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Episodes
Tuesday Jan 10, 2023
Tuesday Jan 10, 2023
Every youth leader knows how challenging it can be to facilitate meaningful and deep conversations. It can be so discouraging to prepare for meaningful ministry only to receive one-word answers and silence. In this episode, we're joined by two of our regular blog writers to discuss how we can learn to ask better questions that prompt meaningful conversations.
What makes for a good question?
What are some lessons you’ve learned the hard way about asking good questions?
After you’ve prepared your message or small group lesson and it’s time to develop questions, how do you go about crafting those?
What’s your favorite go-to question to ask students when you’re trying to strike up a conversation?
What advice do you have for youth workers who are either socially awkward or just not good at question-asking?
Joseph Bradley is the student pastor at Second Baptist Church of Arkadelphia in Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Nick Hartman is the associate pastor of students and discipleship at Mt Carmel Baptist Church in Cross Plains, TN
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.
Tuesday Dec 20, 2022
Tuesday Dec 20, 2022
Should youth workers prioritize their message preparation to help students discover God, or should we become guides who empower students to grow by serving him? This question gets to the heart of what we mean by "top down" and "bottom up" approaches to youth ministry. In this episode, Gareth Crispin and Robin Barfield join us from the UK to reflect about a whole-person approach to student discipleship.
What is the state of Youth Work in the UK? What are some of the major differences between Stateside YM and what it looks like there?
What do you mean by "Top Down" and "Bottom Up" approaches to youth ministry, and can you provide some examples?
How does this middle way differ from what’s been called “Incarnational Ministry” for decades?
How can our listeners use this model to evaluate their ministries?
Gareth Crispin is Lecturer in Practical Theology at Cliff College, which is in Darbeshire, England. Follow Gareth on Twitter at @garethcrispin.
Robin Barfield is Associate Ministry of children and families at Christ Church in Winsford, England, and visiting lecturer at Oak Hill and Union Colleges. Follow Robin on Twitter at @robinbarfield78.
Visit Youth Pastor Theologian's website
Join YPT's Facebook group: @youththeologian (make sure you answer the membership questions)
Follow YPT on Twitter: @youththeologian
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
For all the discussion about Family Ministry, there's a lack of consensus about what FM encompasses. In this episode, Mike talks with Jared Kennedy about ways for youth pastors to think about family ministry and how to effectively minister to students' families.
Jared Kennedy is the founder of Gospel-Centered Family and Ministry Editor at The Gospel Coalition.
Follow Jared on Twitter @JaredSKennedy
View and order Jared's books
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
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.
Tuesday Dec 06, 2022
Tuesday Dec 06, 2022
Who is Jesus? That's a good question. But one of most important but unasked questions students will answer is "what is Jesus?" It's common for church kids (and even youth workers themselves!) to grow tired of the same old Christmas message. Maybe that's because we've lost sight of the mystery and beauty of Christology - the study of who Jesus is and what he's done. In this episode, Griffin Gulledge helps us dig into the doctrine of the Incarnation and Hypostatic Union with students in a way that leads them to behold Jesus Christ, our Savior.
This episode expands on YPT’s recent article on the same topic. Our discussion includes:
Could you share a little bit about why you’re focusing your Ph.D. studies on the Trinity and how does that connect with today’s topic?
What is the Hypostatic Union, and how would you explain that to a normal teenager?
How can youth workers talk meaningfully and biblically about the Incarnation?
What are some pastoral applications of the humanity/deity of Christ?
What are some common misunderstandings you’ve come across about what it means for Jesus to be fully human and fully divine?
Griffin is the Pastor at Madison Baptist Church in Madison, Georgia and is nearing the completion of his Ph.D. in Systematic Theology in Trinitarian Hermeneutics from SEBTS. You can find his writings all over the web in various sites.
Follow Griffin on Twitter: @GriffinGulledge
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
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.
Tuesday Nov 29, 2022
Tuesday Nov 29, 2022
Most of us know the entire Bible finds its fulfillment in Christ, but how should that effect the way we study Scripture and teach students? In this episode, we talk about Christ centered exegesis and highlight some excellent resources for youth pastor theologians. Conversation topics include,
Could you share with us about Spoken Gospel - what is it and what are you trying to accomplish through this ministry?
As you prepare a new series for Spoken Gospel, how are you selecting books of the Bible and what’s your team’s process for breaking down books of the Bible for the series?
How does the gospel shape the way you practice exegesis while building a series, and then how do you move from exegesis to preaching and teaching?
What recommendations do you have for youth pastors who want to teach through a book of the Bible but don’t know how to build a series of their own?
Seth Stewart is the Director of Theology with Spoken Gospel.
Spoken Gospel is working towards Christ-centered resources on each book of the Bible, on three different levels: an overview video, a series of devotionals on the different sections of the book, and a deep-dive podcast episode. This is an astounding resources for youth pastor theologians to bookmark and references as you prepare your teaching series.
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
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.
Tuesday Nov 22, 2022
Tuesday Nov 22, 2022
Youth Ministry is theological ministry. But what's this actually mean, and what's it look like? Kevin Yi joins the podcast to share what he's learned about theologically grounded youth ministry.
This episode features the following discussion:
You live in Southern California surrounded by many flagship attractional churches. Without being unnecessarily critical, could you share how that’s shaped your own convictions about the role of theology and the gospel in youth ministry?
Can you walk us through how you decide whether or not it’s worth digging into a theological question or if that’d be a distraction from teaching the big idea of the text?
What have you learned the hard way about teaching theologically?
How can youth workers teach theologically without posing as theology professors in the youth room?
Mike and Kevin co-host another podcast along with Clark Fobes, called Thanos to Theos - a podcast about comics, culture, theology, and youth ministry. Thanos to Theos is part of the Rooted Ministry podcast network. Even if you aren't into comics or superhero movies, it'll help you launch into meaningful conversations with students in your ministry.
Kevin Yi is the College and Young Adults Pastor and Education Director at Church Everyday in LA county. He's also the Video Producer for the Rooted Ministry and a contributor to The Gospel I Wish I Knew in High School.
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
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.
Tuesday Nov 15, 2022
Tuesday Nov 15, 2022
Youth pastor theologians know that persuasion is an important element of their ministry. Students are faced with so many opposing worldviews and doubts, it's important for us to take an apologetic approach when teaching the Bible and theology. But what's that mean and how do we do it? In this episode, we're joined by two of YPT's regular contributors to discuss the intersection of theology and apologetics.
Why is it important to lead ministries that prioritize theology and apologetics?
What’s the difference between teaching theology and teaching theologically? What’s that really look like in your own ministries?
Does youth ministry focus too much on apologetics?
How do the affections shape the way we teach the Bible, and how can apologetics help us with that?
What are some recommendations for someone who wants to read or study more?
Joseph Bradley is the student pastor at Second Baptist Church of Arkadelphia in Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Nick Hartman is the associate pastor of students and discipleship at Mt Carmel Baptist Church in Cross Plains, TN
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
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.
Tuesday Nov 08, 2022
Tuesday Nov 08, 2022
Thriving in ministry is always more difficult than new youth pastors expect. The grind of ministry, the unusual schedule, and unfair complaints can wear the best of us down. In this episode, we talk with Jonathan Dodson about his book, The Unwavering Pastor, and what he's learned firsthand about applying the gospel to our own hearts. Discussion topics include,
What do you mean by “unwavering pastor?” and what prompted you to write this book?
The Unwavering Pastor has been out for a few months now. What are some common themes from conversations you’ve had with pastors who’ve reached out to you since reading it?
One of the sentences that made me put the book down and pray was this line, “It is virtually impossible to make it through division without sinning, and Christ is gladly present to remedy that.” Could you share a little more about this.
I really appreciated the story you told about your grandfather’s words to you about truth telling, could share you that with us?
Teenagers don’t have very many good examples of conflict resolution. We live in a cancel culture that’s fueled by internet rage. And yet, Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers. What counsel do you have for us about being peacemakers when others around us make that difficult?
Founding Pastor of Austin City Life, founder of Gospel-Centered Discipleship and author of multiple books, including Gospel-Centered Discipleship, Our Good Crisis, and The Unwavering Pastor.
Browse Jonathan's books here
Order The Unwavering Pastor
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
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.
(note: Amazon Affiliate links help support YPT's work to help youth workers think and teach theologically about ministry)
Tuesday Nov 01, 2022
Tuesday Nov 01, 2022
In this episode, Jared Kennedy offers counsel for youth workers about how to understand and partner with the children's ministry. This is something we know we should do, but don't know where to start.
What are some common misconceptions of children’s ministry that you think people should avoid?
What are some areas of commonality and difference between children and youth ministry?
Can you share with me an example you’ve witnessed of good alignment between a children’s ministry and a youth ministry - what’s that really look like in practice?
Jared Kennedy is the founder of Gospel Centered Family and Ministry Editor at The Gospel Coalition.
Follow Jared on Twitter @JaredSKennedy
View and order Jared's books
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
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.
Tuesday Oct 25, 2022
Tuesday Oct 25, 2022
How can youth workers disciple students in sexual purity without avoiding the pitfalls of "purity culture?" Dean Inserra recently published an excellent book on that question. This episode's questions include:
What was well-intentioned about youth ministry’s efforts through the “Purity Culture” of the 90’s and what can we learn from that - and what are some warnings for us to avoid?
Section two of your book walks through seven lies that are rampant in our culture. Which of these lies are particularly relevant for youth workers?
The true love waits pledge talk about “purity until marriage.” But purity is about more than “purity until marriage,” as if purity becomes unnecessary once you’re married. What does the Bible teach about purity?
When we feel impure because of our own sexual sin or because of what’s been done to us, what does the gospel have to say?
How has this book helped you rethink the way you talk about sexuality with your own kids?
Order Dean's latest, "Pure: Why the Bible's Plan for Sexuality Isn't Outdated, Irrelevant, or Oppressive." (Affiliate link, proceeds support the work of YPT)
Dean's other books
Dean Inserra is the founding pastor of City Church. He is passionate about reaching the city of Tallahassee with the Gospel, to see a worldwide impact made for Jesus. He and his wife have three children.
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
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.
Theology... in youth ministry?!
Theology and youth ministry don't tend to go together. But they should. Students are asking hard questions and they're growing up in a culture where living as a Christian makes you an outcast. We need more than easy answers and lots of fun if we're going to make lifelong disciples.