Youth Pastor Theologian

76: Calling Youth to a God-Centered Faith (Richard Ross)

The Christian faith is not about “me and Jesus,” but about the glory of our Triune God. What does it mean for youth workers to call teenagers into lives that are marked by faithful worship and a vital union with Christ? Instead, many teenagers have a me-centered faith that treats Jesus like their therapist. This conversation with Dr. Richard Ross helps youth workers identify why this is such a serious problem and what needs to happen to correct it. 
What does a me-centered faith look like? Can you give a few examples? 
What are some ways that youth leaders can accidentally promote or enable a me-centered faith? 
Why do you see a high Christology as an antidote to a me-centered faith?
In past generations, there were teenagers who would live or die for the glory of King Jesus. Do you think we could see that in our day?
How might youth leaders and believing parents come to embrace a high Christology—so they could pass that to the teenagers?
Dr. Richard Ross has served as senior professor of student ministry at SouthWestern Baptist Theological Seminary since 2000. He served as a local-church youth minister for 30 years. Overlapping part of that time was 16 years of service as the youth ministry consultant at LifeWay Christian Resources. His entire life has focused on seeing Christ glorified in the lives of teenagers and their parents and leaders. 
Discover some of Dr. Ross' Books:
Reign: Awakening a Young Generation to King Jesus (a resource very much in line with this podcast conversation)
Youth Ministry that Lasts a Lifetime
The Senior Pastor and the Reformation of Youth Ministry
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YPT's ebook, Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry, is a free download for subscribers. This book captures the essence of Youth Pastor Theologian in one ten-chapter book, written by six different contributors from across America, Mexico, and the UK. 

75: Ministry to Kids in Crisis (Seth Teegarden)

Youth Ministry often brings us into students’ lives during difficult and painful times. Instead of avoiding that because it’s messy or complicated, the gospel calls us to walk beside youth and their families with love and compassion. Today we’re talking with Seth Teegarden about his experience as a house parent for kids in crisis, and about how that’s shaped his current ministry as a youth pastor. 
Discussion Includes:
Could you share about your experience serving in the group homes for at-risk youth? 
What do we mean by at-risk youth? 
What did you learn about love and compassion for kids and youth who have experienced trauma? 
How did this ministry shape your own relationship with your Heavenly Father, and what did you observe about the ways their trauma shaped the students’ perception of God? 
I’m thinking about youth leaders listening who are thinking about the students in their group and think, “My group is fine. We don’t have kids who’ve experienced trauma.” What counsel do you have for those youth leaders? 
What are some subtle ways youth leaders might accidentally prove themselves untrustworthy to students who need an advocate? 
How do you proclaim and apply the gospel to youth who are survivors of abuse and trauma? Are there any particular things you emphasize or avoid?  
Seth Teegarden is youth pastor at East Ellijay Baptist Church in northern Georgia. Seth and his wife Diana served as house parents in two different group homes for at-risk youth, which is the topic for today’s conversation. 
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YPT's ebook, Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry, is a free download for subscribers. This book captures the essence of Youth Pastor Theologian in one ten-chapter book, written by six different contributors from across America, Mexico, and the UK. 
 

74: Strengthening the Senior Pastor / Youth Pastor Relationship (Cody Busby)

One of the main reasons a youth pastor’s relationship with their senior pastor can suffer is from unmet expectations. In this conversation, we talk with Cody Busby (Mike’s pastor) in order to encourage and support healthy senior/youth pastor relationships. 
Discussion Features:
Share with us a little about your experience as a youth pastor… what do you miss most about serving in youth ministry and how do you think that’s shaped the way you lead as a senior pastor? 
What are some of the biggest differences between leading as a youth pastor and leading as the senior pastor? 
I’m not sure what your relationship was like with your senior pastor, but now that you’ve been a senior pastor for 18 years, what do you wish you could go back and tell youth pastor Cody? 
Big picture, what are some expectations that senior pastors have of youth pastors? This isn’t a list of what they SHOULD expect… but an honest reflection of what you’ve heard that would be good for youth pastors to know. 
What are your thoughts about “leading up?” as this way for subordinates to seek to lead their leaders? In what ways is this simply “leading together” and in what ways can this be a red flag that maybe it’s time to leave? 
If you could identify a few areas where you think youth pastors need to focus in order to improve or strengthen their relationship with the senior pastor?  
A final word on what you’d like to share with youth pastors who may have a less-than-great relationship with their pastor?  
Cody Busby is the senior pastor of South Shore Baptist Church in Hingham, MA. He has his D.Min. in expository preaching from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and is a proud member of the South Shore Curling Club. 
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
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YPT's ebook, Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry, is a free download for subscribers. This book captures the essence of Youth Pastor Theologian in one ten-chapter book, written by six different contributors from across America, Mexico, and the UK. 
 

73: Preaching that Connects (Matt Kim)

Faithful preaching and teaching does more than deliver biblical content, it takes the audience into account and draws the listeners into the text so they can behold the truth and beauty of God’s Word. Most of us have listened to sermons that were biblically and theologically sound, but they weren’t helpful. In today’s conversation, we want to help youth leaders preach and teach in a way that connects with the youth in your ministry. 
What are some reasons preachers and teachers can preach an exegetically strong sermon but struggle to connect with their audience? 
YPT is serving youth pastors and volunteer leaders, how does a teenage audience shape the way you prepare and deliver biblical sermons? 
One of your books is entitled “Preaching with Cultural Intelligence.” What do you mean by that and what’s that look like in our preparation and delivery? 
How can youth pastors better understand themselves and their own cultural background in order to guard against imposing ourselves onto our listeners? 
If you were to offer just a few simple and accessible pieces of advice for new youth pastors, what would it be? 
Finally, what are some of the “absolute go-to” books on preaching you think every minister should read? 
Matthew Kim is a Professor of Practical Theology and holds the Hubert and Gladys Raborn Chair of Pastoral Leadership at Truett Theological Seminary in Waco, TX. He’s written multiple books on preaching, and we’ll be focusing today on one of those… Preaching with Cultural Intelligence. 
Recommended books by Dr. Kim
Haddon Robinson, Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages
D. Martyn Lloyd Jones, Preachers and Preaching
Abraham Kuruvilla, A Vision for Preaching: Understanding the Heart of Pastoral Ministry
Benjamin Kirby, PreachersNSneakers: Authenticity in an Age of For-Profit Faith and (Wannabe) Celebrities
View and Order Dr. Kim's books on Amazon
Follow Dr. Kim on Twitter: @matthewdkim
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
Follow YPT on Twitter: @youththeologian
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YPT's ebook, Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry, is a free download for subscribers. This book captures the essence of Youth Pastor Theologian in one ten-chapter book, written by six different contributors from across America, Mexico, and the UK. 
 

72: Revisiting Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (Kenda Creasy Dean)

Nearly twenty years ago, the largest study on youth and religion described the religious worldview of youth and young adults as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. The teenagers and young adults in that study are now the parents of GenZ, which prompts the question, “Is MTD still a good description of youth spirituality?” 
Discussion Questions
For our listeners who don’t know about the National Study on Youth and Religion, could you share an overview of what that was all about and about your role in it? 
The most enduring finding from NSYR was Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. What is that, and could you give a few examples of the way it was understood at the time? 
How does MTD relate with tolerance culture today? 
What are some lessons from NSYR that we continue to overlook today?
Your book Almost Christian really struck a nerve when it was released in 2010. What were some of the messages from that book that resonated with people at the time, and how do you see those continuing or changing in youth culture today? 
Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean is a youth ministry legend and is Professor of Youth, Church, and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary. Dr. Dean has written or co-authored a dozen books, most notably Starting Right, The Theological Turn in Youth Ministry and Almost Christian. 
Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:
Soul Searching, by Christian Smith and Melissa Lundquist Denton
Handing Down the Faith, by Christian Smith and Amy Adamczyk
Almost Christian, by Kenda Creasy Dean
The Polaris Young Adult Leadership Network at Princeton Theological Seminary
 

71: Teaching Students the Doctrine of God (Malcom Yarnell)

If youth workers aren't teaching teenagers about God then how can we call what we're doing "ministry"? The doctrine of God is a topic that people tend to either take for granted or they are intimidated by it's grandeur. This conversation highlights some of the core aspects of the doctrine of God and why it's so important to talk about with teenagers. 
What is the vision behind the “Theology for Every Person” series?
People are easily intimidated by the word “theology.” Why is it so important to promote theology for normal believers? 
Why start with the doctrine of God and not the doctrine of Scripture/Revelation? 
Could you give us an overview of the doctrine of God, what does that involve? 
Does someone need to believe in the Trinity in order to be a Christian? What about the new believer? 
Our audience is primarily youth pastors and volunteer youth workers… what advice do you have for them in talking about the Trinity and doctrine of God with teenagers, in a way that is simple to understand and doctrinally sound? 
Advice about a youth teaching series about the attributes of God?
Dr. Malcolm Yarnell serves as Research Professor of Theology at SWBTS and as Teaching Pastor at Lakeside Baptist Church in Granbury, TX, among other things. He’s also written or contributed to many theology books – his latest project is a three-part series entitled “Theology for Every Person” and the first book has just been released, which focuses on the doctrine of God.
Other books by Dr. Yarnell YPT Recommends:
The Formation of Christian Doctrine
God the Trinity: Biblical Portraits
Trinitarian Theology
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Follow Dr. Yarnell on Twitter/X and Instagram: @MusingsOnChrist
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YPT's ebook, Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry, is a free download for subscribers. This book captures the essence of Youth Pastor Theologian in one ten-chapter book, written by six different contributors from across America, Mexico, and the UK. 

70: Youth Ministry and Apologetics in Africa (Kevin Muriithi)

Although we preach the same gospel, each culture brings distinct questions and challenges for pastoral ministry. What can Western youth workers learn from African youth leaders and pastors?
What does youth ministry look like in Kenya? Since Africa is a large continent with many people groups and languages, can you give us a snapshot about what youth ministry looks like across Africa? 
You’ve recently published “Apologetics in Africa” through Langham Press. What prompted you to write that book? 
There are some chapters that are very similar to what you’d find in most apologetics books, but there are some pretty unique topics that are particular to ministry in Africa. What are some questions apologetics in Africa needs to address that doesn’t get much attention in other contexts? 
What blind spots have you seen in the broader world of youth ministry that we might not recognize ourselves?
Dr. Kevin Muriithi is a Lecturer and Head of Department in Practical Theology at School of Theology at St. Paul’s University, Kenya and is an affiliated Research Fellow in the Department of Practical Theology and Missiology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. He brings pastoral ministry experiences to theological education, especially his years of serving in youth ministry. He’s recently published “Apologetics in Africa” through Langham Press, which is the main topic of today’s conversation. 
Study: Global Youth Culture (OneHope)
Dr. Muriithi’s blog: theogrimage.com
Order Apologetics in Africa on Amazon or through Langham Publishing (free shipping)
Follow Dr. Muriithi on Twitter/X: @ndereba 
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
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YPT's ebook, Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry, is a free download for subscribers. This book captures the essence of Youth Pastor Theologian in one ten-chapter book, written by six different contributors from across America, Mexico, and the UK. 

69: Contextualization in Youth Ministry (Mike Dicker)

Good and faithful youth ministry can look very different from context to context, and yet we often define “What is youth ministry” by the form it takes rather than the essence. Today we’re going to talk about contextualization with Mike Dicker from YouthWorks College in Sydney, Australia. 
What is contextualization and why is it important? 
What is "divine accomodation" and can you point to any examples of contextualization in the Bible? 
You’ve proposed four steps for faithful contextualization in youth ministry. Could you give us a quick overview of the four steps, and then we can go through them together in a bit more detail? 
What recommendations do you have that are particular to youth ministry? 
As youth workers strive towards contextualization, the temptation is to think first about our preaching… but we need to apply contextualization to the gospel culture of our ministry. What does that mean and how do we establish a gospel culture? 
Learn more about YouthWorks and YouthWorks College
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YPT's ebook, Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry, is a free download for subscribers. This book captures the essence of Youth Pastor Theologian in one ten-chapter book, written by six different contributors from across America, Mexico, and the UK. 

68: Should Youth Ministry be Incarnational? (Tim Gough)

We often anchor relational discipleship in Christ’s incarnation, but is that the best biblical and theological foundation? In what ways might “Incarnational Ministry” have shaped the way we think about the Incarnation, rather than it being the other way around? For this reason, it’s important to get clear on the doctrine of the incarnation as we evaluate the biblical heart of relational ministry. 
Discussion
How did this question get on your radar and what motivated you to sink your teeth into it?
When people talk about “Incarnational Ministry,” what do they tend to have in mind, and what’s the typical argument for it sound like? 
Could you walk us through the doctrine of the incarnation and share your hesitations about continuing with “incarnational ministry” language? 
Is this just splitting hairs over nitpicky theology or is there something really at stake? What do you propose instead? 
Tim Gough is the center director for YFC in North Wales, chief editor for the Grove Youth series of books, and adjunct lecturer in youth ministry at various colleges in the UK, and is pursuing his PhD at University of Manchester. 
Order Tim's book, Rebooted: Reclaiming Youth Ministry for the Long Haul (IVP UK, 2019)
Follow Tim on Twitter/X: @timgoughuk
Follow Tim on YouTube: Youth Work Hacks
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
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YPT's ebook, Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry, is a free download for subscribers. This book captures the essence of Youth Pastor Theologian in one ten-chapter book, written by six different contributors from across America, Mexico, and the UK. 

67: Post-Confirmation Discipleship in Norway (Bård Norheim)

Ministry to students after confirmation (or baptism, depending on tradition) can pose some unique challenges. Bård Norheim shares about "post-confirmation leadership training" in Norway, a nationwide effort by churches to prioritize discipleship and to help youth cultivate enduring faith by finding their belonging in their church community. 
What does youth ministry look like in Norway? What are some particular challenges teenagers in Norway are facing? 
How does the Church of Norway (evangelical lutheran) currently lead youth through the confirmation process? 
Could you share more about this post-confirmation leadership training? 
What do you mean by “ambivalence” in youth, and how do you encourage youth leaders to respond? 
What are some of the main lessons you’ve learned that you want to share with youth workers, not just in Norway but globally, about leading youth into Christian maturity? 
Any good books or resources you’d like to point our listeners to about this topic? 
Bård Norheim is professor of theology, religion and philosophy, NLA Bergen University College in Norway. He is also coauthor (with Jos de Kock) of The Five Questions: An Academic Handbook in Youth Ministry Research.
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
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YPT's ebook, Youth Ministry is Theological Ministry, is a free download for subscribers. This book captures the essence of Youth Pastor Theologian in one ten-chapter book, written by six different contributors from across America, Mexico, and the UK.