Youth Pastor Theologian

Episode 34: Storytelling the Bible (Kendal Conner)

How do we engage students with the storyline of Scripture? GenZ is the first truly post-Christian generation, and many of them are unfamiliar with the stories in the Bible. How can youth workers invite students to embrace the rich truth and message of Scripture by inviting them into the biblical story? 
What do you mean by Bible Storying, and how did you learn this? 
Could you give us an example of Bible Storying that you might teach in youth group? 
Why is this an effective way to invite students into the story of the gospel? 
How often do you use this approach to teaching in your teaching calendar? Is there some element of this in your weekly message, or is it an occasional approach? 
If someone wanted to get started, what recommendations and resources would you share with them? 
Kendal Conner is the Director of Sunday Schools at Redeemer Fellowship in Kansas City. She also writes curriculum for Rooted Reservoir and is a co-leader for the Student Leadership Cohort with Gospel-Centered Family.  
Read Kendal’s article: Bible Storying in a Post-Christian Generation (Rooted Ministry)
John Walsh, The Art of Storytelling
Phil Collins, The Abide Bible Study Course
IMB resource for Oral Bible Storying 
Full list of stories in the Bible: Biblestories.org 
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YPT has published an ebook that's a free download for subscribers! Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry captures the essence of Youth Pastor Theologian in one ten-chapter book, written by six different contributors from across America, Mexico, and the UK. 
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Episode 33: Discipleship as Alignment (Jason Engle)

Every youth pastor theologian wants to make lifelong disciples. We know that’s the mission. But how do we plan our ministry with the end in mind while avoiding the temptations of pragmatism and information-transfer? 
What does it mean to plan our discipleship with the end in mind, and how can we avoid the dangers of pragmatism?
It’s obviously important for teachers to know their content. But it’s also crucial for teachers to know the people they’re teaching. Why we need a more robust understanding of knowing and what have we gotten knowing wrong?
Why is theology vital in student discipleship? 
What do you mean by "discipleship as alignment"
A few practical ideas for teaching toward the objective of alignment with students.
Resources
Craig Troxel, With All Your Heart
Esther Meek, Longing to Know and A Little Manual for Knowing
YPT Podcast Episode 21: Top Down & Bottom Up Approaches to Ministry (Gareth Crispin & Robin Barfield)
Jason Engle is Pastor of Students and Discipleship at Westwood Baptist Church in Roxboro NC. Jason and his wife has three ranging from 16-9 years old. He’s served in his church for 17 years and recently completed his Doctor of Education from SEBTS. 
He is a regular contributor to the YPT Blog. 
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
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YPT has published an ebook that's a free download for subscribers! Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry captures the essence of Youth Pastor Theologian in one ten-chapter book, written by six different contributors from across America, Mexico, and the UK. 
Please share YPT's podcast and our articles with your friends, and leave a rating/review on your podcast subscriber. You can contact us with any questions and recommend both topics and guests on our website's Submissions Page. 
 
 

Bonus Episode: A New Chapter for YPT

Mike McGarry here... I’m excited to share an important update with you about a new chapter for Youth Pastor Theologian.
I started YPT as a simple website in May 2021 in order to fill a void between the youth room and the academy. There are lots of resources available for youth workers to help with games and a growing number of youth ministry curricula. But there’s still a significant void in theological content for youth workers. At the same time, theologically-minded youth workers often feel depressingly alone in the youth ministry world. 
Youth Pastor Theologian launched as a passion project, a blog I’d write and edit in my “spare time” (usually between 10pm-1am) while still serving as the Youth Pastor at South Shore Baptist Church in Hingham, MA. But it quickly grew beyond what I’d envisioned. Youth workers from across the country (and from around the world) started reading and sending me messages about how much this resonated with them. They wanted to know what other resources YPT would be releasing, and could I come speak at their church or conference. They want resources and help to know what theological depth in youth ministry actually looks like. 
Over the last six months, the Lord has made it clear that it’s time for me to trust His provision and to give my full-time attention to youth pastors rather than continuing to serve as a youth pastor myself. Honestly, I’m going to miss it - even the body odor of the boys' cabin on youth retreats. Like Robin Williams’ character in Good Will Hunting says, “That’s the good stuff.” 
I am currently bi-vocational, leading the youth ministry at my church through the summer as we search for my replacement while also fundraising to provide the financial resources necessary for a Youth Pastor Theologian budget. There are some exciting projects coming down the pipeline, but we need resources to fund their development and implementation. 
 
It still sounds like it should be gross exaggeration to say that giving to Youth Pastor Theologian is an investment in the global church’s effort to reach the next generation with the gospel. But it’s not. I keep hearing from readers and podcast listeners who are in difficult contexts, and YPT is making an impact through them. This is true across the USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, Kenya, Uganda, Philippines, Austria, and Germany. 
A video of this informational Zoom is available on our YouTube page. Will you partner with us as we empower youth workers around the world to pursue theological depth in youth discipleship. An audio version of this presentation has also been published through the YPT Podcast. 
If you'd like to partner with YPT, please visit our Give page and join our YPT Partners Facebook Group. 

Episode 32: Faithful Youth Ministry in Ireland (Philomena Fitzpatrick)

There’s so much for international youth workers to learn from one another. We share more in common than what’s different. Relational evangelism and discipleship are foundational for effective student ministry, regardless of our latitude and longitude. 
What is the religious climate of Ireland like, and how do you identify cultural Christianity from genuine gospel-faith? 
What is youth ministry like in Ireland and what are some common attitudes that teenagers have about religion and Christianity? 
What does relational ministry and spending time with youth look like in real life? And while prioritizing that, how do you keep yourself from just being an adult-friend? 
Philomena Fitzpatrick is the youth worker at Ballycollin Community Church in West Dublin at the foot of the Dublin Mountains. She ministers to children through young adults. 
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
Follow YPT on Twitter: @youththeologian
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YPT has published an ebook that's a free download for subscribers! Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry captures the essence of Youth Pastor Theologian in one ten-chapter book, written by six different contributors from across America, Mexico, and the UK. 
Please consider sharing YPT's podcast and our articles with your friends, and leave a rating/review on your podcast subscriber. You can contact us with any questions and recommend both topics and guests on our website's Submissions Page. 

Episode 31: Talking About Race with Youth (Michelle Ami Reyes)

It’s tempting to avoid direct conversations about racism because it immediately raises people’s alarm systems. We all bring our personal baggage into the conversation and we don’t want to cause offense to anyone through disagreements. How can youth pastor theologians model faithful ways to have sensitive conversations? 
How can youth workers in mostly white youth groups care for the non-white students in our ministries - especially when we witness racism or cultural insensitivity? 
How does the gospel reshape the way we think and talk about racism? 
What are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about race conversations, and how can we avoid serious misunderstandings. 
Sometimes we simply misunderstand each other. But sometimes we really do fundamentally disagree with our brothers and sisters in Christ. How can we disagree with each other well and navigate that with trust and respect from both sides of those disagreements. 
Michelle Ami Reyes is the creator of Seasoned with Grace and writes at the intersection of multiculturalism, faith, and justice. She is the author of Becoming All Things, and co-author of The Race-Wise Family. Michelle lives in Austin, Texas with her pastor husband, and two amazing kids.
Follow Michelle on Instagram
Visit Youth Pastor Theologian's website
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
Follow YPT on Twitter: @youththeologian
Follow YPT on Instagram: @youththeologian
YPT has published an ebook that's a free download for subscribers! Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry captures the essence of Youth Pastor Theologian in one ten-chapter book, written by six different contributors from across America, Mexico, and the UK. 
Please consider sharing YPT's podcast and our articles with your friends, and leave a rating/review on your podcast subscriber. You can contact us with any questions and recommend both topics and guests on our website's Submissions Page. 

Episode 30: Youth Ministry in the UK (Nic Bianchi & Anna Lane)

What does youth ministry look like in the UK? Mike talks with some friends from England to hear about their ministry context and what their regular ministry looks like. 
Can you remind our non-UK listeners about grades and graduation for teenagers, and how does this affect the way you structure your ministries? 
The UK context is the direction things in America are heading. With that in mind, what are nonChristian youth like in the UK, and what are some ways to reach them with the gospel? 
What would Mike change about his book A Biblical Theology of Youth Ministry, and how has his view on youth work changed now that he has two teenagers of his own? 
Nic Bianchi is children and youth worker at Cheam Baptist Church
Anna Lane is children and youth worker at Grace Church, Worcester park
Visit Youth Pastor Theologian's website
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Don't miss out on YPT's book, Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry, which is available as a free download after you subscribe on the YPT website. 
Please consider sharing YPT's podcast and our articles with your friends, and leave a rating/review on your podcast subscriber. You can contact us with any questions and recommend both topics and guests on our website's Submissions Page. 
 

Episode 29: The Gospel in Evangelism and Discipleship (Greg Stier)

The gospel is not an evangelism tool, it’s the message of life that we declare to saints and sinners. In this conversation, we want to clarify what the gospel is and how to keep it central in both evangelism and discipleship. Greg also highlights the importance of good theology in our evangelism. 
Could you share a little about your own story and how that’s impacted your calling to equip others for evangelism? 
What is the gospel? 
Why is sound doctrine important for evangelism, not just for discipleship? 
What role does the gospel have in discipleship? 
You’ve taught and spoken a lot about “gospelizing” your youth ministry. What does that mean and what’s it look like?
If someone is leading an established ministry, how would they go about gospelizing it? 
Greg Stier is an evangelist, author, speaker, and founder of Dare 2 Share Ministries. He’s also the husband to Debbie and dad to Jeremy and Kailey.
Greg’s books:
Unlikely Fighter
Gospelize Your Youth Ministry
Youth Ministry in the 21st Century, edited by Chap Clark
Connect with Greg on Twitter: @gregstier
Visit Youth Pastor Theologian's website
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Episode 28: Discipleship as Catechesis (Dustin Messer)

Every youth pastor wants to make disciples. But how do we do that, and what can we learn from church history? Catechesis isn’t a boring or stuffy class for people to attend but a highly relational journey where the mentor disciples a student through the core doctrines, habits, and disciplines of the Christian life. Youth workers who want to make lifelong disciples have much to learn from this long-held pattern of discipleship. After all, we aren’t the first Christians who are trying to pass the faith to the next generation. 
Discussion Questions:
What is catechesis and how is it different from a catechism? 
What’s the benefit of catechesis today? 
Why do you think catechesis has lost favor in most churches today? 
What are some core principles of catechesis that we can recover for discipling the next generation today? 
If someone is coming from a nonliturgical tradition where catechesis and catechisms are completely foreign, how might they begin to introduce these lessons into their youth ministry? 
Resources mentioned in the episode: 
Center for Baptist Renewal
Gary Parrett & JI Packer, Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way
New City Catechism 
To Be A Christian, an Anglican Catechism
The Westminster Larger Catechism 
YPT Article: How Catechesis Can Transform Your Youth Ministry 
Dustin Messer is vicar at All Saints Dallas in Texas. He also teaches at Kings College and Reformed Seminary. 
Follow Dustin on Twitter: @dustinwmesser 
Visit Youth Pastor Theologian's website
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Please consider sharing YPT's podcast and our articles with your friends, and leave a rating/review on your podcast subscriber. You can contact us with any questions and recommend both topics and guests on our website's Submissions Page. 

Episode 27: Serving Youth with Special Needs (Bryan Barrineau)

Every church has students with a variety of special education needs, but our youth ministries are often under-equipped to appropriately minister to these students and their families. What should youth workers know about special education and how can they be better equipped to serve these young men and women? 
Discussion includes:
How can youth workers think theologically about the reality of special needs? 
How can youth workers better care for students with special needs - especially regarding youth with mild/moderate disabilities. 
Within the dynamics of regular youth group programming, how do you encourage students to welcome struggling learners? What are some basic modifications we can make? 
What does ministry look like to students who are on the autism spectrum or have another more significant diagnosis? How can we best care for and disciple them?
How can youth workers minister to and support parents of students with disabilities? 
Resources mentioned:
ldaamerica.org - Learning Disabilities Association of America. A great place to learn about various learning disabilities. 
Stephen Grcevich, Mental Health and the Church: A Ministry Handbook for Including Children and Adults with ADHD, Anxiety, Mood Disorders, and Other Common Mental Health Conditions 
Amos Yong, The Bible, Disability, and the Church: A New Vision of the People of God
Bryan Barrineau is the Lead Student Pastor at First Baptist in Enterprise, Alabama. He’s been a youth pastor for 22 years, he and his wife have two kids. Bryan recently completed his Doctor in Education from SouthWestern Baptist Theological Seminary, his dissertation was entitled Technology-Mediated Ministry and its implications for local church discipleship. 
Follow Bryan on Twitter: @bryanbarrineau
Visit Youth Pastor Theologian's website
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Please consider sharing YPT's podcast and our articles with your friends, and leave a rating/review on your podcast subscriber. You can contact us with any questions and recommend both topics and guests on our website's Submissions Page. 

Episode 26: Ecclesiology and Youth Ministry (Charles Hedman)

Many church-based youth ministries operate as parachurch ministries that are funded and housed by a church. There’s little connection or integration with the church congregation. Thankfully, there’s a renewed sense of commitment within youth ministry to integrate students into the life of the church. But why is this so important, what’s it look like? 
Why is it important for a youth ministry to be intimately united within the church? In short, what does ecclesiology have to do with youth ministry? 
What do students lose when youth ministries are disconnected from the church? 
It’s difficult to navigate the relationship between youth ministry and the local church. Youth pastors are often skeptical of such calls, assuming it’s a subtle way to question the validity of youth ministry. And churches often feel like teenagers just don’t want to be there or like they need to be more attractive to hold students’ attention. What would you like to say about this scenario?
Can you tell us about how you’ve intentionally structured your youth ministry to be an extension of the church’s ministry to teenagers rather than structuring youth group as a replacement for involvement in the church? 
If someone is in a more traditional youth ministry system and they want to elevate the role of the church in the way they minister to students, where would you recommend we begin? 
Charles has nearly 15 years of experience working with youth, in both parachurch and churches. He oversaw the youth ministry at Captial Hill Baptist Church in Washington DC for most of the last decade and is currently taking a sabbatical from pastoral ministry as he and his family care for an ailing family member. 
Visit Youth Pastor Theologian's website
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
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Please consider sharing YPT's podcast and our articles with your friends, and leave a rating/review on your podcast subscriber. You can contact us with any questions and recommend both topics and guests on our website's Submissions Page.