Youth Pastor Theologian

Episode 39: Gospel Centered Pedagogy and Church Membership as a Discipleship Pathway (Justin Wong)

Youth workers agree that we want to make disciples, but it’s easy to fall into a rhythm of ministry that hopes discipleship will happen. Intentionally leading your ministry to value church membership and gospel-centered pedagogy will clarify your focus and provide a discipleship plan to serve your students well. 
Why does church membership matter and what would you say to a youth pastor who’s never thought about church membership for their students? 
How do you reply to teenagers (and parents) who say church membership isn’t important for teenagers? 
What do you mean by “gospel centered pedagogy?” Could you explain that with a few examples that contrast it with non-gospel-centered pedagogy?
Justin Wong is the Pastor to Youth at Chinese Baptist Church in Houston, TX. He has earned his Doctor of Ministry degree and is currently working on his Doctor of Education. Justin and his wife have who daughters. 
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. 

Episode 38: Can Calvinists and Arminians Be Friends (Chris Talbot)

Calvinism and Arminianism is possibly the most common theological debate among Bible college students. Some act like it’s a question that determines whether or not you’re even a Christian; and others brush it off as a stupid and inconsequential issue. Why does this debate continue to carry importance today, and how can we learn to partner with each other for the sake of the Great Commission? 
Discussion: 
What's a basic overview of Calvinism and Arminianism, and why are these pitted against each other? 
Why is this theological difference important for youth workers today? Can’t this remain a theological debate from long ago? 
What is a "Reformed Arminian"? 
What are some practical ways you’ve seen youth pastors’ soteriology affect their day-to-day ministry?
How can youth workers partner with other pastors or churches who believe differently about this topic? What practical suggestions do you have and what boundaries might be good to draw?
Chris Talbot, program director of youth and families at Welch College, and youth pastor at Sylvan Park Church in Nashville. 
Recommended Reading: 
40 Questions on Arminianism (J. Matthew Pinson) 
The Promise of Arminian Theology (Bracey & Watts)
The Quest for Truth (Forlines) 
Chris’ new book: Christians in Culture: Cultivating a Christian Worldview for All of Life
(note: the links above are Affiliate Marketing links that provide a small financial benefit to YPT, which we use to provide future content for you.) 
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. 

Episode 37: Law and Gospel in Youth Ministry (Justin Schell)

Understanding Law & Gospel is incredibly important. This distinction prepares youth workers to teach and counsel in ways that keeps the gospel central while still calling students to holiness and repentance. Without Law and Gospel, we either turn the gospel into a to-do list or we extend so much grace there’s little room for teaching the commands of Christ. 
Discussion Questions:
Could you summarize what we mean by “Law & Gospel?”
What sort of confusion around Law and Gospel have you observed in Christians, in general, and in youth in particular? 
What are the different uses of the Law? If the Law cannot save, then what good is it?
What have you observed, either positive or negative, regarding Law & Gospel in the gospel-centered movement over the last 5 years? Are there any correctives you think are important to highlight for us? 
How can youth workers help students and parents embrace a biblical approach to Law and Gospel? 
Justin Schell is the US Director of Union School of Theology and helps oversee the Reformation Fellowship. He lives in Tulsa Oklahoma, he and his wife have two kids and he served as an interim youth pastor for a season of ministry. 
Recommended Resources
Union’s online resources
New Growth Press and Serge’s “Gospel Centered Life for Teens”
Right with God, Mike Reeves 
Delighting in the Trinity and Rejoicing in Christ, Mike Reeves 
Theolo.gy - Union’s website
RefFellowship.org - Reformation Fellowship 
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. 

Bonus Episode: Introducing Prepared to Answer

This bonus episode is from the Prepared to Answer podcast and introduces their new initiative, "PTA GO." This is the program through which they're launching like-minded ministries (like YPT) so they can become sustainable full-time ministries that disciple teenagers into a biblical worldview. Listen to this episode to hear more about Prepared to Answer, Truth Snack, and YPT's partnership with these incredible ministries. 
There are two podcasts from PTA I want to encourage you to download:
Introducing Youth Pastor Theologian. In this podcast, Scott and Shawn from Prepared to Answer introduce Youth Pastor Theologian to their audience, and we discuss the full background behind YPT and how this partnership came to be. 
When God Changes Your Plans: the PTA GO Story. This is the same podcast as this bonus episode, but from their podcast feed. In it, they introduce their listeners to this new initiative (PTA GO) where they are helping like-minded ministries become full-time and sustainable ministries. 
Learn more about PTA GO
If you've wondered why YPT isn't just incorporating as a 501(c)3 organization, then listen to this episode and you'll hear why. This is an incredibly generous way for YPT to learn what it takes to establish a healthy foundation to sustain a long-term ministry to youth workers. 

Episode 36: Relational Discipleship and Youth Culture (Jordan Francis)

For all the talk about relational discipleship, it’s confusing to know what that really looks like. Every youth worker knows we need to meet students where they’re at… so where are they, and how do we lead them to discover the joy of Christ? 
When youth workers talk about “meeting kids where they’re at,” what does that mean and how do we approach that with theological depth? 
When you’re writing your Reframe curriculum or meeting with a student as their therapist, how do you approach the difficult topics and help students develop a Christian worldview?
How do you approach youth culture in a way that avoids complete acceptance and complete rejection of culture? 
Jordan Francis is the founder of Reframe Youth and is a Christian Therapist in Phoenix. Reframe Youth provides biblically rich content about the timely issues students are facing, in order to help them form a Christian worldview. 
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. 

Episode 35: Helping Parents Prepare for the Teen Years (Kristen Hatton)

Parents are often fearful and overwhelmed as their kids approach the teen years. Yes, there are new challenges and struggles. But God is faithful and the gospel really is good news. How can youth workers understand and encourage parents of teenagers through these stressful years? 
What's the central message of Parenting Ahead and tell us why you wrote it? 
How can youth workers help parents keep the long-range in sight? 
Youth leaders sometimes see tendencies in youth that seem to be rooted in either over-parenting or under-parenting… could you explain what you mean by those terms, and how might a youth leader be able to help a parent embrace a different approach? 
It could be easy for a youth pastor who’s unmarried or who either doesn’t have kids or whose kids are still very young to think they don’t have much to offer parents. How can those youth leaders have a meaningful role in the lives of the parents of students in their ministry? 
What’s one way that every youth worker can encourage and support parents? 
Kristen Hatton is a Christian counselor in Dallas, TX  and the author of multiple fantastic books for teenagers. Today, we’ll talk about her latest book, Parenting Ahead: Preparing Now for the Teen Years, and about how youth workers can be encouragers to the parents in their ministry. 
Instagram: RedemptiveParenting 
Website: kristenhatton.com 
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. 

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 
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 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. 

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)
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 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
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.