“So often in youth ministry, we think that it's our job to do ministry at young people. Sometimes we're doing youth ministry for them, but what we really encourage people to think about is how do we do ministry with them?” -Megan DeWald

This week's guest is Megan DeWald, the director of the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary. With two decades of experience, Megan highlights the gap between the calling of youth ministers and the overwhelming job descriptions they receive. She points out the mismatch between traditional job expectations, like organizing events, and the actual work needed to address today's youth challenges, such as mental health crises and political issues.

The episode reveals the broken state of the current youth ministry system and stresses the importance of aligning the job with the critical work of caring for and guiding young people through their challenges. Megan discusses the added pressures on youth workers, including isolation and competition, emphasizing the need for a fundamental reevaluation of the youth ministry system to better serve ministers and the youth they aim to support.

This episode is an invitation to a new imagination and innovation for what youth ministry can be today – and reminds us to pull up chairs for the youth that these churches hope to serve.

Each episode, we ask our guest to call our attention to an organization that is doing good work. Megan highlights two projects:

Log College Project is an 18-month program that brings the best of Princeton Theological Seminary to your region. We help Christian congregations design, test, and implement new models of ministry, with teenagers at the design table.

Beaufolio Studios is a creative art house hosting collaborative workshops and consulting relationships, utilizing creativity and theological reflection to "create creators" at the intersections of sacred art, human-centered design, and restorative equity. 

We encourage you to check them out and support their work if you feel led.