacy. She Deserves Better by Sheila Gregoire et al. (Publisher's blurb) What if the goal of raising a Christian girl was about more than keeping her virginity intact? What if it was about raising a strong, independent young woman who knows who she is, uses her voice, and confidently steps into the life God has for her? This isn't your average parenting book: no pat answers or overly broad principles here. No cliché prescriptives or toxic teachings that your daughter will have to unpack and recover from as an adult, like so many of us have. Instead, you'll find data-driven insights about how to raise a woman who is resilient, knows her strength, and has the discernment skills needed to make good choices. By reframing (and sometimes replacing) common evangelical messages to teen girls, this book will equip you to raise a girl who can navigate the difficult waters of growing up while still clinging tight to the God who created her on purpose, for a purpose.

Sometimes we can only think of the 'now' but where will our youth ministry be in 20 years and what can we do about that?  In this episode, Mike & Marty hone in on the the key activity of the youth ministry: to raise disciple making disciples that will go the distance. 

Today we tackle the big topic of preparing talks for youth group. We talk personal failures, hobby horses and prayerless preparation in an attempt to help you write an excellent talk for youth. 

Across the nation teenage lads are leaving youth group ... and the church. When they come we don't really know how to engage them, grow them or retain them. This episode seeks to give a few tips that might help. We talk discipleship, fostering choice, relationships with girls, Jordan Peterson and the place of repentance in the life of a male.  So strap in! 

Look, at least I'm turning up right? Does it matter if I am organised or not? This was meant to be the first Pod for 2022, but ... um ... it's running late. Sorry! 

Sometimes we just don't know if we're gifted in youth ministry or not. This episode outlines the key things a youth group leader is and, importantly, what they are not.