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A cupcake caper, an Unreal-powered mansion, and a question every youth leader wrestles with: should we separate junior high and high school? We sit down with student pastor Michelle Kruse from Summit Christian Church to unpack how age-intentional programming can transform engagement without requiring a bigger building or a bigger budget. Michelle walks us through their midweek system that alternates middle school and high school in the same space, why the teaching style shifts for each group, and how small groups, worship, and pace change when you design for real developmental stages.

We also explore the hidden engine of healthy transitions: a purposeful preteen ministry. Michelle shares how she launched a fourth and fifth grade service, then empowered a part-time couple—both teachers—to lead with Orange curriculum, accessible teaching, and consistent small groups. The result is a smoother handoff into student ministry, monthly fifth-grade previews of midweek, and camp experiences that ease anxiety. One of our favorite moments: why the car ride home with a parent might be the most important discipleship moment for preteens.

If you’re navigating limited space, limited volunteers, or mixed-age expectations, this conversation offers practical tactics you can try tomorrow: teaching twice in one night, swapping spaces, recruiting part-time leaders, and inviting high schoolers to serve in preteen or middle school to keep mentorship alive. We also get honest about quality tradeoffs, leader health, and how to read your context so you can separate where it matters most and still sustain a life-giving pace.

Subscribe, share this episode with a fellow youth leader, and leave a review with one change you’re considering for your next gathering—we’d love to hear what you’ll try first.

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What if the fastest way to deeper impact isn’t writing more, but freeing leaders to be with people? We pull back the curtain on our content process and share why we’ve built a central writing model that serves multiple campuses while giving local teams room to adapt. Our north star this summer is Ephesians and the identity of a “kingdom worker”—loved, rescued, changed, and sent. That sending isn’t theoretical: we’re equipping students to share their faith after the event and inviting youth pastors to collect stories that spark courage across their ministries.

We also introduce our mission partner, Con Mis Manos in Matamoros, Mexico, a ministry serving deaf students who often face social isolation and limited access to sign language and education. Their story—told through a new film centered on founder Michelle Zúñiga—threads through the week. Students will see Spanish Sign Language woven into gatherings, even joining prayers led by deaf students. It’s a living picture of global kingdom work and a powerful way to practice generosity that honors dignity and presence over programs.

Why write your own curriculum instead of buying it? We make the case for a blended approach: a central writer crafts clear, biblically grounded outlines, campuses contextualize, and volunteers and students share the teaching load. Video teaches some moments, but we always land live. We also set firm guardrails for AI—useful for brainstorming and visuals, off-limits for theology and spiritual direction. Smaller churches can run the same play by equipping a small content team, elevating student communicators, and keeping every talk simple enough to reproduce. When identity begins in Christ and every message points back to Jesus, students don’t just learn; they move.

If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review to help more leaders find these conversations. Then tell us: how are you sending your students this week?

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What if the fastest route to a healthier youth ministry isn’t writing more, but shepherding more? We sit down with Anne Wilson, Next Gen Pastor at Traders Point Christian Church, to learn the value of buying curriculum, then spending your reclaimed hours pastoring students and training volunteers. Anne shares a practical, month-ahead workflow for taking a solid, gospel-centered series from download to stage—assigning a rotating editor, contextualizing scripts, upgrading small group questions, and leaving room for the Holy Spirit to lead. The payoff is tangible: more time in schools and FCA, stronger leader prep, and holy moments like spontaneous baptisms when hearts are ready.

We also pull back the curtain on CIY MOVE's upcoming Kingdom Workers theme. Think Ephesians with a bright, surreal visual world and a reimagined response element that nods to the past without living in it. The film project with a new mission partner threads beautifully through the theme, showing students how vocation and calling intersect in ordinary life. Ephesians 2:10 anchors the message: you are God’s handiwork, sent to make everyday spaces sacred—classrooms, shops, studios, and sidelines.

If you’ve wrestled with the stigma of “selling out” by purchasing curriculum, Anne offers a reframing that’s both freeing and challenging. Students aren’t grading authorship—they’re aching for truth and presence. Treat curriculum like worship music: sometimes you write for your house; often you lead with faithful songs others composed. The key is stewardship and context, not copy-paste shortcuts. Leave with a clear process you can adopt tomorrow, a vision for sacred work in everyday places, and a renewed conviction that your best creativity might be spent in conversation, not in a document.

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A freshman gets baptized by his friends. A mom weeps because her child—wounded by past violence—finally steps out to a church event. Teenagers run cameras, lead songs, read Scripture, and help with communion. The thread tying it together is simple and bold: there’s no junior Holy Spirit, and students don’t need a separate church—they need a real place in the church.

We sit down with Jordan Francis of Reframe Youth to unpack why intergenerational ministry is more than a nice idea; it’s one of the strongest predictors of a faith that lasts beyond graduation. Jordan shares how smaller and more diverse congregations often integrate students by necessity, and how that necessity becomes a discipleship advantage. We dig into practical systems you can replicate: use Wednesdays to build relationships and pathways, then launch students into Sunday roles—worship, kids, production, hospitality—where older saints mentor and teenagers contribute in meaningful ways.

If you’re in a large church, Jordan maps a smart playbook: don’t start with the senior pastor; partner with kids and next gen leaders to build a simple pipeline, gather stories and data, and expand from proof-of-concept to church-wide practice. Along the way, we talk about calling out gifts, coaching through the mess, giving teens language for hard days, and shifting Sunday from a show to a shared family responsibility. Expect sharp insights, field-tested tactics, and stories that will reshape how you see teenagers in your worshiping community.

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Want teens to feel seen, speak up, and stick around? We dig into the power of student-only spaces with Family Ministries pastor Tito Lozano and uncover how comfort, agency, and relationship-driven environments lead to deeper faith and smoother integration into the wider church. Tito walks us through a simple but game-changing redesign—turning a stage into a lounge with couches and beanbags—and how that shift invited vulnerability and richer small group conversations. We also unpack student ownership: room decor, anonymous feedback surveys, and a voice in series planning that sparks buy-in and makes “our youth group” feel truly theirs.

We don’t stop at the youth room door. Tito shares a balanced rhythm for integration—one Sunday a month in “big church”—that familiarizes teens with the lead pastor, corporate worship, and adult liturgy without sacrificing the age-intentional midweek environment. We tackle serving pathways that don’t bury the same students behind tech every week, and we highlight the irreplaceable role of adult leaders who show up at games, concerts, and fourth-meal hangouts. Those everyday moments become the bridge from adolescent faith to adult discipleship.

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What if the most powerful way to reach today's youth isn't through carefully crafted topical messages, but through teaching them to dig into Scripture verse by verse? Jeremy Stevenson, formations pastor at Christ Church in Jacksonville, believes we're facing a generation hungry for authenticity—one that needs skills to engage with God's Word directly rather than depending on a youth pastor's clever packaging.

In this thought-provoking conversation, Jeremy shares how his student ministry tackles Paul's prison epistles through a series called "Letters from a Cell," creatively connecting ancient texts with Dietrich Bonhoeffer's prison writings while staying firmly rooted in Scripture. Rather than avoiding theological challenges that naturally arise when teaching through books of the Bible, Jeremy's team creates space for deeper dives into topics like predestination and sexuality—discovering that students eagerly stay for these substantive conversations.

The shift to exegetical teaching hasn't dampened creativity or student engagement. Instead, it's transformed how students interact with Scripture and their peers. "They are now equipped to take God's word to their people rather than bringing their people to hear God's word," Jeremy explains, noting how students are increasingly discipling friends rather than merely inviting them to church. By encouraging physical Bibles over screen projections and emphasizing direct textual engagement, Christ Church is equipping students with lifelong skills for spiritual growth.

Before this insightful discussion, we join Caleb DeRoin as he recounts his extraordinary attempt at the punishing Leadville 100 mountain bike race in Colorado—a 105-mile challenge with 12,000 feet of elevation change that defeats over half its participants annually. His riveting story of perseverance through 90 miles of grueling terrain at extreme altitudes offers surprising parallels to our spiritual journey of endurance and commitment.

Whether you're a youth minister questioning your teaching approach or simply curious about effective ways to help young people engage with Scripture, this episode offers fresh perspectives on discipleship that transcends trends and cultivates lasting spiritual formation. Subscribe for our upcoming conversation about integrating students into adult services versus creating student-only spaces!

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What approach should you take when teaching in a post-Christian context? DJ Rodeffer, Youth Director at Collective Church in Frederick, Maryland, makes a compelling case for topical teaching in this thought-provoking conversation.

Speaking from his experience in one of America's most unchurched regions, DJ explains why topical teaching creates powerful entry points for students who've been burned by the church or have no religious background whatsoever. Rather than feeling like a compromise, his approach strategically addresses real-life issues while remaining firmly anchored in Scripture.

"We feel as if we're able to engage what's specifically going on in our kids' lives," DJ shares, describing how his team crafts series on everything from digital hygiene to mental health based on relationships with their students. This contextual sensitivity allows them to meet young people exactly where they are.

While DJ clearly leans topical, he emphasizes there's no ministry without a balance of both approaches. The conversation offers valuable perspective for any youth worker wondering how to effectively communicate timeless truth to a generation hungry for relevance and authenticity. Whether you're team topical, team exegetical, or somewhere in between, you'll find practical wisdom for your ministry context.

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Ready to challenge your youth ministry assumptions? Season 5 of Beyond the Event returns with a fresh format designed to make you think deeply about practices you might have packed away in the attic of your brain.

This season introduces paired episodes presenting both sides of common youth ministry debates. Each debate features experienced youth ministers who've previously appeared on our podcast, ensuring authentic perspectives from people currently in the trenches. We're starting with one of ministry's fundamental questions: topical versus exegetical teaching, with the first episode dropping September 8th.

Whether you've never given these issues much thought, you're firmly committed to one approach, or you're thoughtfully weighing different perspectives, this season speaks directly to you. Our goal isn't to change your mind or declare debate winners—it's to create space for genuine reflection. When was the last time you reconsidered your teaching approach? Have your ministry methods become automatic rather than intentional?

Don't miss our season premiere on September 8th as we dive into the case for topical teaching, followed by the arguments for exegetical teaching on September 22nd. Subscribe now, and join us as we maintain momentum between the mountaintops of youth ministry.

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How do we maintain spiritual, emotional, and relational health during our most demanding seasons? 

Lane Moss, Director of MOVE at Christ in Youth, opens up about the real challenges of summer ministry life when routines are regularly disrupted by constant travel. Lane draws an important distinction between routines (which often crumble under pressure) and rhythms (which can sustain us regardless of circumstances). 

"Bible before phone" becomes more than just a catchy phrase—it represents a portable spiritual anchor that works whether you're at home in your favorite chair or rushing between event venues. Lane shares practical wisdom about how to maintain connection with God when ideal circumstances aren't possible, including setting daily alarms as spiritual check-in points.

The conversation takes a particularly meaningful turn when discussing family relationships during travel-intensive seasons. Lane reveals that maintaining connection with his wife and children requires intentional strategies like brief phone calls during campus walks and personalized touchpoints with each child. Most refreshingly, he admits these approaches didn't emerge naturally but through difficult conversations—sometimes arguments—that ultimately strengthened his family's resilience.

Perhaps most valuable is Lane's perspective on authenticity in ministry leadership. "Nobody is served when we pretend to have it all together," he observes, noting how such pretense creates impossible standards for others while diminishing the visible work of Christ in our lives. This summer, as you navigate your own ministry challenges, may these insights help you maintain rhythms that sustain rather than deplete you.

What rhythms have helped you stay grounded during intense ministry seasons? Share your experiences in the CIY Community Facebook group, and join us when we return with new episodes in August.

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How do we move students from sporadic volunteer projects to living lives of Kingdom Work? In this conversation, Christ’s Church of Oronogo’s Local Impact Minister Maggie Schade reveals the transformative approach that's reshaping how youth engage with community needs.

Maggie shares a compelling vision where service isn't just something students do, but fundamentally shapes who they're becoming. Drawing from years of experience connecting students with community partners, she unpacks the critical distinction between channeling energy versus creating it, and how letting students take ownership of ministry opportunities produces lasting fruit.

The discussion takes a powerful turn when examining prayer as the true engine of mission work. Through vivid examples from international partners, we discover how perspectives on prayer within youth ministry often need radical realignment. Rather than seeing prayer as supplementary, we are challenged to place it at the center of our community engagement strategy.

You'll gain practical wisdom on developing focused community partnerships, creating meaningful pathways for student service, and helping passionate teens identify their "next right step" after transformative experiences like CIY MOVE. We also tackle the sometimes-controversial topic of international missions, exploring ways to develop global frameworks for ministry that connect students to God's worldwide mission, whether overseas or in their own backyard.

Whether you're a seasoned youth minister or just beginning to explore community engagement with students, this episode provides both inspiration and actionable steps to help your ministry move beyond one-time events toward cultivating lifelong kingdom workers. Start your journey today by taking one small step that could transform your approach to student ministry and community impact.