The Sidekick Podcast

Recently Tom and some of the New Life Staff went to Gettysburg for a Staff Retreat. From that time, today’s episode focuses on the 3 specific ministry insights Tom learned from the Battle of Gettysburg.

So, in today’s episode, Tom talks about:

* Using new technologies for ministry

* Being prepared for battle

* Giving people you are ministering to a vision for more in their life.

There is so much to be learned about leadership and ministry from the Battle of Gettysburg. These are a few of them and Tom will have more in-depth insights later in the week at ymsidekick.com. So, stay tuned for more insights.

What about you? What ministry lessons have you learned from Gettysburg or another military battle in the past? Share your experiences below or on social media using #ymsidekick so we can all learn from each other.

To email Tom some ideas on future episodes email him here.

Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe (http://ht.ly/QdLHJ) to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

Ryan Reed moved about a year ago from a primarily white community in California to the very multi-cultural community of Miami, FL.  As you might expect, it is quiet a change.  In a world that is becoming increasingly multi-cultural in our towns and cities it is important to figure out how to best minister in these communities.  That is why Tom asked Ryan to join the podcast today.

So, in today’s episode, Tom and Ryan talk about:

* His experiences at ReThink Leadership and the Orange Conference

* One year later, how has the transition been from California to Miami and how he made it successful

* How he has transitioned to a multi-cultural community.

Ministering to a multi-cultural community applies to all ministers in a sense that you will encounter this whether you are in online, student, adult or women’s ministry.  That is why it is so important we understand how to minister in this very diverse world.

If you want to connect with Ryan you can read his blog here or you can find him on Twitter (twitter.com/ryanreedme). He is very active on social media so definitely hit him up if you have a question.

What about you? Do you minister in a multi-cultural environment? How have you managed to minister to a diverse and multi-cultural community? Share your experiences below or on social media using #ymsidekick so we can all learn from each other.

To email Tom some ideas on future episodes email him here.

Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe (http://ht.ly/QdLHJ) to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

Facebook Live has been around for a few months now.  It isn’t anything new.  In fact, I’ve blogged about it a few different times (here, here and here). So again, it’s not something that is new.

However, how Churches and ministries use it IS still developing. So, Tom brought back Stan Rodda, Linton Hall Campus Pastor at New Life Christian Church in Northern VA to talk about what how he is using Facebook Live for his ministry.

So, in today’s episode, Tom and Stan talk about:

* What he is doing with Facebook Live

* Where should you stream from? Personal accounts or Church accounts?

* What are some other lessons learned he has gleaned from using it

If you want to connect with Stan you can read his blog here or you can find him on Twitter (twitter.com/stanrodda). He is very active on social media so definitely hit him up if you have a question.

What do you think?  How have you been using Facebook Live for your church? If so, how? Share your experiences below or on social media using #ymsidekick so we can all learn from each other.

To email Tom some ideas on future episodes email him here.

Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe (http://ht.ly/QdLHJ) to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

Today’s podcast took place in Atlanta, GA from the site of Orange ’16.  There, Tom and Ben Kerns met up at the Orange Conference to talk ministry and conferences.  In fact, there were a few things that stood out to Tom and Ben about what they experienced during Ornage.

So, in today’s episode, Tom and Ben talk about:

* Why they enjoy coming to the Orange Conference

* What stood out from Reggie Joiner’s opening session message

* How passion can impact our ministry long term

If you want to connect with Ben you can read his blog here or you can find him on Twitter (twitter.com/averageym). He is very active on social media so definitely hit him up if you have a question.

What do you think?  Did you go to Orange ’16? What stood out to you from the conference? Share your thoughts below or on social media using #ymsidekick. 

To email Tom some ideas on future episodes email him here.

Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe (http://ht.ly/QdLHJ) to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

Today, Tom brings back Jay Kranda to the podcast.  Jay is the Online Pastor at Saddleback Community Church in California.  That’s the Church Rick Warren started many moons ago.

What’s the use of technology in a church environment. Is it of the devil or is it a useful tool for your ministry to reach more people?  Haha, you may laugh but there is a resistance towards it amongst some churches.  So today, Tom brings in Phil Schneider, a Senior Staff Writer for ChurchMag talking technology and the church.

In today’s episode, Tom and Phil talk about:

* What Phil does with Church Mag

* What does the Bible say about technology

* What can be your next steps for your church with technology

If you want to connect with Phil you can read his blog here or you can find him on Twitter (twitter.com/phillip320). He is very active on social media so definitely hit him up if you have a question.

What do you think? What is your viewpoint on technology and the church?  How are you using it?  What is your new step? Share your thoughts below or on social media using #ymsidekick. 

To email Tom some ideas on future episodes email him here.

Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe (http://ht.ly/QdLHJ) to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

What is the best way to communicate to parents and teens information?  Have you ever asked this question before in your ministry?  Sure!  We all have. Well, Dan Eno, the Worship and Student Minister for New Life’s Linton Hall Campus may have just found the PERFECT app for your student ministry (or any ministry really) to communicate small messages to students and parents..

And the funny thing is, it’s not ministry based. It’s actually designed for schools.  Now before you up and leave, take a listen to this short podcast.

In today’s episode, Tom and Dan talk about:

* What is Remind and how it works

* How you can specifically utilize to to help you communicate to parents and teens

If you want to connect with Cory you can find him on Twitter (twitter.com/daneno426). He is very active on social media so definitely hit him up if you have a question.

What do you think? What apps have you used that have helped you remind and share information with students and parents? Share your thoughts below or on social media using #ymsidekick. 

To email Tom some ideas on future episodes email him here.

Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe (http://ht.ly/QdLHJ) to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

As a minister to any age demographic, one of the great honors is to be able to share about Christ to them.  However, before you can share about Christ you have to understand who the people are that you are sharing Christ with. You have to understand their stories and to some degree they have to know your story. That is why I am really excited to have Cory Sullivan back on the podcast.

In the today’s podcast, Tom and Cory talk about:

* What are some of the things he is learning about ministry as a full-time teacher now

* Where stories come into play when sharing about Jesus to others

If you want to connect with Cory you can find him here (theconqueringofchaos.com) or find him on Twitter (twitter.com/big_sully55). He is very active on social media so definitely hit him up if you have a question.

What do you think? Join the conversation and share below or on social media using the hashtag #ymsidekick how understanding stories is valuable to sharing about Christ to others. Share your thoughts!  

To email Tom some ideas on future episodes email him here.

Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe (http://ht.ly/QdLHJ) to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

How far out should you start to plan out your calendar in advance?  That is just one of the questions Ben Kerns and Tom discuss in regards to planning out your student ministry calendar.

So, in the today’s podcast, Tom and Ben talk about:

* Different thoughts on planning our your calendar

* How planning ahead helps you with parent street credibility

* Keeping your calendar items consistent with your ministry model.

* Stick to your passions.

If you want to connect with Ben you can find him here (averageyouthministry.com) or find him on Twitter (twitter.com/averageym). He is very active on social media so definitely hit him up if you have a question.

Join the conversation.  How do you plan out your calendar? Do you plan a year ahead or less?  Share your stories below or on social media using the hashtag #ymsidekick. Share your thoughts!  

To email Tom some ideas on future episodes email him here.

Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe (http://ht.ly/QdLHJ) to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

Today Tom has Justin Knowles back on the podcast. Justin is the Lead Next Gen. Pastor of Christ’s Church of the Valley in San Dimas, CA. He oversees Jr. High, High School and College ministries at the church.

Justin is also a fantastic writer who is one of the core contributors to the Download YM blog.  You can find his blogs here.

In this episode, Tom and Justin talk about a recent blog post Justin did about small groups and discuss what it takes to create a winning formula for successful Student Ministry Small Groups.

If you want to connect with Justin you can find him on Twitter (twitter.com/justinknowles3).

So what do you think? What have you found to make small groups effective in your ministry? Share your thoughts and insights below or on social media using the hashtag #ymsidekick. Join the conversation. 

Also, Tom would love to hear from you about what you’d like a future topic to be. To email Tom some ideas email him here.

Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe (http://ht.ly/QdLHJ) to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.