What a year it’s been! The end of the year is the perfect time to be reminded that the answer to whether the work you do matters is… YES! Listen in to today’s episode with the whole YWC team as they share about the difference they’ve seen volunteers make in the past year and be encouraged! 

Merry Christmas!

We can’t wait to see you in the New Year for the Canadian Youth Pastor Summit on March 21-23, 2023 or at our Winter Conferences! Details over here: https://youthworker.community/events/

If you or your students have hard questions, we’d love to know! Email us at [email protected]

If small group time hits and you start to wonder if you’ll ever have a real conversation with your students, this episode with Steve and Jeremy is for you!

It can feel like getting through the question sheet is the goal as a small group leader, but sometimes the questions just aren’t working. Or there’s not enough. Or they just aren’t connecting with where your students are at. Whatever the struggle, be encouraged in knowing that the mark of a successful small group time is actually not just getting your students talking. But when you want to generate more conversation, listen in to learn some new ideas that will spark discussion.

Special thanks to our friends at Briercrest College and Seminary in Saskatchewan. Their mission is to equip people with ministry training, leadership development, and theological education with a commitment to make biblical and theoretical truths practical and life-related. 

Check out Episode 21 if you’re wondering what to do with the student who doesn’t talk!

Join us for the Canadian Youth Pastor Summit March 21-23, 2023 and be a part of changing the climate of youth ministry in Canada.

Want to join thousands of Canadian youth and youth workers for an incredible conference? Check out Today’s Teen Conference.

We want to see you at our Winter Conferences! Details over here: https://youthworker.community/events/

If you or your students have hard questions, we’d love to know! Email us at [email protected]

As followers of Jesus we want to be the type of people that continue to keep relationships, even when conflicts arise. Modeling how to make relationships last will increase our love for one another and is worth the struggle, but will require that you help students learn more about themselves and the people that they are fighting with.

Here are the steps that Steve walks through in this conversation:

Understand Myself…  This can sound like: What’s going on for you? Tell me your story. What significance does that hold?

Understand The Other… This can sound like: I wonder how that person felt when you reacted. What do you think is going on in their world? How do you think your reaction collided with the other person’s story?

Build A Boundary… This can sound like: Identify what’s going on within themselves, express their own feelings, express the desired outcome, come with a solution

Special thanks to our friends at Youth For Christ and their partnership in this season. They have two fantastic resources you should check out:

1. Lifeteams: If you feel like you could use some extra knowledge about big questions, check out their Lifeteams resources, which are organized by issue: https://www.lifeteams.ca/resources

1. Change Conference Online. This online event is happening this February and is available at: https://changeconference.com/national

We want to see you at our Winter Conferences! Details over here: https://youthworker.community/events/

If you or your students have hard questions, we’d love to know! Email us at [email protected]

Christmas is just around the corner and the holidays are complicated at the best of times. It’s the perfect time to ask your students some questions to get a sense of how they’re entering into this season and connect their current reality to the story of Jesus. 

Here’s a few questions you can ask your students to start the conversation about Christmas:

1. What do you know about the story of Christmas?
2. What about Christmas increases your anxiety? What about Christmas increases your peace and joy?
3. What are the highs and lows of Christmas with your family?

Special thanks to our friends at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association! Their partnership in this season helps make this podcast happen.

We want to see you at our Winter Conferences! Details over here: https://youthworker.community/events/

If you or your students have hard questions, we’d love to know! Email us at [email protected]

Sometimes life gives our students way more questions than answers. And yet it seems like everyone expects them to just figure it all out! Whether they’re looking toward their future or wrestling to get through today, it doesn't have to be so stressful. You can help students process three big questions that will help them find clarity about all the rest:

• Who am I?
• Where do I fit?
• What difference can I make?

Check out today’s interview with Kristel Acevedo all about the Fuller Youth Institute’s new resource, a devotional for students on the 3 big questions they’re asking. 

Want to get the devotional for your students? fulleryouthinstitute.org/3-big-questions 

Join us for our Winter Conferences! Details over here: https://youthworker.community/events/

If your students have hard questions, we’d love to know! Email us at [email protected]

If you’ve ever been having a “normal” small group time and gotten hit with a hard question that made you start sweating, this conversation with Steve and Jeremy is for you! 

When students ask hard questions, they are often testing your posture and whether or not you’re actually safe to talk to. Steve pointed out that often the best answers to hard questions are more questions. Here’s a few to get you started: 

• Why do you ask?
• What does that mean for you right now? 
• What do you think?
• Who else do you trust to speak to this? Do you have any doubts when you talk to them?
• What else is on your mind?

Special thanks to our friends at Briercrest College and Seminary in Saskatchewan. Their mission is to equip people with ministry training, leadership development, and theological education with a commitment to make biblical and theoretical truths practical and life-related. 

Join us for our Winter Conferences! Details over here: https://youthworker.community/events/

If your students have hard questions, we’d love to know! Email us at [email protected]

Today’s conversation between Sid Koop and Jason Ballard is a special episode taken from a video series that they recorded together on the 10 Essentials of Volunteering in Youth Ministry. The rest of series covers topics such as:

How do we keep our Youth Ministry safe? 

How do we partner with parents?

How do we grow meaningful relationships with teenagers?

Want to check out the other 9 Essentials? Check out

https://www.youthworker.community/10essentials/

Join us for our Winter Conferences! Details over here: https://youthworker.community/events/

Check out Christar at christar.org or book a call with their Executive Director Tristan here: https://calendly.com/tristan-kruse/missions-chat-with-tristan

Email us at [email protected] to let us know if there’s a question you want us to hit in a future episode!

If you’ve ever wondered if your students are taking any steps in their faith, this conversation is for you! Even the most regular of youth group nights can feature important steps that your students are taking steps in their spiritual journey. 

Some of the markers that we talk about include:

Focusing attention and responding to a personal question

Seeing their place in community as part of the church

Listening and honouring each other in a small group setting

Willingness to have someone pray for them

Presence or attendance

Check out episodes 6 and 49 if you’d like to continue to dive into this topic! 

6: What Do I Do When My Students Hate the Small Group Questions? 

49: Louie Lovoy on Helping Students Take Their Next Step Spiritually 

Special thanks to our friends at Trinity Western University. Their mission is to develop godly Christian leaders: positive, goal-oriented university graduates with thoroughly Christian minds; growing disciples of Jesus Christ who glorify God through fulfilling the Great Commission, serving God and people in the various marketplaces of life. They are passionately committed to helping you discover how to be fully and faithfully present in the world and to play a vital role in God’s work of healing, hope, and renewal. Learn more about this leading liberal arts university with campuses in both Canada and the USA at TWU.ca

Email us at [email protected] to let us know if there’s a question you want us to hit in a future episode!

If you’ve ever hoped that there were more volunteers on your youth ministry team then today’s conversation is for you! Even though recruiting other volunteers isn’t something you might feel responsible for, if you’d consider a few simple steps it could make a massive difference in your youth ministry.

As a volunteer youth worker you can…

Own The Gap: If you see the need in your ministry, you can own filling that gap

Make A List: You know the people you want to serve with – make a list of people you think would be a great fit for serving in your youth ministry 

Make the Ask: There might be certain things your point leader needs to process with new people but you have the inside knowledge of why serving is worth it, so your ask matters!

Special thanks to our friends at Rocky Mountain College! Are you interested in exploring your faith more and understanding the background and inspiration of the Bible, its history and composition, the overarching themes and message? Rocky Mountain College is offering a FREE university level course where you’ll explore all 66 books of the Bible and understand the context in and the purpose for which they were written. You will also gain an understanding of how the various types of literary forms in which the Bible was written can legitimately be interpreted so you can better understand the message of all parts of the Bible. All of this from the comfort of your own home. Learn more today by clicking HERE.

Email us at [email protected] to let us know if there’s a question you want us to hit in a future episode!

Whether you were at the event or not, your students will have some type of extra experience in their youth ministry journey. It might be a conference, retreat, or special trip, but in all cases you can be part making the most of that experience by supporting your students afterwards. Join today’s conversation as Sid walks you through four simple steps that will help you make the most of the events that your students take part in.

It’s not too late to check out Change Conference Online: https://changeconference.com/national

If you haven’t yet run Alpha, now is the time. Check out their free resources here: https://alphacanada.org/youth/

Email us at [email protected] to let us know if there’s a question you want us to hit in a future episode!