I Survived Youth Group in the 90's

We get the chance to talk with Erica on this fun episode which is equal parts funny and insightful. Erica was a few years behind us so we talk about the anticipation leading up to becoming part of the youth group and whether or not it lived up to the hype. We appreciated her honesty in answering these questions about her journey!

We get the chance to reconnect with our old friend Leah on this episode. Leah was an integral part of our youth group at 5 Oaks. We really appreciate the thoughtfulness in her answers - you will find it very much enhances the episode! Hey, did your youth pastor send you to the mall with the instructions to tell a stranger about Jesus? Asking for a friend.

Part two with Meleah & Troy! We round out the conversation about their younger, youth group selves and dive into their experience with the 5 Oaks youth group as volunteers. Their perspective sheds light on how prolific that 5 Oaks youth group was at the time. Tune it to find out how Troy (eventually) checked all of Meleah's boxes for a spouse!

This week is the first of a two part interview with our dear friends Meleah and Troy. These two have a fun story meeting at 5 Oaks (Scott takes full credit for this marriage) after independently surviving their own youth group experiences in the 90s. This first part will mainly be their stories about youth group and Part 2 will be more about their relationship and how 5 Oaks contributed to it.

When was the last time you had some big shoes to fill? Tim B took over the Five Oaks youth group in the early 2000s and the youth pastor there for over 10 years. We talk about youth group transitioning form the 90s into the 2000s, what it means to be welcoming, and the importance of giving kids the chance to lead. Don't let Tim fool you - he says that he didn't know how to be a youth pastor but he was actually really good at this job.

A special episode for this pod, we get to chat with Caleb's sister Bethany. It's an honest, vulnerable conversation about how life can come at you fast but Christ still remains constant. There are lots of laughs to be shared in this one but the love and admiration these two have for each other is heartwarming. Consider this episode an homage to good parenting!

In our mid-40s, you would think our tongues would have been tamed by now. Quite the opposite, actually. We dive into a discussion about the real implications of swear words, vulgarity, and taking the Lord's name in vain. Find out why, on this topic specifically, 90s Scott would be heckin' mad at grown up Scott.

This episode is edited to actually be family friendly. All swear words are beeped out. The phrase "Oh my god" is not bleeped out and used a few times.

We break the mold to talk to Alex who survived Youth Group in the 2000's! Alex takes us on an insightful and often hilarious journey that reveals his deep commitment to Christ and equally serious journey through questions, doubt, and change.

Disclaimer: Scott got confused on some of the timelines in this episode but he still led a couple of groups when Alex was in High School.

What was more scary to a 90s youth group kid? Finding out the world might older than 6000 years or realizing that Left Behind was actually terrible fiction? This week we discuss how fear of cultural takeover motivated us to defend our faith at all (well, most) costs.

Another survivor of youth group in the 90s, Brant joins us to talk about his tender coccyx as well as other important topics such as returning to the church his parents help found (find out how he almost burnt it down), the utility of a historical Job, and why he bought the home of his childhood best friend.