How NOT To Be a Youth Pastor

There comes a point as a Youth Pastor where you can't do it all. Besides, you can't even be there all the time! On today's episode, Kyle and Derek talk about delegating within youth ministry, especially with Kyle's upcoming paternity leave.

There are many, many things our students might be struggling with. But porn is as close to a certainty as you can get. Statistically, if you have at least two students in your youth ministry, one of them is probably struggling with porn in some capacity. On today's episode, Kyle and Derek talk through some of the struggles Youth Pastors face in this arena, and how we can have healthy conversations with our students that lead towards real progress.

Parents get to live with their kids and raise them for 18 years. Youth Pastors? Well, we get them for maybe an hour per week. In today's episode, Kyle and Derek talk about why it's so important to partner with parents in youth ministry, and some key ways to do it.

Adding people to the Kingdom of God is one of the biggest goals of ministry. But in today's episode, Kyle takes the stance that, in an ideal world, no student ever accepts Christ during one of their youth services. Is it lunacy, or are Kyle and Derek on to something about how we should be approaching evangelism?

Many listeners have wondered how in the world Kyle and Derek managed to convince their wives to marry them. Was it a trick? Hypnosis? Did they pay them off? Nope! Check out today's episode for "biblically founded sayings to win over the opposite gender." Or, as some people would call them, Christian Pickup Lines.

Riley is back for another episode as the gang closes out 2022 with a friendly round of The Initials Game, courtesy of the Power Trip Morning Show on KFAN.

Stepping into a new pastoral role can be a challenge, and there are plenty of obstacles to navigate. On today's episode, Derek's new Youth Pastor, Riley, joins the show to talk about the joys and challenges that come with being new on the job.

Ministry tends to introduce us to individuals or situations that are... unpleasant. Youth Pastors get put in tough situations all the time where there isn't always a right answer, but you're forced to act like there is. Or, more likely, you have to pick between two less-than-ideal choices and go for it! On today's episode, Kyle and Derek talk about some of the ways to make these uncomfortable situations a little more comfortable.

We are all familiar with the Christmas story, right? Jesus' birth has been portrayed by small children for generations. But do we have all the details right? Join Kyle and Derek as they dive into the Christmas story and shed new light on some of the details we've gotten wrong.

Churches talk all the time about how terrible idols are. But last we checked, most people aren't making sacrifices in their backyard to Ba'al anymore. So where do we look for idols today? Kyle and Derek talk today about some of the modern idols that Youth Pastors have, and they might not be what you think.

We are living in an unprecedented age of mega-churches. More and more of them seem to crop up every year. But is that a good thing? Can youth ministry be effective on such a large scale? Join Kyle and Derek as they dive into the touchy "church size" conversation.

Hurt is unavoidable. Students (and definitely parents) will offend and insult you as a Youth Pastor. On today's episode, Kyle and Derek talk about how to process and bounce back from conversations that might otherwise knock you out of ministry.

Kyle and Derek welcome fellow Youth Pastor Heidi Rausch onto the podcast to talk about downtown Chicago mission teams, investing in young leaders, and being a woman in youth ministry.

Youth ministry is a lot like running a small church, with one big distinction: every 6 or 7 years, your entire congregation changes over. Every student will eventually graduate and leave your ministry, so how do you set them up for success? On today's episode, Kyle and Derek talk about what it takes to launch students into young adulthood well.

With Halloween just around the corner, Kyle and Derek discuss some of the stories and moments in their ministries that would send anyone running! From hotel fires to mischievous students, they share some of their experiences and how they handled some of their most bizarre moments in youth ministry.

Success stories are always more fun. But Youth Pastors fail A LOT. People, in fact, fail a lot. On today's episode, Kyle and Derek talk about what to do when you do something that doesn't work, and ways to learn from it to make the next move better!

Most people don't like asking for a raise, but what if your boss is your pastor?!? Money is a tricky subject to talk about, but on today's episode, Kyle and Derek dive into the world of youth pastor compensation.

Every Youth Pastor likes to think they have great things to say. You know, like the stuff that would go viral on TikTok. But equally important are the things that Youth Pastors maybe SHOULDN'T say. Whether it's a text to a student or from the stage, join Kyle and Derek discussing some of the things they would recommend YPs maybe don't talk about.

If you're in ministry, at some point you have probably stopped and asked yourself, "Why did I sign up for this?" On today's episode, Kyle and Derek talk about how pastors can hold to healthy boundaries, and how those outside of ministry can be supportive without jumping to conclusions.

Students have a LOT of things happening in their lives that can occupy their time. As youth pastors, how do we work with those schedules, instead of against them? And as parents or students, how do we navigate that balance? Join Kyle and Derek as they attempt to find the line between using the gifts God has given us and being so busy we aren't available for the core of what God has called us to.

As we head into a new fall of ministry, it can be an important reminder to stay focused as pastors and leaders. There is a lot within our control to focus on, and some things that are out of our control. On today's episode, Kyle and Derek talk about focusing on what we can control in ministry.

Kyle and Derek are back for Season 2! We kick it off with a discussion on salvation calls, or altar calls. Many churches use a variation of "bow your heads, close your eyes, and raise your hands" to facilitate salvation with their congregation. But is that the best way to do it? At the very least, we think it's worth a discussion.

Kyle and Derek record this special episode live from summer camp! Many churches attend summer camps, but all of them are different. So on this episode, we talk about some of the structures of summer camp and why we enjoy going!

On the final episode of Season 1, Kyle and Derek talk about their favorite memories from Season 1 of the podcast and how to celebrate wins as a youth ministry. Listen in as they cover defining wins, where and when to celebrate them, and also catch some spoilers on Season 2!

One of the more intimidating and uncomfortable topics, Kyle and Derek talk about the realities of being mandatory reporters as youth pastors. Listen in as they discuss some of the things to look for, how to have these tough conversations with students, and who you might need to call if the situation arises.

Back on Episode 33, Kyle and Derek talked about how damaging "purity culture" has been to the church. On today's episode, they continue the conversation by talking about some of the positive steps you can take to turn the conversation in a healthy direction.

What should I name our youth ministry? Where do I find adult volunteers? How much pizza should I order? On today's episode, Kyle and Derek take a dive into what it would look like to start a youth ministry from the very beginning.

Sometimes, it can be hard to tell the difference between spiritual warfare and, well... our own stupidity. On today's episode, Kyle and Derek talk a little bit about what spiritual warfare is, and how the key to spiritual warfare is to just WRAP it out.

Small group discussions can take a sermon or lesson's effectiveness from good to great. On today's episode, Kyle and Derek talk about four different types of questions to ask your students and the 10 Rules to Facilitating Small Group Discussion that they definitely didn't make up.

Easter and Christmas are the two big "church holidays" on the calendar, but it's not all roses and butterflies for pastors. Join Kyle and Derek as they talk about some of the difficulties pastors face when the calendar gets busy around these big church services.

As a Youth Pastor, there are some topics that might be important to cover every year. But you don't want to feel like you're preaching the same messages over and over. And I want to write all of my own sermons, but there's already so much good content out there. WHAT DO I DO?!? Join Kyle and Derek as they talk about finding strategic and impactful ways to plan out their content and curriculum in ministry.

Churches, and specifically youth ministries, love doing events. Grab some pizza and games, and invite all your friends! But what happens when you have an event you've done forever, or maybe only once, that you don't want to do anymore? If the event was good last time, should you automatically do it again? On today's episode, Kyle and Derek break down some of the best ways to kill something that may, or may not, be working well for you.

"Purity Culture" was well-intentioned, but has done a lot of damage to how students growing up in the church view sex. Often times, it leads to a warped view of sex that lasts well into marriage. Join Kyle and Derek as they break down the myths and try to start a healthier conversation about what God designed sex to be.

Shepherding students through the transition from kids ministry to youth ministry is important. The transition from youth ministry to whatever comes next is maybe even more important. Join Kyle and Derek as they talk about how to do these transitions well!

Kyle and Derek talk about how power and influence become idols for pastors, and how they lead to public falls from grace that we unfortunately see all too often in ministry.

On today's episode, Kyle and Derek discuss Biblical literacy in today's teenagers, which Bible translations to read (or not to read), and how to encourage students to dive deeper into the Word.

On today's episode, Kyle and Derek talk about playing games in youth ministry. We'll discuss why they're important, as well as some of our favorite games that we play with our students!

On today's episode, Kyle and Derek answer listener questions about preparing sermons as a Youth Pastor. If you have questions that you would like to have answered on a future episode, reach out at [email protected].

On our last episode, we talked about longevity in ministry. Today, Kyle and Derek dive into how to keep things fresh once you've been doing it a while.

Ministry often sees a high turnover rate, but there's a lot of value to longevity in ministry. On today's episode, Kyle and Derek talk about why longevity is so important, and some ways that Youth Pastors can avoid burnout.

Kyle and Derek love dodgeball and giveaways as much as the next guy. But on today's episode, they talk about how Youth Ministry MUST be more missional than that.

Kyle and Derek talk about one of the most common objections people have to volunteering in youth ministry, "I'm too old," and the value that each age demographic can bring to a youth ministry.

Kyle and Derek are joined by worship leaders Nate & Sarah Englar to discuss their heart for worship and how to integrate worship into youth ministry.

Kyle and Derek kick off the new year with a conversation about LGBTQ culture and how to respond as a youth pastor.

Kyle and Derek take a look back on what God did in their ministries in 2021.

Kyle and Derek celebrate the season by welcoming two special guests to play a Christmas-themed game of "Password"

Youth Ministry can take a hefty toll on Youth Pastors and youth leaders physically, mentally, emotionally, and most of all spiritually. Join Kyle and Derek as they discuss seven myths around the burden that Youth Pastors carry.

Believe it or not, most ministry costs money! On today's episode, Kyle and Derek break down the ins and outs of how to handle finances as a Youth Pastor, some of the best things to spend money on, and what NOT to do!

Christian circles can throw around the word "calling" in many different ways. In this episode, Kyle and Derek dive into what the Bible actually means when it talks about what we, as Christ-followers, are called to.

On this special holiday episode of the podcast, Kyle and Derek turn Thanksgiving foods into on-the-spot sermons.