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What if we've been measuring youth ministry by the wrong scoreboard?

Attendance matters. Camp decisions matter. Great programming matters. But Jesus didn't commission us to create busy ministries—He commissioned us to make disciples.

Recorded live at SBC 2026, Zac Workun sits down with Dr. Jason Engle to explore one of the most important conversations every youth pastor needs to have: What does spiritual maturity actually look like?

Drawing from the Great Commission and Colossians 1:28, Jason argues that the true aim of youth ministry isn't simply activity, engagement, or even decisions—it's helping students become mature in Christ.

Together we unpack:

• Why spiritual maturity should become the primary metric for youth ministry
• How Paul's prayers reveal a biblical vision for discipleship
• The difference between alignment and attunement in spiritual formation
• Why students often open up more side-by-side than face-to-face
• How teaching extends far beyond a sermon
• Why fun and theological depth are never enemies
• How to disciple teenagers in an age dominated by distraction
• Practical ways to cultivate margin, abiding, and spiritual disciplines
• Why students shouldn't graduate dependent on youth ministry—but equipped to pursue Jesus on their own

One of the most memorable moments comes when Jason shares the story of a student he believed wasn't listening, only to discover years later that God had been working beneath the surface all along.

If you've ever wondered whether your ministry is making a lasting difference, this conversation offers both biblical clarity and tremendous encouragement.

Key Scriptures

• Matthew 28:18–20
• Colossians 1:28–29
• Ephesians 1:15–23
• John 15
• Hebrews 12:1–2

Memorable Quotes

"The goal isn't students who depend on the ministry. It's students who know how to pursue Christ when the ministry is gone."

"You can't microwave spiritual formation."

"Spiritual maturity isn't a destination—it's a trajectory."

"Students don't just need to hear about abiding. They need to practice abiding."

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What if the greatest measure of success in youth ministry isn't getting students to graduation...

...it's what happens after they leave?

Every youth pastor has watched it happen. A student who was faithful all through high school slowly disappears during their first semester of college. Rarely is it one dramatic decision. More often it's loneliness, distraction, isolation, and never learning how to follow Jesus without someone planning their spiritual life.

In this episode, Zac Workun sits down with Paul Worcester (North American Mission Board) to explore what college ministry leaders see every fall—and what youth pastors can do before graduation to help students develop a faith that actually lasts.

Together they unpack why the first 90 days of college are one of the most important windows in a student's spiritual life, how discipleship must move beyond teaching into training, and why smaller discipleship groups may be one of the missing pieces in modern youth ministry.

📘Paul also introduces Thrive, a new Bible study designed to help students navigate the transition from high school to college with a gospel-centered identity and sustainable spiritual habits.

If you want your graduates to leave your ministry prepared—not just inspired—this conversation is for you.

In This Episode

• Why the first 90 days of college often determine a student's spiritual trajectory
• The difference between teaching students and training disciples
• Why youth ministry small groups may still be too big
• How accountability changes spiritual growth
• Helping students learn to feed themselves through Scripture and prayer
• Creating a better handoff between youth ministry and college ministry
• Why every youth pastor should connect graduates to a BCM or healthy collegiate ministry before move-in day
• Preparing students for head, heart, and hands discipleship—not just apologetics
• Helping students build identity in Christ instead of performance
• Why sanctification is a lifelong journey—not a finish line
• Grace-centered discipline versus legalism in a distracted generation
• Simplifying youth ministry around a wide front door and a deep discipleship core

Key Takeaways

One of the biggest ideas from this conversation is simple:

Students don't simply need more or better sermons. They need better training. Intentional, relational, and personal.

Teaching informs.

Training transforms.

When students regularly practice Scripture, prayer, accountability, evangelism, and spiritual disciplines before graduation, they're far more likely to continue those rhythms when nobody is checking attendance.

As Paul says:

"More time with fewer people leads to greater lasting Kingdom impact."

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Teenagers are drowning in noise, and most of them don’t have the brain bandwidth or life experience to sort it all out yet. From the SBC 2026 exhibit hall, we talk with Dr. Kristen Kellen about what it looks like to counsel teens faithfully when anxiety, comparison, and overwhelm feel like the background music of adolescence.

If you've ever wondered:
"Am I doing enough for struggling students?"
"When should I listen...and when should I refer?"
"How do I help teenagers who feel anxious all the time?"
...this conversation is for you.

We get specific about emotional health and why it can’t be separated from the rest of life. Sleep, food, hydration, exercise, and screen time matter more than we want to admit, especially for developing bodies and brains. Then we challenge a popular idea that quietly shapes teen culture: the belief that emotions are authoritative and binding. Dr. Kellen gives language that protects kids from shame while still giving them agency, helping them move from “I feel anxious, so I am anxious” to “I’m experiencing anxiety, and I can respond wisely.”

For youth pastors and youth leaders, we dig into the difference between helping a student feel better in the moment and helping them become healthy over time. We talk modeling emotional regulation, naming feelings without being ruled by them, and using practical steps that build resilience. We also explore suffering and spiritual maturity, why Scripture assumes hardship, and how patience and the fruit of the Spirit grow through repeated practice, not instant change. If you’ve wanted a clearer framework for Christian counseling and pastoral care with teens, this conversation will give you traction.

We talk about why so many teenagers feel overwhelmed and how we can respond with wisdom instead of panic. We lay out practical ways to help students name their feelings, build agency, and grow toward long-term health and spiritual maturity. 

In This Episode

• Why so many teenagers feel overwhelmed today
• The relationship between brain development and emotional maturity
• Why feelings are real—but shouldn't become our authority
• Helping students become healthy instead of simply helping them feel better
• Simple counseling principles every youth pastor can practice
• Why modeling emotional regulation matters more than having all the answers
• Building spiritual resilience instead of instant relief
• The role suffering plays in Christian maturity
• How youth ministry can become a "laboratory" for practicing the Fruit of the Spirit
• Knowing when to partner with parents, counselors, and mental health professionals
• Why your faithful presence matters more than you realize

Quotes

• "If we always focus on the fix, students may never learn the skill."
• "Teenagers don't just need answers—they need adults who model healthy faith."
• "Youth ministry is a long game played inside a very short season."
• "Don't underestimate the ministry of simply being present."
• "Our goal isn't just to remove suffering—it's to help students meet Christ in the middle of it."

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Gen Alpha Is Here. Is Your Ministry Ready?

The students walking into your ministry today have never known life without smartphones, algorithms, or instant access to the world.

They're also asking bigger questions than many churches are prepared to answer.

In this episode Zac Workun sits down with Dr. Shelly Melia at SBC2026 to discuss what makes Generation Alpha unique,and why youth ministry may need to rethink some of its biggest assumptions.

From AI and biblical literacy to belonging and family discipleship, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom for leaders who want to disciple students instead of simply entertaining them.

• Why Gen Alpha is fundamentally different from Gen Z
• The coming impact of AI on discipleship
• Why biblical literacy is declining faster than many leaders realize
• How COVID shaped students' expectations of faith and suffering
• The importance of teaching lament and resilience
• Why belonging—not attendance—is becoming the key metric
• Helping parents become disciple-makers at home
• Moving from information transfer to transformational dialogue
• Why every student needs trusted adults—not just a great youth pastor
• Practical ways to reduce digital dependence inside your ministry

"The whole world is Gen Alpha's neighborhood."

"Students are receiving far more discipleship from their phones than from the church."

"Stop talking at students. Start dialoguing with them."

"Students don't just need to belong. They need to be needed."

"The truth is stronger than the questions."

"Youth ministry isn't just about entertaining students. It's about empowering disciples."

Practical Takeaways

• Build your ministries that prioritize relationships over production.
• Teach students how to wrestle with suffering before suffering arrives.
• Assume less biblical knowledge and teach foundational Scripture intentionally.
• Create environments where questions are welcomed.
• Equip parents instead of replacing them.
• Help students practice presence in an age of constant distraction.
• Shift from event-centered ministry to disciple-making communities.

Reaching Generation Alpha — Dr. Shelly Melia & Shane Pruitt

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This episode wraps up our three-part conversation with Dr. David Odom on Deconstructing Youth Ministry and offers a timely reminders for youth ministry friends.

The future of youth ministry doesn't hinge on doing more. It depends on becoming the kind of leader who can faithfully serve for longer. 

🎙️ In this episode:

• Why working harder isn't the answer
• The hidden cost of ministry without margin
• Red flags that reveal you're running too close to empty
• The power of honest accountability and trusted friendships
• Why every youth ministry leader needs a place to be a person, not just a the persona of pastor
• How confession and failure are tools for spiritual growth
• What long-term success in youth ministry actually looks like
• Celebrating spiritual victories instead of only event victories
• Practical ways to rest without feeling guilty
• Why debriefing camps and mission trips may be more important than planning them

About David Odom

Dr. David Odom serves as a leader, researcher, and professor with decades of experience in student ministry. His book, Youth Ministry Deconstructed: Rethinking Your Ministry to Build Lasting Faith in Students, challenges churches to evaluate the assumptions behind modern youth ministry and reimagine discipleship for the next generation.

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Before we know it, youth ministry can become really good at running events—and not as effective at making disciples.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. David Odom and Deconstructing Youth Ministry, we tackle one of the biggest questions facing churches today.

How do we build student ministries that produce lasting faith, not just busy calendars?

We explore why teenagers today are both different and surprisingly the same. Students still wrestle with identity, belonging, purpose, and faith, but they’re doing it in a world shaped by social media, digital overload, and increasing isolation. That’s why relational youth ministry matters more than ever.

Dr. Odom shares two powerful truths every youth leader should remember:
✅ True discipleship happens in the context of relationships.
✅ The leader is the lesson.

We also unpack Dr. Odom’s research into the three arenas of effective youth ministry:
🔹 Teenagers in the youth group
🔹 Teenagers and their families
🔹 Teenagers in the congregation

We discuss practical parent ministry strategies, helping students connect to the larger church, creating meaningful service opportunities, mentoring teenagers into leadership, and avoiding the trap of measuring success by attendance, events, and programming alone.

🎙️ In this episode:
• The future of youth ministry
• Gen Z and Gen Alpha discipleship
• Relational ministry vs. attractional ministry
• Student leadership development
• Parent ministry strategies that actually work
• Building intergenerational church connections
• Why students need to be known, not just entertained
• Youth group trends worth keeping—and retiring

About David Odom

Dr. David Odom serves as a leader, researcher, and professor with decades of experience in student ministry. His book, Youth Ministry Deconstructed: Rethinking Your Ministry to Build Lasting Faith in Students, challenges churches to evaluate the assumptions behind modern youth ministry and reimagine discipleship for the next generation.

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What actually makes a youth ministry fruitful? Bigger crowds? Flashier events? Viral moments? In this episode  Zac sits down with JP Black to wrestle honestly with those questions: presence, not popularity.

From the moment you walk into JP’s student building—covered in photos, memories, and a “Trophy Wall of Awesome”—you can feel a culture of belonging. But the real transformation didn’t come from décor. It came from a deliberate shift away from event management toward spaces where students encounter God.

JP shares how the post-COVID reset forced his team to rebuild from the ground up. Instead of chasing attendance as proof of “anointing,” they began measuring spiritual fruit through markers like confession, repentance, prayer, and resilient discipleship. The result? A ministry less driven by hype and more shaped by genuine transformation.

One standout example is their redesigned Venture Weekend, now treated as a modern “stone of remembrance.” Students participate in a powerful concert of prayer, laying down idols and naming what’s holding them back.

Fruitful youth ministry isn’t built on popularity, it’s formed through presence, repentance, prayer, and patient discipleship.

• history and community markers in the student space
• why the Trophy Wall of Awesome matters for belonging
• JP’s calling story and long obedience
• post-COVID reset of metrics and motives
• presence of God as the ministry north star
• redesigning Venture Weekend for encounter
• splitting middle school and high school for depth
• testing hype vs transformation through repentance
• practical ways to bring camp home weekly
• modeling humility and pressing on from Philippians 3
• concert of prayer and a seventh grader’s salvation
• how to connect with JP Black

First Rockwall Students on Facebook and Instagram 

Instagram: @JPBlack_

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Youth Ministry Deconstructed with David Odom | What If We've Been Doing Youth Ministry Wrong?

Have we built youth ministries that attract students… but struggle to form lasting faith?

In this first episode of a 3 part series of the Youth Ministry Booster Podcast, Zac Workun sits down with Dr. David Odom from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and author of Youth Ministry Deconstructed, for a conversation about the past, present, and future of student ministry. Together we talk  the history of youth ministry, the assumptions we've inherited, and why many youth pastors are feeling both hopeful and exhausted in today's ministry landscape. 

This isn't a conversation about abandoning youth ministry. It's a conversation about rethinking it, breaking it down to rebuild it.

Dr. Odom challenges youth leaders to evaluate whether our ministries are producing attendance or discipleship, activity or transformation, participation or ownership of faith.

In Part 1

✅ The surprising history of youth ministry in America

✅ How Youth for Christ helped shape modern student ministry

✅ Why youth ministry became a "church within a church"

✅ What David Odom means by "deconstructing" youth ministry

✅ Why doubt can be a sign of spiritual growth

✅ The problem with measuring success only by attendance

✅ Better discipleship metrics for youth pastors

✅ The difference between programs and environments

✅ Why small groups may need to become even smaller

✅ How mentoring relationships help students own their faith

Key Takeaways

Youth ministry isn't broken because youth pastors aren't trying hard enough.

Student doubt is not always a crisis.

Attendance matters, but it isn't enough.

Programs don't disciple people. Environments do.

"We're not just trying harder. We're rethinking what we're doing.""Student doubt is not a freak-out moment. It's often a faith-forming moment.""The question isn't simply how many students showed up. The question is whether we're helping students build a faith that lasts.""Think in terms of environments, not programs."

About David Odom

Dr. David Odom serves as a leader, researcher, and professor with decades of experience in student ministry. His book, Youth Ministry Deconstructed: Rethinking Your Ministry to Build Lasting Faith in Students, challenges churches to evaluate the assumptions behind modern youth ministry and reimagine discipleship for the next generation.

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And we're back! Back in Nashville that is! 

Zac and Chad sit down with Kyle Wilshire to talk about why youth ministry has to move past keeping students busy and doing and start forming students who go and live sent. 

We unpack the Great Commission, what mission trips can and cannot do, and how to build everyday courage for gospel conversations in real life and online. 

Pickup Kyle's book "GO" here

In a digital-first generation, the “ends of the earth” are closer than ever. This conversation explores digital discipleship, social media integrity, and practical ways students can start meaningful conversations about faith online and in person. 

In This Episode:

• Why the Great Commission means “as you go”
• How to create a missional culture in youth ministry
• The real value of student mission trips
• Turning mission trip moments into long-term discipleship
• Helping students overcome fear in evangelism
• Digital discipleship and sharing faith online
• Practical ways students can live on mission every day

Don't Miss... 
• Ghostbusters memories and why timing matters 
• A senior speech that shows the power of owning a moment 
• Youth ministry as belonging and the tension when students drift 
• Why “go” matters and what “as you go” means 
• Mission trips as disruption that widens worldview 
• Turning a trip into lasting formation through reminders and follow-up 
• Reframing evangelism so students are not carrying the results 
• Building gospel familiarity so conversations feel natural 
• Acts 1:8 as a map for where we witness 
• Modeling faith as leaders in parking lots and daily life 
• Digital discipleship and using social platforms as witness 

Whether you’re a youth pastor, volunteer leader, parent, or student ministry team member, this episode will encourage you to create a ministry culture that both welcomes students in and sends them back out with purpose.

https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/go-teen-bible-study-book-P005852665

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When a student walked into the office during the pandemic asking whether his father would live long enough for a transplant, it exposed a gap many youth pastors feel but rarely name: we can teach Scripture and organize programs, but do we know how to shepherd teenagers when fear, grief, and uncertainty overwhelm them?

We sit down with Dr. Randy Jackson to talk about a gospel-shaped approach to soul care that equips parents as the primary shapers of a teen’s faith. We trace his journey from a pandemic crisis to building a practical framework that deepens conversations at home and in small groups and why equipping parents remains the most strategic work in student ministry.

This episode offers practical tools for youth pastors, volunteers, and parents who want to move beyond behavior management and into Christ-centered care for the inner lives of teenagers.

🧠 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• A clear, Scripture-rooted definition of soul care for youth ministry
• Why crisis moments reveal the limits of program-driven ministry
• How the Gospels connect soul care with healing and restoration
• Eight core components of biblical soul care every leader can practice
• Why parents and grandparents remain the primary influencers in teens’ lives
• How to equip families to talk about identity, emotions, and mental health
• The most transferable skill for shepherding students: active listening
• How better questions lead to deeper spiritual conversations
• Why vulnerability should come from scars, not  wounds
• How volunteers can provide meaningful care without being counselors

📖 The 8 Components of Gospel-Shaped Soul Care

Dr. Randy Jackson outlines eight practical dimensions of caring for the soul that apply to both ministry leaders and parents:

1. Time — Slowing down to be present (Psalm 90)
2. Influence — Recognizing who shapes a teen’s inner world
3. Motivation — Understanding the “why” behind behavior
4. Vulnerability — Modeling honest faith from healed places
5. Empathy — Entering a student’s experience without rushing to fix
6. Mindfulness — Paying attention to God, self, and surroundings
7. Discernment — Seeing spiritual realities beneath surface issues
8. Communication — Speaking truth with grace and clarity

Parents and grandparents outrank social media influencers, celebrities, and youth pastors as the most influential voices in teenagers’ lives.

Connect w/ Dr. Randy Jackson, Youth Pastor, FBC Atlanta, Texas

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: facebook.com/rsjacksonus

Book Recommendations:

• Aundi Kolber, Try Softer
• T. Dale Johnson, The Church as a Culture of Care
• Paul David Tripp, Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands
• Harley Atkinson, W. Lee Barnett, and Mike Severe. Ministry with Youth in Crisis. 3rd ed.
• Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline
• Robert D. Jones, Kristin L. Kellen, and Rob Green. The Gospel For Disordered Lives
• Kara Powell and Brad Griffin, 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager

- J. Alasdair Groves and Winston T. Smith, Untangling Emotions

- Timothy Paul Jones. Family Ministry Field Guide: How Your Church Can Equip Parents to Make Disciples

- Edward T. Welch, Caring For One Another: 8 Ways to Cultivate Meaningful Relationships

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Which snack would you like to popsicle? 

In this episode, Chad Daugherty joins Zac and the crew for a conversation that starts with dad-life fitness in the “llama lift lair” and ends with a practical blueprint for building a healthy, sustainable volunteer culture.

Let's talk about the wild world of Gen Alpha — deodorant before rec, ball pumps on standby, and a suspicious loyalty to red Doritos. Then everything shifts when a middle schooler asks a deceptively deep question: Why does the Bible use so many bread images for God?

Suddenly, frozen Uncrustables become a doorway to manna, the Bread of Life, communion, and daily dependence on God.

That pivot — from silly to sacred — is youth ministry in a nutshell.

🔑 Key Takeaways
Pause Your Way Out
When big questions land, you don’t have to have instant answers. Chad shares how to slow the moment, invite students into discovery, and model a faith that seeks together.
Clarity → Confidence → Consistency → Culture
Healthy volunteer teams aren’t built on hype. They grow through clear expectations, steady investment, and repeatable rhythms.
Recruitment Is Not Development
Most ministries stop after “yes.” Real leadership happens in what comes next.

A Simple Leadership Rhythm
Pray • Ask • Invest • Wait
Care that continues long after the initial excitement fades.

👥  Chad’s 3–2–1 Weekly Volunteer System
A practical framework you can start this week:
Pray for 3 people
Make 2 proactive touchpoints
Schedule 1 face-to-face connection
Coffee, hallway chat, game night, or visit
Do this for 50 weeks:

💯 ~100 families personally touched
🤝 50 in-person connections
🌱 A culture shaped over time

Make sure you hit the links below, whether we're gonna see you in a couple states, in a couple regions in the next few ways, or catch us online

Lifeway.com/essentials

Lifeway.com/experience

We'd love to see you in Virginia, in North Carolina, or one of our youth pastor summit locations

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