The Word in Youth Ministry - A CPYU Podcast

Kyle, Matt, and Linda have a lively discussion with Peter J. Williams about his book "Can We Trust the Gospels?" Dr. Williams tells us the importance of being able to trust the Gospels, and how they help us know we can trust all of Scripture. Matt engages with Dr. Williams in a discussion about how geolocation helps confirm the stories of Jesus as told in the Gospels. Linda asks a helpful question about so-called contradictions, and Dr. Williams provides a helpful way for us to discuss paradox with our students. He also encourages us to stretch our students academically far more than we often think they can handle.

Kyle, Linda, and Matt invite Associate Pastor Phil Leineweber to share about the work he has done toward building a teaching plan for students at his church. Phil shares about a youth ministry institute that he helped form in order that students would be challenged during their middle school and high school years to engage with various books of the Bible and topical studies. Phil emphasizes the need for intergenerational worship on Sunday mornings. What should Sunday morning Sunday School classes cover vs. a mid-week youth meeting? They address cycling through series, books, or topics so that those who aren't regular attendees might still hear particular messages by the time they graduate. Phil also emphasizes the need for flexibility within the overall framework of a larger scope and sequence.

Kyle, Linda, and Matt welcome back Sean McDowell. As we approach the Easter season, we take a look at teaching about the resurrection. Sean helps us avoid some bad ways we often approach this topic while pointing us to some helpful tips we can use as we prepare to teach this important subject to our students.

Kyle, Matt, and Linda welcome Mitchell Chase back to the podcast for a second time. He discusses his new book "Hope for All the Earth: Understanding The Story of the Old Testament" and the importance of teaching the Old Testament to students. Mitchell helps us to see the Old Testament as the Bible that Jesus read and knew, and its importance for our own lives. He encourages listeners to help students understand the larger biblical story and how the Old Testament fits into it. With that in mind, themes of exile, sacred space, and redemption are discussed to help us see the Old Testament in a big picture way.

Brian Sorgenfrei, formerly of RUF, and current pastor at CPC Oxford, joins Kyle, Matt, and Linda in a great discussion about teaching the Bible to high school and college students. Brian suggests that we not only need to ask great questions of the text, but we need to be asking the questions that students themselves might be asking. Doing so helps make the Bible compelling to students. They also enter a conversation about family dynamics, relationships at home, and building trusting relationships between students and adults.

Kyle, Linda, and Matt welcome Greg Anderson, who is the President of Inspiration Point Christian Camp & Retreat Center. Together they discuss the important role that Christian camping can serve in the life of teens. Greg talks about the marriage of the outdoors and the Scriptures and how God can use the two together to make disciples. We also discuss how to find a Christian camp that is a great fit for your ministry. Greg also points us to research describing the 5 pillars that should be in place at a camp in order for it to be effective.

Kyle, Linda, and Matt discuss the results of The State of Theology report recently released by Ligonier Ministries and Lifeway Research. They highlight some of the figures and statistics that were surprising, encouraging, or perhaps discouraging. They  also share whether or not they see some of these results playing out anecdotally within their churches and youth groups. The team then talks about what they believe we need to be doing better in our ministries in order to address some of the concerns that the survey results brought to life.

Kyle, Linda, and Matt take a look at 1 Timothy 3. They acknowledge that students might not see how this passage pertains to them. We can help our students see the importance of this God-given plan and structure for His Church. We can also use this passage to show them that passages like this help us hold to good biblical doctrine in our churches, and conversely help protect against false teachings and teachers, by installing strong leadership. Perhaps, in our current cultural context of so many losing faith in institutions, we can use this to instill trust in our churches and show that there should be built in accountability among leadership. We also look at other texts we can use to supplement the teachings of 1 Timothy 3.

Kyle, Linda, and Matt look at the topic of evangelism. Why is training our students in the area important? How do we do it well? How does sharing the gospel help us in our understanding of the gospel? What are some of the pitfalls we need to be aware of so that we can avoid them? We also discuss how evangelism is ultimately tied into discipleship. We also offer Scripture passages we can turn to to learn more about this topic and teach our students about it.

How do the 10 Commandments fit into the whole of Scripture? What do they mean for us today? What do they mean for the teenagers that we serve? How can we impress these truths onto the hearts of our youth in ways that they'll relate to? We also take a look at this portion of the law and what makes them similar or different from other old testament laws and how we should view the law today. Does it seem overwhelming to teach an entire lesson on a single command, such as "You shall not steal"? We also show how traditional catechisms can help bring these commands to life and help our students ask deeper questions about what is required of our behavior and gain a fuller picture of the life God is calling us to.