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Ever wondered if there's a way to make meetings less painful and more productive? Kate Downing pulls back the curtain on what makes ministry team gatherings work—or fail spectacularly.

Returning guest Kate Downing shares practical strategies for transforming team meetings from dreaded time-wasters into valuable, engaging experiences that build team culture and advance ministry goals.

Kate's Great Tips
• Starting meetings with celebration time (20-30 minutes) focused on relationship building and recognizing God's work
• Using language like "what are you praising God for" instead of "wins" to avoid creating competition
• Creating and sharing detailed meeting agendas that serve as both roadmaps and historical records
• Incorporating professional development through theological training and guest experts
• Maintaining focus on relevant topics while knowing when to take detailed discussions "offline"
• Ending meetings 15 minutes early for "15 minutes of fun" as a built-in reward
• Applying similar meeting principles when developing student leaders
• Setting clear start and end times to respect everyone's schedules
• Using collaborative note-taking systems that allow everyone access before and after meetings

Join us for Season 7 of the Youth Ministry Booster Podcast where you'll hear from Kate and other great leaders as we talk about what it means to fly fair and fast in youth ministry.

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Broncos, Gameboys, Doves... er uh Pigeons? 

Join Zac for an interview with Shane Pruitt. As they discuss how our culture has shifted to embracing a distorted version of a personalized Jesus while rejecting biblical authority, and why youth ministers must help students discover the authentic Jesus of Scripture.

SHOW NOTES
• Culture has shifted from accepting God-talk but rejecting Jesus-talk to accepting Jesus-talk but rejecting Bible-talk
• People reshape Jesus into their own image, creating an idol with Jesus' name
• The Jesus many claim to follow often aligns perfectly with their preferences and prejudices
• False views of Jesus lead to incorrect evangelism, discipleship, and mission
• The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) are where we rediscover the authentic Jesus
• If our understanding of Jesus never challenges us, we might be following a false version
• The new "Not My Jesus" Bible study is available for both teens and adults to study together
• Jesus makes the invisible God visible – to know God's heart, look to Jesus' heart

Check out "Not My Jesus" Bible study from Lifeway, with free teaching videos included with each purchase.

https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/not-my-jesus-teen-bible-study-book-with-video-access-P005850065

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Have you ever wondered why it seems so many youth ministers quit or leave around the three-year mark? 

In this candid conversation with longtime youth ministry veteran and author Jody Livingston, we talk the secret to youth ministry longevity. 

It's 2 old friends with personal stories, hard-earned wisdom, and practical insights that are meant to encourage youth ministers young and old. Fresh and wizened. 

In Staying Power, Jody Livingston shares his journey of ministry longevity through the lens of his passion for Volkswagen buses and how he navigated challenging seasons to build a sustainable youth ministry career.

Grab a copy of Staying Power by Jody here.

https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/staying-power-P005850004

Key Points From This Interview

• Personal connection between father-son relationship and Volkswagen obsession
• The critical "2.5-3 year mark" where most youth ministers face their greatest challenges
• How unrealistic or unclear expectations from various church stakeholders create friction
• The importance of defining and communicating your own metrics for ministry success
• Navigating seasons where visible ministry fruit seems absent
• Recognizing burnout warning signs in yourself and ministry colleagues
• Finding authentic community and friendship despite the isolating nature of ministry
• Implementing intentional rest rather than merely "vegging out" on days off
• Practical approaches to sustaining your calling when ministry gets difficult

Remember your calling is in this time, to a place, and this next generation, now. When things get hard, lean into the why behind your ministry rather than focusing solely on results or metrics.

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Jay Winn shares how his youth ministry at Riverpoint Church is shifting toward a more relational approach in response to changing student needs. Despite having fewer resources following leadership transitions, Jay is finding success by investing deeply in authentic connections with students rather than focusing primarily on programs and events.

• Returning to "old school youth ministry" with a focus on authentic relationships and personal discipleship
• Making small groups optional rather than mandatory, resulting in more engaged participation
• Moving midweek gatherings to Thursday nights with a discussion-based format that has grown from 30 to 85 students
• Creating systems where youth staff have specific students to check on regularly, making relationships a measurable part of ministry
• Recognizing Gen Z students' increasing need for one-on-one mentoring amid rising anxiety and information overload
• Structuring Sunday morning as the ministry's "front door" with high-energy programming while reserving other gatherings for deeper discussion
• Working toward a staffing model with one full-time staff member for every 50 students
• Planning a fall retreat focused on helping students reconnect with God personally rather than focusing on service to others

Join the Youth Ministry Booster community to connect with other youth pastors who are growing, learning, and adapting their ministries to meet today's challenges.

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Alleigh Jezek shares how she revitalized a youth ministry by creating an inviting atmosphere, multiplying small groups, and building an authentic community where students feel empowered to lead and invite friends.

🧠 IN THIS EPISODE:

• 🌀 Creating welcoming environments is in the details like cleaning and organizing the youth space
• 🌳 Multiplying small groups from 6 to 12 groups allowed for deeper connections and more meaningful conversations
• 🛠️  Building an "invite culture" by celebrating students who bring friends and equipping them with shareable social media content
• 🧍‍♂️Supporting volunteer leaders by ensuring they're spiritually nourished and placed in roles that match their strengths
• 🔍 Building an "invite culture" by celebrating students who bring friends and equipping them with shareable social media content

Connect with Alleigh @alleighjezek Instagram or email her with questions about youth ministry strategies or even how to run a game of Scatter Ball! It's a blast! 

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The hype of camp is fading. The smell of leftover sunscreen and emotional debriefs still lingers. But now it’s time to face the real ministry question: What’s next? In this episode, Chad and Zac unpack the sneaky shift from summer chaos to fall calendars, and how to survive the mid-summer mental fog without quitting or creating a whole new youth group (again).

July can be a peculiar time in youth ministry. The adrenaline of summer events still lingers while the pressure of fall kickoff looms on the horizon. Some of us respond by mentally checking out ("laid out on the carpet," as Chad puts it), while others frantically start dreaming up complete ministry overhauls. Both responses stem from the same reality: seasonal transitions are hard, and our brains don't always cooperate.

Chad shares his strategy of scheduling a dedicated "dream planning day"—a physical and mental reset that helps him formally shift from summer to fall mode. This intentional transition, often accompanied by a change in location, creates space for creativity to return. Meanwhile, Zach offers the complementary approach of completely stepping away through hobbies, physical activities, or creative pursuits that engage different parts of the brain.

Perhaps most powerfully, let's talk about  "Tuesday faith," learning to find meaning and purpose in the ordinary moments of ministry between the mountain-tops of camp experiences and the valleys of crisis. As Chad notes, "Not all flowers grow year-round," a reminder that seasons of apparent stagnation are natural and necessary parts of ministry.

🛠️ IN THIS EPISODE:

• 🌀 Mid-Summer Drift: Why it’s hard to go from bonfires to budget meetings.
• 😩 Two Ministry Mood Swings: Burnout Brian vs. Overhaul Olivia.
• 🌳 Change Your Place, Change Your Pace: A new spot might mean new ideas.
• 🏃‍♂️ Hobbies, Health, & Holy Distractions: Stepping away might be the secret to stepping forward.
• 📆 Why “Tuesday” Faithfulness > Friday Night Lights: Embracing the unglamorous middle.
• 🧠 Ministry Dopamine Detox: Recognize when your body is addicted to “big events only.”
• 🧍‍♂️ Be Honest, Not Isolated: The power of having someone to call out your spiral.
• 🔍 Know Thy Patterns: The better you understand your own transition style, the better you lead through it.

This episode is for the youth worker staring at a whiteboard wondering if it’s too early to plan the fall kickoff or too late to nap until Christmas. (It’s not. Just… plan a little, nap a little.)

If you're currently navigating the summer-to-fall transition in your ministry, this episode offers both practical strategies and the reassurance that you're not alone. We're all still learning—even after decades in ministry—how to work effectively through the rhythm of seasons.

Want to connect with a community of youth workers who understand these challenges? Check out Youth Ministry Booster or reach out directly to [email protected] or [email protected] to learn more about how we can support you in your ministry journey.

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The emotional marathon of summer camp affects every youth minister differently. Whether you're riding high on spiritual victories, nursing wounds from what felt like failure, or simply exhausted beyond words, this episode offers genuine encouragement for wherever you find yourself.

Zach and Chad dive into their contrasting pre-camp experiences - one fueled by caffeine-like excitement, the other weighed down by planning anxiety. They share practical wisdom about externalizing your plans (either in meticulously organized binders or digital systems) to create both present peace and future efficiency.

Camp Brain, Binder Blues, & the Post-Camp Fog

It's that time of year—when youth pastors everywhere go from pre-camp jitters to post-camp exhaustion in just five sleepless days! In this episode, Chad and Zac take you on the emotional rollercoaster known as Summer Camp Season. Buckle up, it's a wild ride full of excitement, duct tape, and probably at least one crying senior guy.

🛠️ IN THIS EPISODE:

• 😅 Pre-Camp Vibes: Why some of us are Camp Keeners and others are... Camp Avoiders.
• 📓 Binder or iPad?: Getting organized (yes, your spreadsheets can be holy).
• 🧠 Document the Madness: Future you will thank you for writing it down now.
• 🙏 The Power of Presence: How to be spiritually available between cabin wars and snack bar runs.
• 🛏️ The Three Faces of Post-Camp: Euphoria, Disappointment, and “Please let me sleep forever.”
• 📋 Wrap It Up, Don’t Leave It Hanging: Final reports > mental “I’ll do it next week.”
• 🌿 True Rest: How not to burn out your soul on the altar of “just one more game.”
• 🗣️ Multiple Takes Matter: Debriefing with your team so the loudest voice isn’t the only voice.

This is the Summer Camp Survival Guide your soul needed. It's honest, a little chaotic, and fully soaked in sunscreen and sanctification.

Whether you're preparing for camp, in the thick of it, or recovering from it, this episode provides the encouragement that you're not alone in this emotional journey. 

Share your camp stories with us on social media or email us at [email protected]!

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Kate Downing joins us to discuss her new Bible study "Fighting With Fear" and shares profound insights about the theological significance of fear in ministry leadership and decision-making.

• Fear itself isn't bad—we were designed to fear, but the object of our fear matters
• Ministry decisions often trigger fears about consequences and others' opinions
• The "brain dump" technique helps sort problems into what you can and cannot control
• Decision fatigue plagues ministry leaders who try to reinvent the wheel annually
• Document everything to avoid recreating the same work year after year
• Christian leadership requires balancing fear-fueled paralysis with reckless fearlessness
• Scripture mentions the fear of God over 200 times as our proper orientation
• Leaders should filter decisions through the question: "Does this honor and obey God?"
• Student anxiety often reveals deeper theological misconceptions about God's character
• Ministry in 2025 should focus on equipping students as ministers, not just recipients

Check out "Fighting With Fear: Becoming Fearfully Unafraid" by Kate Downing, available now wherever books are sold. The six-session Bible study for teens includes video access and additional resources.

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Youth Ministry.. it ain't what it used to be! 

The digital revolution has transformed youth ministry into uncharted territory, creating what seasoned experts are calling "a perfect storm" of challenges for today's teenagers. At the heart of this storm lies the smartphone – a device that has fundamentally altered how adolescents experience relationships, rest, and reality itself.

"The culture is catechizing our kids 24-7 through these devices," -Walt Mueller

Special Guest Alert: Walt Mueller of CPYU

There is some reason to raise alarms: trends like teens sleeping with phones, FaceTiming until they pass out, and even gambling online during school lunch periods. This constant digital immersion directly contributes to the sleep deprivation fueling unprecedented anxiety levels among young people. Medical experts emphasize that teenagers need approximately nine hours of uninterrupted sleep for healthy development, yet notifications and digital dependencies make this virtually impossible for many.

In the wake of Jonathan Haidt's must-read book "The Anxious Generation"  Zac and Walt discuss how parents increasingly use their children as "status objects" for social media validation, creating crushing pressure that transforms ordinary activities into high-stakes performance arenas. Youth workers must respond with a threefold approach: prophetic influence (speaking God's truth to cultural realities), preventive influence (building appropriate guardrails), and redemptive influence (offering grace when mistakes inevitably occur). Rather than merely aiming for behavioral compliance, effective youth ministry nurtures heart transformation through balanced spiritual formation.

Today's youth ministry leaders function as cross-cultural missionaries who must be deeply grounded in Scripture while simultaneously understanding the complex digital landscape teens navigate. By creating spaces where adolescents can experience genuine community, rest, and spiritual formation apart from screens, youth ministry offers what many teenagers desperately need but rarely experience elsewhere. 

Subscribe to the podcast to hear more conversations with ministry leaders who are reimagining how we disciple the next generation in an age of digital distraction and spiritual hunger.

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If you're experiencing ministry burnout or feeling your passion fading, establish accountability with someone who knows you well enough to speak truth when you're drifting, and intentionally surround yourself with those newer to ministry who bring fresh perspective and enthusiasm.

SPECIAL GUEST ALERT: Jameson Barker

Veteran youth minister Jameson Barker shares how he maintains ministry passion after two decades of service by shifting from complacency to expectancy. 

Here's some practical strategies for staying spiritually engaged when ministry routines become all too familiar.

• Fighting complacency after 20+ years in youth ministry
• How routines and familiarity can lead to spiritual disengagement
• Creating a mindset of expectancy through intentional daily practices
• Recognizing warning signs when your heart begins to drift
• The importance of staying present during ministry moments
• Creating unexpected moments of joy and connection for your team
• Building accountability relationships with people who know you well
• Surrounding yourself with younger staff to maintain freshness and enthusiasm
• Practical ways to approach familiar events with renewed anticipation

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