Merry Christmas! The return of a now-annual tradition as the team invite Dr Hannah Bowden from the Youthscape Centre for Research to share some reports and statistics that are tangentially related to both the time of year and (in some cases) youth ministry! Join us as we work our way through Chris in the first half, and Tmas in the second- and round off 2025 with a very festive edition of organised fun.

Do get in touch with us by emailing us [email protected] or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.

To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

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Lucy, Rachel and Martin discuss the implications of the recent ban on social media for under 16s in Australia. Is it a good idea? Could it work here- and should we want something similar? Plus with £500m of new funding announced for the UK youth sector, should Christian youth workers feel excited? As ever there’s some organised fun- this time featuring some of the weirdest Christmas Carol lyrics ever written. Festive.

Do get in touch with us by emailing us [email protected] or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.

To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

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Martin and Rachel look ahead through Advent with some tips for leading others when you’re not quite feeling the Christmas spirit yourself. They also present our first full year of listening stats with some surprising revelations from around the globe. Plus we’ve got a bumper mailbag full of your feedback and of course, a little side order of organised fun.

Do get in touch with us by emailing us [email protected] or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.

To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

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This week Rachel and Lucy discuss the decision to scrap the two-child benefit cap, how we can change worship culture in our churches and how to approach social media with young people. Find out which host has the bougiest Advent calendar and wait with expectation to hear what’s been planned for Organised Fun...

Do get in touch with us by emailing us [email protected] or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.

To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

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We’re joined by not one but two special guests this week as we unpack the latest edition of The Children’s Society’s annual Good Childhood Report. Dr Gemma Madle from the Youthscape Centre for Research shares some of the key findings, and Headstrong’s Laura Haddow helps us to think about how Christian youth work can respond. Plus all the usuals, and a stunning revelation about a dark secret from Martin’s past…

Shownotes

Good Childhood report - https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/information/professionals/resources/good-childhood-report-2025

Headstrong - https://www.beheadstrong.uk

Do get in touch with us by emailing us [email protected] or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.

To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s our National Youth Ministry Weekend review episode. Relive the UK’s biggest youth work gathering, or if you didn’t manage to get along, hear some of the main insights. Plus we’ve got a larger than normal amount of Hagbane’s Doom content, and to balance out the silliness, some amazing testimonies.

Shownotes

Nick Perrin's 'Hagbane's Doom' musical: https://www.starshine.co.uk/products?p=/hagbanes-doom

Youtube playlist of the songs: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_loYJcP8Tr-MEqu9ouxMUCZp0BYLtHyFi0

Do get in touch with us by emailing us [email protected] or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.

To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

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Rachel, Lucy and Martin are joined by a very special guest for the podcast's 50th episode. Dame Rachel de Souza is the Children's Commissioner for England, making her the most senior advocate for children and young people in the nation. She shares some sobering reflections from recent research into young people's experience of poverty, and encourages the Christian youth work community on their vital role in community transformation. Plus we have all the usual feedback, mayhem and (dis)organised fun. We really hope you enjoy listening to this one as much as we loved making it!

Do get in touch with us by emailing us [email protected] or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.

To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

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Today the team are talking about the hidden extras in youth work roles that no-one mentioned in the interview. There's discussion around when a new Christian is ready for baptism, how we can help young men to encourage each other, and how you cope with the unforeseen challenges of a rapidly-growing youth ministry. Plus there are some surprise revelations in the organised fun segment, when Rachel asks: when did you first learn to ride a bike...?

Do get in touch with us by emailing us [email protected] or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.

To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

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This week we're discussing good news stories involving young people, including the hit new TV series Worlds Apart, which pairs old and young in a travelling adventure. We ask: what kind of role might elderly people play in your youth ministry, and why might they be reluctant to get involved? Plus - since it's spooky season, the team are pondering how we respond when young people want to talk about darker spiritual ideas, and then don some Hagbane's Doom themed Halloween costumes for some very lightly-themed organised fun.

Do get in touch with us by emailing us [email protected] or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.

To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.  

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team demonstrate their grasp of both up-to-the-minute cultural trends and thoughtful Christian reflection in a wide-ranging episode! What's the 6-7 trend all about, and is it substantial enough to form the basis of a whole game? How do we figure out if someone is spiritually mature enough to lead a youth ministry? How do you get started launching a school-based club? And for just how many more weeks are we going to pepper the show with references to a certain pop star? Listen and find out...

Do get in touch with us by emailing us [email protected] or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.

To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.