My Third Decade in Youth Ministry

By DYM Podcast Network

Religion & Spirituality Spirituality Christianity

What's My Third Decade in Youth Ministry about?

Youth ministry veteran Derry Prenkert talks about longevity in youth ministry and how to stay in it for the long haul. My Third decade is a proud member of the DYM Podcast Network.

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My Third Decade in Youth Ministry episodes:

01.27.2023
Episode 58: We Back Baby!
EPISODE 58 – We Back Baby! (Release Friday, January 27, 2023) It’s only been 1013 days, but we are back and relaunching! I reintroduce what this all was, where I’ve been in the silence, and where things are heading....
12.24.2021
57: SURPRISE! Spider-Man: No Way Home Spoiler Talk
The show has been on a 18+ month quarantine. But, it’s coming back in 2022. And this episode is just a fun conversation with two guys who love Jesus, movies, and Spider-man. SPOILERS abound. Enjoy, and stay tuned for more...
04.18.2020
56: 5 Values to Drive the Youth Minister in this Season
The show has been on a 2-month quarantine for various reasons, but it’s back in this weird season of youth ministry. Here are 5 values I landed on at the outset of this unprecedented season. As you walk through trying...
02.17.2020
55: 5 Questions I’m Asking My Team
As I get rolling at a new church and in a new role, I’m asking lots of question. In Episode 53, I gave you 5 questions I’ve been asking myself. In this episode, I give 5 questions I’m asking the...
01.31.2020
54: Remembering My Friend Allison Williams
Ms. Allison Elizabeth Williams, 36, of Seymour, lived a life of ministry and was a source of infectious joy to those around her. She was loyal, playful, passionate, and smart. Opinionated, yet humble. Through acts of bringing joy to others...
01.18.2020
53: 5 Questions I’m Asking Myself
As we go into 2020 and I continue to get acclimated to a new youth ministry setting, I’m asking myself some question. Here’s 5 of them.Mentioned in the Show:I Still Believe (In theaters March 12… Take your Group!!)Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnxHyBbYwQQ What...
01.05.2020
52: 24 Years, 24 Events that Shaped Youth Ministry
It’s another Time Capsule. I walk through one key event, trend, device, or social media platform for each year 1996-2019 that had a significant impact on Youth Ministry.Mentioned in the Show:Time Capsule Episode: 23 Years, 23 Movies: https://podcast.downloadyouthministry.com/34-mtd-time-capsule-23-years-23-movies/ Evolution of...
11.27.2019
51: 20+apalooza (Live from NYWC Tampa 2019)
It’s a plethora of youth Ministry Veterans dropping some rapid fire Wisdom!Thanks to all who showed up for the party!Mentioned in the show:•Center for Parent/Youth Understanding: http://cpyu.org •Youth Culture Matters with Walt Mueller: https://cpyu.org/resource_category/podcast/ •The Longer Haul Podcast: https://thelongerhaul.com/ •The...
10.28.2019
50: The End of an Era
Made it to the ½ century mark!!! Recorded on my last day in office at Nappanee Missionary Church. Released on the day we pulled out from our Nappanee home to head to our new Louisville home. I answer your questions...
10.14.2019
49: Janelle’s Perspective - Leaving My Church; NOT Leaving Youth Ministry
After 23 years at the same church, I’m leaving my church. In the end, it’s not just me leaving. My family joins me. More specifically, my wife Janelle has played a crucial role in this whole story of transition. She...
10.07.2019
48: The Big Announcement: Leaving My Church; Not Youth Ministry
On Thursday, September 26 news went public that I am leaving my church. You may be saying, “WHAAAAAAA?” Fortunately, this is not your normal “Youth pastor got fired/ burns out/ can’t get along with his/her church” story. Today’s episode in...
09.25.2019
47: Meet Carter Ammerman
Do you have that kid or kids from a unique or rough home situation. Carter was one of those kids who entered our ministry. Now as a youth pastor serving at Brenneman Memorial Missionary Church in Goshen, IN, he and...
09.12.2019
46: Meet John Keim
He’s at the host church for Student Leadership Conference. He’s only worked at one church for 15 years. He a great dude and a great friend with some strong wisdom to pass your way. Listen all the way through on...
08.30.2019
45: 5 Thoughts for Youth Ministers Heading into this School Year
You’ve got your entire school year planned out, I’m sure. BUT, I want to throw out 5 thoughts to consider as you walk through another ministry year. There are a lot of youth ministry-focused podcast, but this is a youth...
08.16.2019
44: Summer Youth Ministry Reflections
It’s been a crazy and full Summer for me on many fronts. Has it been for you? Have you taken time to reflect and evaluate? I take some time (while on the road, sorry for the added road and engine...
07.03.2019
43: What We Do With Summer Camps Pt 3
It’s Camp Season. Be intentional with it. In part 3 I take time to answer your Camp Questions you submitted. Sponsors:DYM University. If you haven’t, jump in on this online volunteer training course that 20,000 other youth ministry workers are...
06.27.2019
42: What We Do w/Summer Camps – Pt 2
It’s Camp Season. Be intentional with it. In part 2 I walk through some specific things we’ve done with Camps to move toward our four goals with Camp that I outlined on Episode 41. For Episode 43 I’m going to...
06.20.2019
41: What We Do w/Summer Camps – Pt 1
It’s Camp Season. Be intentional with it. For this episode and the next two I will share some of what we do with Summer Camps. This one is all about our 4 goals with our Camps, how we landed on...
05.30.2019
40: Youth Ministry Turnover
Two Thoughts. One Question. On Prayer.I take some time to reflect on the amount of situations and stories surrounding youth ministers leaving their church or losing their job over the past few months. What is happening? Is the youth ministry...
05.10.2019
39: Meet a Youth Pastor Who Became a “Real Pastor”
Wait, can I be both an advocate for longevity in youth ministry and encourage those youth pastors who make the transition to senior pastor? Yup! Enjoy a conversation with Andrew Larsen who made this exact transition. Learn from his journey...
04.24.2019
38: Pre Avengers: End Game MCU Re-Watch w/4 Youth Pastors
Longest episode yet, and it’s talking about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I made a commitment for 2019 to re-watch every MCU movie, then realized I might as well do this leading into Avengers: End Game. I wasn’t alone, so 3...
04.19.2019
37: Youth Ministry Longevity Killers: The Big 3
Every once in a while I’m going to highlight attitudes and/or actions that can stunt or kill longevity in youth ministry or at the same church. Today I focus in on The Big 3; three things that, when handled inappropriately...
03.28.2019
36: Meet Todd Pearage
My story is about longevity in youth ministry and at the same church, but what happens when staying at the same church is not an option? How do you transition well and keep in youth ministry for the long haul?...
03.21.2019
35: Your Youth Ministry Qs w/ My As
I put a call out on Instagram for some questions, and I got some great ones, so this episode walks through the following:-What responsibilities do you give middle school students in your ministry?-What’s been the biggest thing to change in...
03.14.2019
34: MTD Time Capsule: 23 Years/23 Movies
Welcome to a different type of episode. In Time Capsule Epsiodes, I’m going to either go back to a specific year and share experiences, or pick out a highlight from every year since I’ve started, then give you my top...
03.07.2019
33: Meet the Makers of Deadcat (Youth Ministry & Games)
Brock O’Dell and John Michael Lindsay both serve on the Junior High Staff of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY. If you are familiar with the Download Youth Ministry World, they have created some of the best games DYM has...
02.21.2019
32: I’m a Youth Ministry Grandpa
Meet the replacement of my replacement. Sam Olson is the High School Pastor at my church. He is the 5th person on staff to lead our High School Ministry, and all 5 people are still on staff at our church...
02.14.2019
Tim Tebow's Run the Race Movie Special: Interview w/Robby Tebow
Run the Race is in theaters February 22nd, 2019! A great inspirational film for your youth group or family with great themes to discuss together. Enjoy this special show with executive producer Robby Tebow! Derry Prenkert, host of the My...
02.07.2019
31: Marathon Goals, Visions & Plans in Youth Ministry
It's just me in your ear holes. Some recommendations, a powerful story of a former student breaking the silence on an important ministry topic, and a principle that has been key to help me think longevity inside youth ministry.Mentioned in...
01.24.2019
30: What We Do With Relationship, Dating & Sex Series
I’ve talked about sex and dating with students a lot over the years. However, in 2016, I did a deeper evaluation on the why, who, what, when, and how of covering these topics inside our ministry. I share what I...
12.27.2018
29: Looking Back & Looking Ahead
At the beginning of 2018, I set a goal to realease 30 episodes of this podcast, and on this last Thursday of 2018 my this is my 30th episode* #goalz Mentioned in the show:- Youth Pastor Diet: http://youthpastordiet.com Starts...
12.13.2018
28: Meet the Sherpas
It’s the first Podcast crossover for My Third Decade as I sit down with the Youth Ministry Sherpas to discuss why we do what we do and what we are learning this year. Between the three of us there are...
12.06.2018
27: Meet A Youth Ministry Teenager
Dan Hamrick has been at the same church for 13 years (making him a Youth Ministry teenager, get it?) We sat down together and talked through his story, lessons learned along the way, and things you can learn from it....
11.22.2018
26: Making the Most of the Convention & #NYWC18 Crowd Questions
You should go to a youth worker conference/convention. If you do, here are my thoughts and tips on how to make the most of the convention. This episode was recorded live at National Youth Workers Convention (NYWC) 2018 in St....
11.08.2018
25: Lane, Location & Life Calling
Be careful having people turn to Verse 6. In this episode I walk through my recent shift in roles at my church and how I’ve had to hold three “L” words in balance as I seek to discern my direction...
10.25.2018
24: 5 Youth Pastors, 400lbs
In this episode, we talk physical health. Bobby Cooley, Jeff Selph, Josh Mitchell, and Janelle Prenkert join me to discuss how they got healthy. Together, we have lost just under 400 collective pounds since beginning our journeys toward health.Be sure...
10.11.2018
23: Meet a Volunteer turned Professional Counselor turned Marriage & Family Pastor (a.k.a. Let’s Get Mental)
Marty Graverson joins me on this episode to share his story and provide some important thoughts on mental health. There are three valuable conversations in this interview that apply to any of us in youth ministry1.Empowering High Level Volunteers2.Navigating...
10.04.2018
Episode 22: Live from #DYM200 w/Kurt Johnston
Live from DYM 200, I am joined by a youth ministry legend!In youth ministry since 1988, Kurt Johnston has been at Saddleback Church since 1997. Although he leads Saddleback’s kids and youth teams, he’s still a junior high pastor at...
09.27.2018
Episode 21: What We Do With Small Groups
Janelle joins me for her THIRD appearance as we talk about the why, the what and the how of our Small Group ministry.It was great connecting with all you amazing folks who were along for the ride with DYM200. Look...
09.13.2018
Episode 20: Meet My Favorite Intern
Geoff Cocanower joins me for a conversation on internships. Geoff took part in all three types of internships we do at our church, and he was my first-ever resident intern, joining us for three years post-college to be trained up...
08.30.2018
Episode 19: You Asked the Qs and I Got Some As
Thanks to Jordan, Erin, Tim, Monica, Kevin, and Anonymous for the great questions. I’d love to do more of these in the future, but I need questions. You can submit those by going to http://podcast.downloadyouthministry.com and click on the submit...
08.16.2018
Episode 18: Meet My Former Student and Intern Who Got Married
Definitely my most controversial episode title to date, but it’s not as scandalous as it seems. Kory and Alison Lantz are a former student and intern who did get married. Kory was a part of the youth group and graduated...
08.09.2018
Episode 17: Meet a Student Impacted by Summer Camps
This is a bonus episode. I recorded an interview with one of our Seniors talking about for a podcast we do with our church. In it, he talked about the impact our Summer Camps have had on him. I asked...
08.02.2018
Episode 16: Meet My Ministry Assistants
Look, I get it. Most ministries do not have the luxury of hiring on administrative staff. However, we all need and have those behind the scenes/detail people who make our run smoother and look far better than it would if...
07.20.2018
Episode: 15: Meet My Former Student Brad Bullock
Meet Brad Bullock, one of the first students to say I was like a father to him (I was 25 at the time)! Brad Bullock is a former student who met his wife in our youth group. He is...
07.05.2018
Episode 14: Meet My Replacement
EPISODE 014 – MEET MY REPLACEMENT(Release July 5)Show Notes: Meet Tim Veenstra, the guy who took my job, and keeps taking it! We are consistently coached to multiply ourselves or make ourselves replaceable as a leader in youth ministry, but...
06.21.2018
Episode 13: What We Do With Traditions
Special thanks to my daughter Katylynn for the Ad read.Be sure to check out our sponsor Give Central: http://givecentral.orgComing to you on location from one of my most favorite places in the world, I talk about how you can develop...
06.07.2018
Episode 12: What We Do With Missions Trips
Special thanks to my daughter Katylynn for the Ad read.Be sure to check out our sponsor Give Central: http://givecentral.orgEvery once in a while I want to share what we do in our ministry and why we do it. The hope...
05.24.2018
Episode 11: Failures
20+ years of youth ministry comes with it’s share of struggles and failures. In this episode I walk through four failures in how I approached ministry at different points along the way. 1.Not catching the vision to invest in and...
05.10.2018
Episode 10: What We Do with 6th Grade
Special thanks to my son Moses for the Ad read.The rivalry with Josh on Twitter:https://twitter.com/derryprenkert/status/936744550181326848 https://twitter.com/derryprenkert/status/938203032877191168 Every once in a while I want to share what we do in our ministry and why we do it. The hope is not...

What's My Third Decade in Youth Ministry about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

My Third Decade in Youth Ministry episodes:

Episode 58: We Back Baby!

57: SURPRISE! Spider-Man: No Way Home Spoiler Talk

56: 5 Values to Drive the Youth Minister in this Season

55: 5 Questions I’m Asking My Team

54: Remembering My Friend Allison Williams

53: 5 Questions I’m Asking Myself

52: 24 Years, 24 Events that Shaped Youth Ministry

51: 20+apalooza (Live from NYWC Tampa 2019)

50: The End of an Era

49: Janelle’s Perspective - Leaving My Church; NOT Leaving Youth Ministry

48: The Big Announcement: Leaving My Church; Not Youth Ministry

47: Meet Carter Ammerman

46: Meet John Keim

45: 5 Thoughts for Youth Ministers Heading into this School Year

44: Summer Youth Ministry Reflections

43: What We Do With Summer Camps Pt 3

42: What We Do w/Summer Camps – Pt 2

41: What We Do w/Summer Camps – Pt 1

40: Youth Ministry Turnover

39: Meet a Youth Pastor Who Became a “Real Pastor”

38: Pre Avengers: End Game MCU Re-Watch w/4 Youth Pastors

37: Youth Ministry Longevity Killers: The Big 3

36: Meet Todd Pearage

35: Your Youth Ministry Qs w/ My As

34: MTD Time Capsule: 23 Years/23 Movies

33: Meet the Makers of Deadcat (Youth Ministry & Games)

32: I’m a Youth Ministry Grandpa

Tim Tebow's Run the Race Movie Special: Interview w/Robby Tebow

31: Marathon Goals, Visions & Plans in Youth Ministry

30: What We Do With Relationship, Dating & Sex Series

29: Looking Back & Looking Ahead

28: Meet the Sherpas

27: Meet A Youth Ministry Teenager

26: Making the Most of the Convention & #NYWC18 Crowd Questions

25: Lane, Location & Life Calling

24: 5 Youth Pastors, 400lbs

23: Meet a Volunteer turned Professional Counselor turned Marriage & Family Pastor (a.k.a. Let’s Get Mental)

Episode 22: Live from #DYM200 w/Kurt Johnston

Episode 21: What We Do With Small Groups

Episode 20: Meet My Favorite Intern

Episode 19: You Asked the Qs and I Got Some As

Episode 18: Meet My Former Student and Intern Who Got Married

Episode 17: Meet a Student Impacted by Summer Camps

Episode 16: Meet My Ministry Assistants

Episode: 15: Meet My Former Student Brad Bullock

Episode 14: Meet My Replacement

Episode 13: What We Do With Traditions

Episode 12: What We Do With Missions Trips

Episode 11: Failures

Episode 10: What We Do with 6th Grade