NextGen Matters

This is the first episode of a four-episode series HELP! where ministry leaders have a conversation with our host, Dr. Richard Brown, for a candid yet lively conversation of a need they currently have in their ministry context.

How can we activate the older generation to invest in the next generation?

In this episode of NextGen Matters, Rich sits down with Conner Kondracki to tackle an important question facing youth ministry leaders: How do we encourage older adults to become actively involved in discipling teenagers?

Too often, student ministries rely heavily on young adult volunteers while overlooking the incredible wisdom, experience, and spiritual maturity that older generations bring to the table. But teenagers need more than energetic leaders who can keep up with their activities. They need spiritual grandparents—mature believers who can model lifelong faith, offer biblical wisdom, listen well, and demonstrate what it looks like to follow Jesus through every season of life.

Rich and Conner explore why older adults sometimes hesitate to serve in student ministry and offer practical ways to overcome those barriers. From reframing volunteer recruitment around leaving a spiritual legacy to creating low-commitment serving opportunities, sharing personal stories, establishing prayer teams, mentoring students, and inviting older adults to simply come and observe, this conversation provides actionable ideas for building a truly multigenerational ministry team.

The bottom line? Students don't need another teenager. They need you.

Whether you're a youth pastor looking to strengthen your volunteer team or an older adult wondering how you can make a difference, this episode will challenge you to see the incredible value of investing in the generation coming behind you.

Episode Timestamps

00:00 – Where Are the Older Adults in Student Ministry?
02:07 – Why Student Ministry Needs a Multigenerational Team
05:22 – The Lasting Impact of Spiritual Grandparents
06:42 – Why Is It Difficult to Recruit Older Adults?
09:25 – Overcoming the Fear of Not Relating to Teenagers
11:29 – The Unique Value of Older Adults: Wisdom and Experience
17:30 – Practical Ways to Involve Older Adults
17:50 – Reframing the Invitation: From Volunteers to Legacy Builders
21:20 – Investing in a Gospel Legacy
24:03 – Sharing Life Stories That Build Generational Bridges
29:51 – Students Need Spiritual Grandparents
30:27 – Creating Meaningful Opportunities to Serve
37:25 – The Shadowing Approach: No Pressure, No Risk
42:06 – Creative Ways Older Adults Can Serve
48:40 – Passing Faith from One Generation to the Next

Episode Summary

Would the people closest to you describe you as a grateful person? In this episode, Rich Brown shares a deeply personal journey of how God has transformed his heart from complaint to gratitude. Drawing from Psalms, Philippians, Romans, Acts, and the teachings of Jesus, Rich explores why gratitude does not come naturally to our fallen human nature, how entitlement and complaining can crowd out thankfulness, and why gratitude is a key marker of spiritual maturity.

He offers biblical insights and four practical habits that have helped him cultivate a heart of gratitude, while challenging ministry leaders to intentionally recognize God's goodness in both difficult seasons and everyday blessings. Discover how leading with gratitude can influence your family, strengthen your ministry, and create a culture of thankfulness in your home, church, workplace, and community.

Resources Mentioned

Next Gen Matters -  https://www.nextgenmatters.com/
Gratitude Kit - https://nextgenmatters.kit.com/5140078d44
Email for Rich Brown (NGM): [email protected]
Watch this episode on YouTube

The Bible (Scripture references in order: Romans 1:21; Psalm 95:2; Psalm 100:4; Psalm 147:7; Colossians 3:16; Romans 16:3-4; Philippians 1:3-4; Acts 16:22-34; Luke 17:11-19; Philippians 4:4-9; James 1:17; Matthew 7:11; Psalm 26:7.)

Timestamps

00:00 – Are You a Person of Gratitude?
01:18 – Learning to Lead Through Gratitude
03:11 – Entitlement vs. Thankfulness
04:24 – What Scripture Teaches Us About Gratitude
06:09 – Expressing Gratitude in Our Relationships
08:01 – Paul and Silas: Worshiping Through Adversity
12:47 – Gratitude in Times of Blessing
13:55 – Finding Peace Through Prayer and Thanksgiving
17:54 – Four Ways to Cultivate Gratitude
20:11 – The Three Gs: Building a Gratitude Journal
27:56 – Leading Others Through Gratitude
29:16 – The Gratitude Kit and Ministry Resources
31:21 – Grateful Leaders Create Grateful Ministry Cultures
33:06 – Your Challenge: Practice Gratitude for Seven Days
33:42 – Closing: Gratitude Shapes How We Live and Lead

Suggested practical next steps:

Personal - Every day, write down three specific gifts from God. Don't repeat yesterday's answers. Train your eyes to see His goodness in both the big moments and the small ones.

Then pray those three things back to the Lord in gratitude. I believe if you'll do that consistently, you'll begin to notice God's faithfulness in ways you've been overlooking.

Ministry Focused - Don't just teach gratitude, model it. This week, intentionally thank three people in your sphere of influence. Thank a volunteer. Thank a parent. Thank a student. Be specific and sincere.

You may be surprised how one expression of gratitude becomes the spark that creates a culture of gratitude around you.

Episode Summary

In Episode 35 of NextGen Matters, Rich Brown explores the power of opening your home as a place of ministry, hospitality, and spiritual growth. Grounded in Scripture and shaped by decades of personal experience, Rich shares how God can use an ordinary home or apartment to create extraordinary opportunities for discipleship and connection.

Beginning with the example of the early church gathering both in large groups and from house to house, Rich establishes the biblical foundation for home-centered ministry. He reflects on his own upbringing in a family deeply invested in youth ministry, where his parents consistently welcomed teenagers into their home. Those early experiences shaped his own approach to ministry, from opening his home to high school students and college students to creating spaces for worship, biblical teaching, leadership development, and meaningful conversations.

Rich then unpacks five benefits of opening your home for ministry: a modeling environment, a relaxed environment, a personal environment, a conversational environment, and a connecting environment. In a home, students don't simply hear biblical principles taught—they get to see faith lived out in everyday life. They experience hospitality firsthand, develop deeper friendships, ask honest questions, and build relationships that often continue well beyond the gathering itself.

Resources Mentioned

• Next Gen Matters – https://www.nextgenmatters.com/
• Email for Rich Brown (NGM): [email protected]
• Watch this episode on YouTube

The Bible (Scripture references in order: Acts 2:46; 5:42; Romans 12:13; Colossians 4:15; Titus 1:8; John 14:2–6; 2 Timothy 2:1–2)

Timestamps

• 00:00 – Welcome to NextGen Matters
• 00:19 – Three Areas of Podcast Focus
• 01:17 – The Biblical Foundation for Home Ministry
• 03:14 – Jesus and the Ministry of the Home
• 05:04 – Growing Up in a Home Open to Ministry
• 07:00 – A Childhood Shaped by Student Ministry
• 09:03 – Continuing the Legacy of Hospitality
• 09:53 – Opening a Home to College Students
• 10:52 – Home-Based Student Ministry in Action
• 12:45 – Celebrating the Impact of an Open Home
• 13:29 – Five Benefits of Opening Your Home
• 14:33 – Benefit #1: Creates a Modeling Environment
• 20:32 – Benefit #2: Creates a Relaxed Environment
• 21:25 – Benefit #3: Creates a Personal Environment
• 22:54 – Benefit #4: Creates a Conversational Environment
• 24:41 – Benefit #5: Creates a Connecting Environment
• 25:05 – Helping Students Build New Friendships
• 26:13 – From Ministry Gatherings to Lasting Community
• 26:35 – Creating Space for Genuine Connection
• 26:49 – Reviewing the Five Benefits
• 28:13 – The Call to Action: Just Do It!
• 28:57 – Opening Your Home to Ministry Teams
• 29:37 – Start Small and Take the Next Step
• 30:06 – Closing - Your Leadership Matters

Suggested practical next steps:

• Invite a few students over for a meal, watch a sporting event, or have a game night.
• Host a backyard gathering, campfire, or simple cookout.
• Create an opportunity for worship, prayer, and Scripture discussion in your living room.
• Invite your ministry volunteers or leadership team into your home for a shared meal.
• Reach out to a student who may need a place to belong and invite them over.

Episode Show Notes

In this episode, Rich wraps up the Building a Missional Ministry mini‑series on cultivating a missional mindset in student ministry across public, Christian, and homeschool environments. He challenges leaders to help students see their schools not as their ultimate identity, but as their mission field, while cultivating healthy school pride and relationships across different academic settings. Rich also unpacks how you can transform a diverse student ministry into one team pursuing one mission – to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ to the most spiritually lost yet spiritually open demographic – today’s adolescents.

He lays out three core goals for building unity:

1. Helping students champion their schools,
2. Creating relational unity across school diversity, and
3. Developing missional unity around the gospel.

Resources Mentioned

Next Gen Matters – https://www.nextgenmatters.com/
Email for Rich Brown (NGM): [email protected]
Watch this episode on YouTube

The Bible (Scripture references in order: Jeremiah 29:1–9; 2 Corinthians 5:18; Acts 17:26; Matthew 5:44; John 17; 1 Timothy 2:1–2; Romans 9:1–5; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 2:19; John 10:16; Philippians 1:27; Matthew 28:19: Matthew 9:35–38)

Timestamps

00:01–00:55 — The Problem: School Identity Hijacks Ministry
00:55–01:44 — The Mini-Series Recap
01:44–03:17 — Three Goals for Missional Unity
03:35–22:09 — GOAL 1: Students Should Champion Their Schools
    1. Groups Are From God (03:51–05:36)
    2. Identity vs. Assignment (06:01–07:39)
    3. Healthy vs. Unhealthy School Pride (07:53–11:44)
    4. Desire to See Schools Prosper (11:56–22:09)
22:09–31:47— GOAL 2: Creating Group Unity Across School Diversity
    1. Unity in Relationships (22:43–25:51)
    2. Celebrating Differences Without Divisions (25:51–27:15)
    3. Constructing Cross-School Friendships (27:15–28:35)
    4. Communicating Oneness (28:35–31:06)
31:47–40:34 — GOAL 3: Creating Unity in Purpose
    1. Shared Mission (32:02–33:30)
    2. Define Success the Same Way for Everyone (33:30–34:13)
    3. Tell Disciple-Making Stories From Every Context (34:13–34:43)
    4. Public Schools as “Jerusalem” (34:43–39:18)
    5. Cross-School Outreach Teams (39:31–40:34)
40:34–43:44 — Closing and Call to Action

Three Calls to Action

1. Take one step toward relational unity this week.
2. Take one step toward missional unity this week.
3. Take one step toward school appreciation this week.

Show Overview

This episode of NextGen Matters pulls back the curtain on the spiritual, social, and emotional realities of homeschool students in youth ministry. Rich sits down with Matt and April McClay of Huntington, WV — both ministry leaders and homeschool parents — to explore misconceptions, discipleship needs, co‑op dynamics, missional engagement, and how churches can better integrate and empower homeschoolers. The conversation highlights the diversity within homeschool families, the balance between protection and mission, the unique struggles homeschool students face, and practical ways parents and ministry leaders can cultivate belonging, spiritual growth, and evangelistic courage.

Resources:

Next Gen Matters: https://www.nextgenmatters.com/
Email for Rich Brown (NGM): [email protected]
Email for Matt McClay: [email protected]
Email for April McClay: [email protected]
Subscribe for NGM Thursday Tools email
atch this episode on YouTube

Timestamps

00:01 — Seeing the homeschool student beyond the stereotype
Rich introduces the different school backgrounds represented in a typical student ministry and challenges leaders to see homeschool students as more than observers.

02:28 — Homeschooling doesn't automatically mean spiritual maturity
Matt and April explain why homeschool students have varied discipleship needs and why homeschooling families should not automatically be assumed to be Christian or spiritually mature.

08:16 — The McClays' homeschooling journey and the power of community
Matt shares how their family began homeschooling during COVID-19 and how their co-op has helped provide connection, community, and ministry opportunities.

17:38 — Helping homeschool students become missional
The conversation turns toward evangelism and the assumption that homeschool and Christian-school students don't have opportunities to interact with people who don't follow Jesus.

23:09 — Protectionism vs. mission
Rich reflects on his own experiences growing up and the tension between protecting students and teaching them to engage with people who are far from God. Matt emphasizes that wisdom requires both protection and missional engagement.

30:39 — Homeschool students are an asset to student ministry
Matt discusses how his perspective has changed over 16 years of ministry—from seeing homeschool students as having limited potential for outreach to recognizing the unique strengths and opportunities they bring.

32:23 — Spiritual struggles homeschool students may face
Matt and April discuss isolation, sheltered environments, pride, spiritual vulnerability, and the reality that homeschool students face the same fundamental struggle with sin and the flesh as every other student.

39:24 — Practical advice for parents and ministry leaders
Matt and April encourage homeschooling parents to persevere and encourage ministry leaders to build trust with parents, involve them, and treat homeschool students like every other student while validating their experiences and interests.

Christian school students often appear spiritually strong from the outside but what’s happening beneath the surface? In this episode, Rich takes an honest look at the spiritual condition of students in Christian school environments as he interviews Andy Lawrenson.  Andy is campus pastor. of Liberty Christian Academy (Lynchburg, Virginia) where he daily shepherds and leads the spiritual formation of over 2,000 students, specifically over 800 Middle and HIgh School student.  With over 35 years in local church student ministry and the last five in this campus role, Andy definitely knows what makes up teenagers and especially those in a Christian School context.

The episode also casts a vision for mobilizing Christian school students as missionaries within their own school and their local church student ministry. Rather than seeing themselves as spiritually “set,” these students can become catalysts—students who pray, serve, invite, and live out the gospel with intentionality. Leaders will walk away with tools to help Christian school students embrace a missional identity and engage the world around them with clarity, humility, and courage.

As summer fades and backpacks reappear, Rich kicks off Part 2 of the Building a Missional Culture series—focusing on the greatest mission field students will ever step into: their local school. Whether public, private, or homeschool, every student has a place to live out the gospel.

In this episode, Rich sits down with longtime friend and ministry veteran Travis Deans, Northeast Director for the National Network of Youth Ministries (NNYM). With 30 years of experience helping students bring Jesus to their campuses, Travis unpacks the vision behind the Nine-Month Mission Trip and shares how youth leaders can cultivate a unified, missional mindset across all school environments. Together they explore how to equip students to pray for, care for, and share the gospel with their friends—and how public school, Christian school, and homeschool students can truly become one team on one mission. The conversation also highlights practical ways leaders can model evangelism, connect students across churches and campuses, and create space for students to share stories of what God is doing through them.

“We want to challenge you—think of your school as a nine-month mission trip.” — Travis Deans

Travis’ call to action:

1. Use the free resources at 9monthmissiontrip.com.
2. Access the Dropbox toolkit full of videos, training, and club-launch materials.
3. Download the Nine-Day Devotional (Daniel & Esther) on Download Youth Ministry.
4. Schedule a brainstorming call with Travis as he loves helping leaders strategize.

“We’d love to help you help your students make this spiritual for eternity.” — Travis Deans

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Rich unpacks why students are uniquely positioned to reach other students with the gospel of Jesus Christ. You’ll hear why the school campus is the greatest mission field your ministry touches, how today’s 34 million teens are spread across public, Christian, and homeschool environments, and the five ways Jesus reached people that students can imitate right now.

He challenges ministry leaders to stop thinking merely in terms of “youth group” and instead build a missional student ministry where students are equipped and unleashed to reach their own generation. Rich explores the need to see your ministries become one team on one mission and identifies six reasons Christian students have a unique opportunity to reach their peers: identity, empathy, relationships, proximity, social connection, and credibility.

The episode closes with a challenge: build a ministry structure that’s intentionally missional—and equip your students to own the mission themselves.

Resources Mentioned:

Next Gen Matters: https://www.nextgenmatters.com/
Email for Rich Brown (NGM): [email protected]
Subscribe for NGM Thursday Tools email
Watch this episode on YouTube
Student Ministry Essentials co-authored by Dr. Richard Brown and Dr. Steve Vandegriff (Moody Press).

The Bible: (Scripture references in the order of their mention): John 1, 4, 13; Mark 10:21; Luke 4:16–21; Matthew 4; 1 Timothy 4:12

Timestamps:

00:01–00:48 — Friday night football scene; emotional and spiritual realities
01:04–01:28 — Individual student stories
01:42–02:26 — 4% saved / 96% unsaved breakdown
02:26–03:07 — 77% come to Christ before age 21
03:25–04:01 — Introduction to the four‑week missional series
04:01–04:45 — Why students reach students
04:45–06:17 — Public, private, homeschool environments
06:17–07:35 — Academic breakdown: 34 million students
07:35–08:15 — One team, one mission
08:15–09:07 — Signature talk setup
09:07–12:28 — Five ways Jesus reached people
12:28–14:18 — Personal story: praying over school campuses
14:18–18:39 — Who actually reaches students? Data from Liberty University classes
18:39–23:56 — Six reasons saved students reach their peers
23:56–27:55 — Relational, proximity, social, credibility explained
27:55–30:23 — Student ministry is missional ministry
30:23–35:22 — Missionary kid story; comparison to student mission field
35:22–36:33 — Students as players; adults as coaching staff
36:33–40:06 — Final challenge + call to action

Episode Summary

Every mission trip ends with students returning home inspired and full of stories about what God has done. But what happens when everyday life begins again? School starts, schedules fill up, and the excitement fades.

In this follow-up episode, Rich Brown sits down with veteran student pastor Tim Wadsworth to discuss how ministry leaders can intentionally help students carry the spiritual momentum of a mission trip into everyday life. Using the Five Pillars of Mission Trip Follow-Up as the framework, they explore practical ways to partner with parents, engage the local church, disciple individual students, strengthen the student ministry, and maintain relationships with the host ministry.

The conversation reminds leaders that success isn't measured by what happens during the mission trip but by how students live on mission long after they return home.

Resources Mentioned:
Next Gen Matters: https://www.nextgenmatters.com/
Email for Rich Brown (NGM): [email protected]
Subscribe for NGM Thursday Tools email
Watch this episode on YouTube

The Bible (Scripture references in the order of their mention): James 1:23; Ephesians 4:12; 1 Timothy 4:12; Luke 10:17–20; Philippians 1:27; Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 20:32; Matthew 9:37–38; Luke 12:48; Matthew 25:21; Isaiah 14:12–15

A week of serving can change a student's life, but what happens when they come home?

The mission trip is over. The excitement begins to fade. School starts back. Daily routines return. Without intentional follow-up, one of the most spiritually significant weeks in a student's life can quickly become just another great memory.

In this episode of NextGen Matters, Rich Brown shares a practical framework to help ministry leaders bridge the gap between the mission field and everyday life. Instead of simply celebrating what happened during the trip, you'll learn how to intentionally multiply its impact long after the bus pulls back into the church parking lot.

Using a simple Five-Pillar Bridge Framework, Rich walks through practical ideas that help students move from doing missions to living on mission every day.

The Five Pillars of Effective Mission Trip Follow-Up

1. The Home – Equip parents and establish healthy rhythms that continue discipleship.
2. The Local Church – Invite the congregation to celebrate, pray, and participate in the mission.
3. The Student Ministry – Process the experience together and create opportunities for continued service.
4. The Individual Student – Invest personally through follow-up, encouragement, and intentional discipleship.
5. The Host Site – Strengthen long-term partnerships through gratitude, prayer, and ongoing connection.

Key Takeaways

• The most important part of a mission trip may be what happens after it ends.
• Spiritual momentum requires intentional follow-up.
• Students should return home with a mission, not simply memories.
• Mission trips should strengthen families, not just student ministries.
• Healthy debriefing will guard students from pride and redirects their identity back to Christ.
• The goal isn't simply to create memorable experiences—it is to cultivate lifelong disciples.

Scripture Mentioned

Matthew 17 (The Mount of Transfiguration); Luke 10:17–20; Hebrews 3; Hebrews 10; Luke 17:11–19 (The Ten Lepers)

Resources Mentioned

Next Gen Matters: https://www.nextgenmatters.com/Email for Rich Brown (NGM): [email protected] Subscribe for NGM Thursday Tools email Watch this episode on YouTube