In this special Youth Ministry Unscripted Series looking at the past 25 years of youth ministry and the future 25 years of youth ministry, Cameron and Danny sit down with Dr. Kara Powell, Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute and Professor of Youth and Family at Fuller Theological Seminary. They discuss Dr. Powell’s assessment on the past and future of youth ministry, including Fuller Youth Institute’s new research on Generation Alpha. 

Kara Powell, PhD, is the Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI), the founder of the TENx10 Collaboration, the Chief of Leadership Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary, and serves as a faculty member at Fuller Seminary. Prior to that, Kara was an Assistant Professor of Youth Ministry and Practical Theology at Azusa Pacific University. She completed her PhD in Practical Theology from Fuller Seminary with a focus on Pastoral Role Expectations in 2000, an MDiv from Bethel Theological Seminary in 1994, and a BA in human biology, graduating with Honors from Stanford University in 1991.

Podcasts - Youth Ministry Through the Years 

Ask Rooted: How Do You Shift to Gospel-Centered Youth Ministry? 

The FYI on Gen Alpha: New Research and… | Fuller Youth Institute 

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Register for the Rooted 2026 Conference in Nashville, Oct. 22nd to 24th.

Hosted by: Danny Kwon, author of Teenagers and Mental Health; Becca Heck, M. Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary; Isaiah Marshall, Rooted's Director of Ministry Development; and Josh Hussung, M. Div. in Pastor Studies from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

We all desire the church to be a safe place, where people with trauma know what it is to love and be loved (Matt. 22). In this workshop, we will explore the need for our youth ministries to become trauma-informed so that we may disciple students holistically and prevent further harm. We will discuss what trauma is, how the hope we have in Jesus speaks directly to any past, and when to seek a counseling referral.

Liz Edrington serves as the Associate Director of Care for McLean Presbyterian Church. She received her M.A. in Counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida, and she’s taught as an adjunct professor in the psychology department at Covenant College. She is an emeritus member of the Rooted steering committee, and she’s the author of Anxiety: Finding the Better Story (P&R Publishing, 2023), which won The Gospel Coalition 2023 Book Award for Bible Study & Devotional Literature. Pickled things delight her, as does her snuggle beast, Bella the Dog.

Resources: 

Matthew 22

Helping Teenagers Process Graphic Violence: An Interview with Counselors Rahab Marshall and Gordon Bals - Rooted Ministry 

On Handling Crisis in Your Youth Ministry - Podcasts

Creating a Child Protection Policy for Your Church - Rooted Ministry 

Follow @therootedministry on Instagram for more updates. 

Register for the Rooted 2026 Conference in Nashville.

Hosted by: Danny Kwon, author of Teenagers and Mental Health; Becca Heck, M. Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary; Isaiah Marshall, Rooted's Director of Ministry Development; and Josh Hussung, M. Div. in Pastor Studies from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

In this episode of YMU, Danny is joined with Hannah Augustine, the program director at KidzMatter Ministry. They discuss how Youth and KidMin leaders have a unique opportunity to disciple the teens who are serving in both their ministries. By partnering together, leaders can leverage their collective influence on the teenagers in their ministries.

Resources:

Kids Discipling Kids: The Integration of Youth and Children’s Ministries 

Building a Scope and Sequence for Biblical Literacy in Children’s Ministry and Parents by Tara Davis and Cameron Cole 

Children's Ministry Resources 

Follow the YMU podcast and download it wherever you find your podcasts

Join us at the Rooted 2026 Conference in Nashville, Oct. 22nd to 24th.

Hosted by: Danny Kwon, author of Teenagers and Mental Health; Becca Heck, M. Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary; Isaiah Marshall, Rooted's Director of Ministry Development; and Josh Hussung, M. Div. in Pastor Studies from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

From Miriam to Priscilla, the story of Scripture calls women into leadership and encourages them to endure as “oaks of righteousness” alongside men. The uniqueness of a woman’s position in the world carries with it a different weight than our brothers have. In this workshop, we’ll see what God has to say to his daughters and to his sons who work alongside them.

Becca Heck is a veteran youth minister who has served in Atlanta, GA for the last 15 years. She recently graduated from Reformed Theological Seminary in Atlanta with her M.Div and a Certificate of Bible and Ethnicity from the Edimston Center at RTS. Becca served on Rooted’s Steering Committee in the early years and loves getting to be a part of all things Rooted Ministry. She is currently working in the field of crisis management and relational reconciliation in the Church, partnering with those who are in need of meditation and healing in order to proclaim the gospel clearly and boldly. Becca has a passion for helping Church leaders be not only theologically trained, but to be gospel-centered leaders who lead with integrity, humility, and wholeheartedness. When she isn’t talking about all things Church health related, you can find her visiting her family in Indiana, trying out every coffee shop in Atlanta, borrowing friend’s dogs, and watching reruns of Friends and The West Wing.

Rooted Resources:

From a Female Youth Worker - Substack 

Building A Table for Men and Women in Youth Ministry

Valuing Women in Youth Ministry

Heartfelt Advice to Women in Youth Ministry   

Follow @therootedministry on Instagram for more updates. 

Register for the Rooted 2026 Conference in Nashville.

Hosted by: Danny Kwon, author of Teenagers and Mental Health; Becca Heck, M. Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary; Isaiah Marshall, Rooted's Director of Ministry Development; and Josh Hussung, M. Div. in Pastor Studies from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

The differences between an adult Sunday school class and one for kids are quite striking. A class for toddlers and preschoolers is rarely organized around the logic of a Bible passage, or even a lesson outline. Instead, lessons are structured by the classroom schedule and environment—by a basic routine and activity centers that are designed for play, music, the Bible story, and other games or crafts. How do we prepare children’s lessons that are Christ-centered, biblically faithful, engaging for kids, and oriented towards the distinct ways that kids learn? This workshop will help you learn how to do just that.

Jared Kennedy serves as an editor for The Gospel Coalition. He is also co-founder of Gospel-Centered Family and the author of books for children and families like Faith-Builder Catechism (New Growth Press, 2023), Keeping Your Children’s Ministry on Mission (Crossway, 2022), and The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible (New Growth, 2017). He, his wife Megan, and their three daughters live in Louisville, Kentucky, where they attend Sojourn Church Midtown.

Announcing Rooted Children’s Ministry Curriculum: Why and How to Use 'Gospel Basics'

Building a Scope and Sequence for Biblical Literacy in Children’s Ministry and Parents by Tara Davis and Cameron Cole

Follow @therootedministry on Instagram for more updates. 

Register for the Rooted 2026 Conference in Nashville.

Hosted by: Danny Kwon, author of Teenagers and Mental Health; Becca Heck, M. Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary; Isaiah Marshall, Rooted's Director of Ministry Development; and Josh Hussung, M. Div. in Pastor Studies from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

In this episode of Youth Ministry Unscripted, Isaiah and Danny are joined by Anna Meade Harris and Chelsea Kingston Erickson, two of the editors of the new, 52-Week devotional titled “God With You.” They discuss why and how this year-long devotional was written, what the hopes are for the devotional, how churches, youth ministries, and even parents might use this devotional, and the overall importance of theological depth in youth ministry and for teenagers. 

Leading Students to Live by Faith Alone - Rooted Ministry

Your Family Devotional Doesn't Have to be Pretty - Rooted Ministry

Engage Teens with the Whole Bible by Anna Meade Harris and Chelsea Kingston Erickson for The Gospel Coalition

Follow the YMU podcast and download it wherever you find your podcasts

Register for Rooted 2026 Conference in Nashville, October 22-24.

Hosted by: Danny Kwon, author of Teenagers and Mental Health; Becca Heck, M. Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary; Isaiah Marshall, Rooted's Director of Ministry Development; and Josh Hussung, M. Div. in Pastor Studies from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Cultural waves are constantly changing — now more rapidly than ever. The messages teenagers hear and absorb from every screen and relationship in their lives shapes them at a fundamental level. They learn what to laugh at, who and how to love, and what’s worth weeping over and celebrating from messages both subtle and overt. Ministering in this context requires youth ministers and parents to carefully critique and connect these messages to their fulfillment in Jesus—in other words, we need to do cultural apologetics. In this workshop, we will explore the need for cultural apologetics and how it can be practiced in big and small ways in your ministry today.

Skyler Reed Flowers (MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary) is the program director for The Carson Center for Theological Renewal and cohort director for all TGC cohorts. He serves as an elder at Grace Bible Church in Oxford, Mississippi and is working toward his Ph.D. in systematic theology at the University of Aberdeen. He served as an editor for The Gospel After Christendom. He is married to Brianna, and they have three kids.

Cultural Narratives and Youth Ministry by Kendal Conner

Three Truths for Parents and Children in a Changing Cultural Climate by Joey Turner

Youth Pastor, Your Students Need Apologetics by Bradley Blaylock

Acts 17:22-31

Register for Rooted 2026 Conference in Nashville

Hosted by: Danny Kwon, author of Teenagers and Mental Health; Becca Heck, M. Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary; Isaiah Marshall, Rooted's Director of Ministry Development; and Josh Hussung, M. Div. in Pastor Studies from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

In this episode of Youth Ministry Unscripted, Josh, Danny, and Isaiah discuss the unique pressures youth workers face during ministry planning season. From comparing your ministry to others to feeling the constant need to do more, they explore how leaders can build healthy, sustainable ministry rhythms that prioritize faithfulness over busyness. Together, they offer practical encouragement for protecting your soul while preparing for a new ministry year.

Letter to a Youth Worker Experiencing Burnout

I’m Tired! A Look At The Spiritual Discipline Of Biblical Rest

Essential Practices of Good Youth Ministry

Follow the YMU podcast and download it wherever you find your podcasts

Hosted by: Danny Kwon, author of Teenagers and Mental Health; Becca Heck, M. Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary; Isaiah Marshall, Rooted's Director of Ministry Development; and Josh Hussung, M. Div. in Pastor Studies from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Walking with a teenager through body image struggles is a powerful discipleship opportunity, but oftentimes, it is hard to know how to connect it to God’s Word. How do we offer hope and comfort when we hear teenagers‘ cries of despair, anger, anxiety, or self-hatred about their bodies? This workshop will explore how the Bible’s storyline of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration speaks to body image concerns. Using this framework, we will connect teenagers to why God made them, what happened to our relationship with our bodies in the Fall, how Christ redeems our thoughts about our bodies, and what restoration looks like. Together, we will see how the weightiness of body image struggles provides an opportunity to display the power of God’s Word and the beauty of the gospel.

Resources:

Body Image & Eating Disorders in Your Child - Rooted Ministry

Body Image and God’s Word: Offering Hope, Comfort, and Truth to Teens - Rooted Ministry

Body Image In the Image of God - Rooted Ministry

Follow @therootedministry on Instagram for more updates 

Register for Rooted 2026 Conference in Nashville

Hosted by: Danny Kwon, author of Teenagers and Mental Health; Becca Heck, M. Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary; Isaiah Marshall, Rooted's Director of Ministry Development; and Josh Hussung, M. Div. in Pastor Studies from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

In this episode of Youth Ministry Unscripted, Rebecca, Josh, and Danny discuss the summer-to-fall youth ministry transition as well as topics such as breaks for volunteers, finding rest and vacation time for youth ministry leaders, and end-of-summer youth group activities. They conclude with a discussion about being an outdoor person or beach person and how it might relate to their youth ministry programs. 

Summer’s Breaking Potential for Youth Pastors

Letter to a Youth Worker Experiencing Burnout

Follow the YMU podcast and download it wherever you find your podcasts

Join us for the Rooted 2026 Conference in Nashville, Oct. 22nd to 24th.

Hosted by: Danny Kwon, author of Teenagers and Mental Health; Becca Heck, M. Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary; Isaiah Marshall, Rooted's Director of Ministry Development; and Josh Hussung, M. Div. in Pastor Studies from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.