Life was never meant to be a solo venture. We need each other for encouragement, growth, and accountability. Growing in Christ always happens best through community and relationships. Plus, it’s way more fun that way. Simply put, we are better together. In this session, I dive into one of the core values at our church, "we do life together." This talk was in more of a classroom format which is SO MUCH FUN for me! --- just ask one of our Triad School of Ministry students. It's a little more raw & off the dome, which makes for some great moments. Enjoy!

This interview with Acts 2 Network was so much fun. I jumped into a little more of my backstory and how I came into youth ministry. There's a big range of topics in this interview from changing trends in youth ministry, social media, small groups, how to integrate unchurched kids in your group, and my fiery opinions on empowering women in ministry. Special thanks to Josh Overton & the A2N Cohort for having me! P.S. Please excuse the periodic arguments around whether LeBron James is the GOAT.

If your ministry is going to grow you can't just expect volunteers, you have to develop a healthy volunteer culture. That's how Alex Pasiecznik grew Freedom Youth by 500% last year, by surrounding himself with a stellar volunteer team. And he did it all while finishing college, navigating engagement, and only being a part-time youth pastor. Alex is a promising young leader that's making waves in his community and helping volunteers in his church "find what they are a 10 at." This interview is INCREDIBLY practical and will give you vision and strategies to help you win with your volunteers.

If you're in ministry, you're also in the event planning business. Whether it's a summer camp, conference, retreat, or all-nighter, we all want to know how to reach more people and drive registrations for our events. What if I told you that most of the usual tactics like discounts and promo codes don't work as well as you think? Last summer, we "accidentally" doubled our summer camp registrations because of one simple trick. Listen to find out what we did!

Even with the growth of large metropolitan cities, lots of youth ministries find themselves in a small town context. The size of your city should never hold you back, but should be viewed as a unique opportunity. Pastor Brad sits down with local youth pastor, David Gaddy, to discuss the unique opportunities for youth ministry in a smaller city, plus tips on reaching schools and collaborating together. Lots of great stories and golden ideas all throughout this one. Gaddy also has some weird stuff in his car...

Every ministry knows WHAT they do. Some leaders know HOW they do it. But only the leaders and ministries who know WHY they do what they do can truly inspire us to action. Learn how your ministry can ask the big WHY question and how to clarify it into a clear mission that everyone can rally behind.

My definitive summary of the 2018 NBA season awards including my picks for MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year. I make my picks for each series of the Eastern Conference & Western Conference, with some bold predictions throughout.

Hayden & Lindzi McAndrew came over for dinner, and we got into a deep conversation about worship & prayer culture in youth ministry. WARNING --- this is terribly convicting and challenging, but I walked away more encouraged than anything. If you're a pastor or leader, you need friends in ministry to share life with and challenge you with special moments like these. Interestingly enough, this was a common occurrence for us in our living room. You're listening into a private, vulnerable conversation here of 2 youth pastors longing for more. If you're leading young people, listen for the direction that God is leading you, not just following the next trendy thing. If you can get a pulse for your youth ministry through prayer, you'll never struggle for relevance. Cheers!

Low quality audio, but high quality conversation. Not bad for an iPhone Voice Memo though...

A few months back, I spent time with my friends at The Bar Podcast. The Bar is a family of leaders in North Carolina who gather to raise the standard of ministry in our region. We chop it up about school of ministry, how Manny Arango almost got un-invited to YouthQuake Conference, and why being an only-child is the only way to success. Also, there's a deep cut of my rap career just for you. Check it out & subscribe to the Bar Podcast below.

Hundreds of churches are looking for their next pastor, leader, or staff member. But are you ready for the interview? Brad sits down with Hayden McAndrew to talk about his recent journey of interviewing at churches all over the US and finally landing his new ministry role. Learn how you need to prepare for the top questions that churches are asking today and other tips & tricks to crush your interview!