Youth Pastor Theologian

102: Missions Trips & Discouraged Youth Pastors

In this episode, Mike McGarry and John Gardner explore the intersection of youth ministry and theology, focusing on the role of missions trips. They discuss the theological implications of these trips, critiques of short-term missions, and share personal experiences—both positive and negative while emphasizing the importance of gospel-centered missions. They also discuss the reality and challenge of discouragement in youth ministry. Finally, they promote the YPT Teaching Workshop as a great way to equipping youth leaders (paid and volunteers).
 
Send your question to Mike and John for the podcast here, and make sure to tell us you've left a rating/review to get bumped to the top of the list. 
 
Chapters
3:07 - The Role of Missions Trips in Youth Ministry
5:57 - Critiques of Short-Term Missions
9:00 - Theological Foundations for Missions
11:56 - Positive and Negative Experiences in Missions
18:08 - Effective Missions Practices
23:56 - Encouragement for Discouraged Youth Pastors
30:01 - Conclusion and Teaching Workshop Promotion
Mike McGarry is the Founder and Director of Youth Pastor Theologian and served as a youth pastor for nearly twenty years. He's written four books for youth workers and teenagers, his latest is releasing in August '25, Iconic: Being God's Image in Your World. Follow Mike on  Instagram or X/Twitter. 
 
John Gardner is the Pastor of Youth Ministries at Grace Church in Longmont, CO. John and his wife Jackie have been married for 15 years and love spending time trying out new food, exploring the national parks, and playing board games. Follow John on Instagram. 
 
Together, Mike and John co-lead the YPT Teaching Workshop, a one day training session to equip your volunteers and other area youth leaders to teach the Bible to teenagers with depth and clarity. GO HERE to learn more about how to host a workshop at your church. 
 
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
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Subscribe to YPT's website to receive our newest articles and updates sent directly to your inbox. We won't spam you, but you will receive a link to download our ebook for free... Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry is a collection of articles from the blog archives to help new YPT readers catch the vision for theological renewal in youth ministry. 

101: Podcast revamp, Our Ministry Journeys, D.Mins. and Spouses in Youth Ministry

In this episode of the Youth Pastor Theologian podcast, hosts Mike McGarry and John Gardner introduce the new format of the show, focusing on their journeys into youth ministry. They discuss their unexpected paths into youth ministry, the importance of theological depth, why they each pursues a D.Min., and how they integrate their spouses into their ministry roles. 
 
Send your question to Mike and John for the podcast here, and make sure to tell us you've left a rating/review to get bumped to the top of the list. 
 
Chapters
0:00 - Introduction to the New Podcast Format
3:00 - Journey into Youth Ministry: John Gardner's Story
5:45 - Mike McGarry's Unexpected Path to Youth Ministry
12:00 - The Development of Youth Pastor Theologian
17:00 - The Importance of Theological Depth in Youth Ministry
24:00 - Integrating Spouses into Youth Ministry
 
Mike McGarry is the Founder and Director of Youth Pastor Theologian and served as a youth pastor for nearly twenty years. He's written four books for youth workers and teenagers, his latest is releasing in August '25, Iconic: Being God's Image in Your World. Follow Mike on  Instagram or X/Twitter. 
 
John Gardner is the Pastor of Youth Ministries at Grace Church in Longmont, CO. John and his wife Jackie have been married for 15 years and love spending time trying out new food, exploring the national parks, and playing board games. Follow John on Instagram. 
 
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
Follow YPT on Twitter: @youththeologian
Follow YPT on Instagram: @youththeologian
Subscribe to YPT's website to receive our newest articles and updates sent directly to your inbox. We won't spam you, but you will receive a link to download our ebook for free... Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry is a collection of articles from the blog archives to help new YPT readers catch the vision for theological renewal in youth ministry. 

100: Revisiting "What is a Youth Pastor Theologian" (Engle, Hartman, Tufano)

In this celebratory 100th episode of the Youth Pastor Theologian podcast, host Mike McGarry and guests Nick Hartman, Jason Engle, and Alex Tufano reflect on their experiences in youth ministry, the importance of theological depth, and memorable podcast episodes. They discuss the significance of the Youth Pastor Theologian identity, the need for practical theology, and the positive trends emerging in youth ministry today. 
Discussion Includes:
What does being a youth pastor theologian mean to you, practically speaking. How has that vision shaped your own ministry? 
What are some of the positive trends you’ve seen happening in youth ministry today? 
What are some ongoing concerns and needs that you’ve seen, and how do you think YPT could help?
Jason, Nick, and Alex ask Mike a few questions, too... 
Favorite Podcasts Mentioned Include:
Jason Engle: ep.76: Calling Youth to a God-Centered Faith, with Richard Ross
Nick Hartman: ep.77: Disciplemaking with Teen Boys, with Jonathan Denton
Alex Tufano: ep.29: Evangelism and Discipleship, with Greg Stier
Mike McGarry: ep.89: Theology of Eating Together, with Seth Stewart
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
Follow YPT on Twitter: @youththeologian
Follow YPT on Instagram: @youththeologian
Subscribe to YPT's website to receive our newest articles and updates sent directly to your inbox. We won't spam you, but you will receive a link to download our ebook for free... Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry is a collection of articles from the blog archives to help new YPT readers catch the vision for theological renewal in youth ministry. 

99: Equipping Youth to Live with Wisdom (Rich Griffith)

In this conversation, Mike talks with Rich Griffith about the importance of guiding our youth to live with wisdom and discernment, and encouraging them to live with godly courage. 
Conversation includes:
How can we help our youth grow in biblical wisdom and to live with courage to live accordingly. Why is that so important to you as you raise your own boys and minister to youth? 
When you talk about the “voices” students are prone to listen to, where are those voices coming from? 
What do you think teenagers wish they could say to the adults in their lives? 
Why do you believe leadership development is an important aspect of discipleship? 
Where do we see “discipleship as leadership” in Scripture? Can you point to a few examples? 
Rich Griffith is an Associate Professor of Youth Ministries at Toccoa Falls College in Georgia and the author of Voices: Helping Our Children and Youth Listen to Wise Counsel and most recently, Discipleship is Leadership. We’ll be talking about helping youth grow in wisdom. 
Follow Rich on Instagram
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
Follow YPT on Twitter: @youththeologian
Follow YPT on Instagram: @youththeologian
Subscribe to YPT's website to receive our newest articles and updates sent directly to your inbox. We won't spam you, but you will receive a link to download our ebook for free... Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry is a collection of articles from the blog archives to help new YPT readers catch the vision for theological renewal in youth ministry. 

98: Building a Culture of Question-Asking in Youth Ministry (Valerie O'Brien)

Teenagers are full of questions. The big question, is who are they discussing those questions with?! It can be a challenge to cultivate a ministry culture where students feel the freedom to ask their questions without being afraid of getting belittled or receiving cheap answers. In this conversation, Valerie O'Brien discusses her approach to inviting youth to ask their questions, and how she equips youth leaders to respond. 
Could you share a little about Aspen, and especially about your 10,000 question project?
What are some of the most common questions you’ve received? 
What can we learn about our students by listening carefully to the questions they’re asking? 
What’s the anatomy of a good question? How can youth leaders start to ask better questions in order to open up meaningful conversations? 
What do we risk by being so answer-driven that students don’t ask their questions? 
How do we help students ask their questions and lead them to find answers without either spoon-feeding them or leading them into an endless cycle of question upon question?
Valerie O’Brien has over 12 years of experience in youth ministry, has trained youth workers through Sonlife Ministries, and now leads Aspen, a ministry that helps youth leaders engage the heart of the next generation. 
Follow Aspen on Social Media: Facebook, Instagram
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
Follow YPT on Twitter: @youththeologian
Follow YPT on Instagram: @youththeologian
Subscribe to YPT's website to receive our newest articles and updates sent directly to your inbox. We won't spam you, but you will receive a link to download our ebook for free... Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry is a collection of articles from the blog archives to help new YPT readers catch the vision for theological renewal in youth ministry. 

97: Jesus is Worth It (Chris Morphew)

Can Jesus really make a positive difference in your life? What about when being a Christian puts you at odds with the values of your friends and with society in general? Is following Jesus worth it?
This episode is a conversation with Chris Morphew about his new book, "Worth It: Following Jesus When Life Feels Complicated", which highlights the truth that however good you think the good news of Jesus is, it’s better. 
Conversation Includes:
What are some challenges Christian youth face that motivated you to write your book? 
In the book you say that discovering they are loved is the most important discovery of all. What do you mean by that? 
One of the most common objections I’ve come across is suffering and God’s judgment. But you say that God’s judgment actually gives hope in the midst of a world of brokenness and suffering. Could you elaborate on that? 
Bonhoeffer famously talks about “the cost of discipleship.” What would you say is the cost of discipleship for Aussie youth in a very post-Christian culture? 
In general, why do you think it’s important that we establish a ministry culture that makes space for doubt? When students are doubting, how do we support them with wisdom and patience and mercy without enabling them to remain in doubt? 
Any final encouragements for youth workers about ministering to youth who are living with uncertainty and doubt? 
Chris Morphew is an author, teacher, and school chaplain living in Sydney, Australia. He’s the author of the Big Questions series, as well as over 20 novels for children and youth. 
View (and buy!) Worth It! and Chris's other books
Follow Chris on Social Media: Instagram, X/Twitter, Facebook
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
Follow YPT on Twitter: @youththeologian
Follow YPT on Instagram: @youththeologian
Subscribe to YPT's website to receive our newest articles and updates sent directly to your inbox. We won't spam you, but you will receive a link to download our ebook for free... Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry is a collection of articles from the blog archives to help new YPT readers catch the vision for theological renewal in youth ministry. 

96: Teaching the Old Testament to Youth (Chelsea Erickson)

It can be tempting to stick to the New Testament when teaching the Bible to youth. But doing so will only short-change teenagers and limit their understanding of the good news of Jesus Christ. Some parts of the Old Testament can feel foreign or intimidating, and therefore easy to avoid. Today's conversation with Chelsea Erickson will highlight the importance of teachign the Old Testament and will equip you with some good tools to help you do so with confidence. 
Why is it so easy for us to accidentally overlook the Old Testament in our teaching calendar?
How do you respond to those who say we should prioritize the NT and stop teaching things like the Ten Commandments because we’re under grace, not law? 
What are some gospel themes that bind the whole Bible together that can help us teach the OT in light of the gospel? 
Can you walk us through some of the different genres in the OT and offer some reflections on how youth workers can teach them well? 
Many OT books are very long or confusing, so they’re easy to skip over. How did you approach the longer and complicated books in your youth ministry? 
Can you give us an example of an OT character that you’ve taught on, and share how you taught their story in a gospel-centered way? 
Chelsea Erickson served in full-time youth ministry for over a decade and is now the Director of Publishing for the Rooted Ministry. She’s been on the YPT podcast. 
Recommended Resources
Exodus Old and New, Michael Morales 
According to Plan, Goldsworthy
The Unfolding Mystery, Clowney
Delighting in the Old Testament, Derushi 
How to Read the Bible For All It’s Worth, Fee and Stuart
How Tread the Bible Book by Book, Fee and Stuart
CASKET EMPTY, Kaminski
Chelsea’s article on Rooted about the conquest: Is the God of the Old Testament Unjust? 
Bible Project 
Follow Chelsea on Instagram
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
Follow YPT on Twitter: @youththeologian
Follow YPT on Instagram: @youththeologian
Subscribe to YPT's website to receive our newest articles and updates sent directly to your inbox. We won't spam you, but you will receive a link to download our ebook for free... Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry is a collection of articles from the blog archives to help new YPT readers catch the vision for theological renewal in youth ministry. 

95: Speaking to Teenagers (Duffy Robbins)

Duffy Robbins shares insights on effective preaching and teaching in youth ministry, including a discussion about how long to teach for. Robbins emphasizes that youth will listen for as long as they're engaged, but they'll check out once they're bored. So, how do we teach with biblical and theological depth that engages them with the gospel? 
What is it about youth ministry that keeps you invested in doing it? 
As people talk about teenagers’ shortened attention spans and how they don’t really listen to what we teach from up-front anyways… is Bible teaching still important? 
Could you bring us into your process for crafting a message and delivering it to youth? 
How do you think social media and GenAlpha’s hands-on approach to learning in schools should affect the way we teach them the Bible in youth group? 
What are some trends you’re seeing in youth ministry today, both positive and concerning? How do you think we should respond to those? 
Duffy Robbins has been one of the leading thinkers and practitioners in youth ministry for over 40 years. He’s a professor at Grove City College, co-leads the D.Min. program at GCTS on “Ministry to Emerging Generations”, has written dozens of books over the years, and is still on the road speaking to youth most weekends at camps and retreats. 
Follow Duffy on Instagram: @duffyrobbins
Find Duffy's books on Amazon
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
Follow YPT on Twitter: @youththeologian
Follow YPT on Instagram: @youththeologian
Subscribe to YPT's website to receive our newest articles and updates sent directly to your inbox. We won't spam you, but you will receive a link to download our ebook for free... Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry is a collection of articles from the blog archives to help new YPT readers catch the vision for theological renewal in youth ministry. 

94: Reflecting on the Asbury Outpouring (Zach Meerkreebs)

The Asbury Outpouring gripped religious news and social media two years ago. People had a wide range of opinions about it then, but it's been long enough that we can look with greater clarity about what was and was not happening. In this episode, Mike talks with Zach Meerkreebs, the preacher whose sermon God used to spark the outpouring. Listen in to hear about what's happening at Asbury now and what lessons we can learn. 
Discussion Includes:
Could you tell us the story about what happened on campus during the Asbury Outpouring? What happened? What was it like to actually be there and to be part of it? 
What were the different reactions to this, and how did you process that? 
The Outpouring was two years ago… are you still experiencing some fruit from that? What are you seeing now, both big picture on compass, but also in individual students? 
When something like this happens, how do you keep the emotions grounded in Scripture rather than giving in to the allure of emotionalism? 
What are some ministry lessons or principles that you’ve been able to discern through the Outpouring? 
Zach Meerkreebs is a pastor, writer, and speaker who is the pastor in residence at Asbury University. Many of us know him as the preacher who God used at the beginning of the Asbury Outpouring in 2023. He’s recently published a book, reflecting on the Outpouring entitled Lower: Igniting Spiritual Awakening Through Radical Humility. 
Follow Zach on Instagram: @zachmeerkreebs 
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
Follow YPT on Twitter: @youththeologian
Follow YPT on Instagram: @youththeologian
Subscribe to YPT's website to receive our newest articles and updates sent directly to your inbox. We won't spam you, but you will receive a link to download our ebook for free... Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry is a collection of articles from the blog archives to help new YPT readers catch the vision for theological renewal in youth ministry. 

93: Theology of Art and Ministry to Artsy Youth (Melody Bellefeuille-Frost)

Youth Group isn’t always a place where artsy youth feel a sense of belonging. And yet, the Church, historically, has been a haven for the arts. How can youth workers develop a biblical appreciation for art and serve our students who are artistically-minded? 
Discussion Includes:
Historically, there’s been a rich relationship between the church and the arts. But what have you observed about the church’s posture towards the arts in today’s church? 
Could you walk us through the biblical and theological significance of art? 
Can you share a little about the creative mindset, and how artists might think through things like the bible and theology differently from others?
Do you think the church is doing a good job ministering to and discipling artists? 
What are some of the unique challenges of youth ministry to teenagers who are artsy?
If a youth pastor isn’t artsy, what are some ways they could connect better with students in their ministry who are? 
Melody Bellefeuille-Frost is a PhD candidate at the Instute for Theology, Imagination, and the Arts at the University of St. Andrews and is a minister in the Wesleyan Church. Her research examines the images of Christ from European Jesuit and Japanese Christian religious cultures. 
Recommended Resources: 
Art and Faith: A Theology of Making, by Makoto Fujimura
Visual Faith, by William Dyrness
For the Beauty of the Church: Casting a Vision for the Arts, by W. David Taylor
Visual Commentary on Scripture 
Melody’s Website: https://www.melodybellefeuillefrost.ca/
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
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Follow YPT on Instagram: @youththeologian
Subscribe to YPT's website to receive our newest articles and updates sent directly to your inbox. We won't spam you, but you will receive a link to download our ebook for free... Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry is a collection of articles from the blog archives to help new YPT readers catch the vision for theological renewal in youth ministry.