In this episode, Jeremy is joined by longtime youth pastor, Alpha Youth Series co-creator, and speaker Ben Woodman for a thoughtful and practical conversation on the most important goal in youth ministry: helping students grow in their love for Jesus and their love for others.

Ben shares stories and insights from over 20 years of ministry around the world, and together he and Jeremy reflect on how easy it is to get distracted from our core calling—especially in the chaos of running programs or managing small groups. From practical ideas to deeper theology, this episode is filled with encouragement and inspiration for any youth worker who wants to make space for real spiritual growth in students.

Looking for a practical next step? Try out one of these things…

• Be quick to pray with and for your students—even in spontaneous moments
• Try leading a small group through a reflective prayer time using a Psalm
• Play a worship song and ask students to listen for what God might say
• Create retreat, camp, or night-away moments where students can encounter God
• Remind students (and yourself): you don’t have to start over—God cherishes every step you’ve taken

You can also try out these resources:

• Alpha Youth Series (free and online)
• Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
• Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer

We sent these things out to our email list too. If you’d like to join, head to youthworker.community/contact and hit subscribe.

Have a question or want to dig deeper? You can email [email protected].