<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/51331/open_sms">Send us a text</a>Want a youth ministry that outlasts the hype cycle and survives staff turnover without losing momentum? Oh for sure, eh! This week&apos;s conversation with Canadian veteran youth pastor Jonathan Kornelsen dives into the shift from big events to spiritual formation, equipping teens to lead, and building a ministry that actually gets healthier over time. Jonathan outlines nine core convictions from his Youth Ministry Blueprint—clarifying mission and priorities before any program, crafting a discipleship strategy with measurable wins, protecting leader health as the true foundation, building a volunteer pipeline with strong onboarding, and designing gatherings that are excellent without becoming the point. We connect those principles to biblical models: Nehemiah’s prayerful planning, Moses’ detailed tabernacle instructions, Paul’s leadership structures, and Jesus’ focus on disciples over crowds. The result is a practical path for ministries of any size to create belonging, sustain growth, and hand off a stronger system to the next leader.The takeaway is direct: stop chasing attendance as the primary metric and measure formation, ownership, and calling.Jon shares a nine-conviction blueprint for building healthy, transferable structures that outlast any one leader. • defining mission, vision, and priorities before programming • building a discipleship strategy with clear wins • prioritising leader health as the true foundation • equipping students to lead worship, teach, and serve • onboarding and aligning volunteers with clear expectations • designing programs that form disciples, not consumers • creating belonging through small groups and culture • assessing health with simple tools beyond headcount • applying biblical models for structured, durable ministry • resourcing and connecting with Youth Ministry Blueprint Order Youth Ministry Blueprint on Amazon and follow us on Jonathan at Youth Ministry Blueprint <a href='https://www.youthministryblueprint.com/'>https://www.youthministryblueprint.com/</a> <a rel="payment" href="http://community.youthministrybooster.com/">Support the show</a><a href='https://www.youthministrybooster.com'>Join the community! </a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/51331/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Want a youth ministry that outlasts the hype cycle and survives staff turnover without losing momentum? Oh for sure, eh! &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This week&amp;apos;s conversation with Canadian veteran youth pastor Jonathan Kornelsen dives into the shift from big events to spiritual formation, equipping teens to lead, and building a ministry that actually gets healthier over time.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Jonathan outlines nine core convictions from his Youth Ministry Blueprint—clarifying mission and priorities before any program, crafting a discipleship strategy with measurable wins, protecting leader health as the true foundation, building a volunteer pipeline with strong onboarding, and designing gatherings that are excellent without becoming the point. We connect those principles to biblical models: Nehemiah’s prayerful planning, Moses’ detailed tabernacle instructions, Paul’s leadership structures, and Jesus’ focus on disciples over crowds. The result is a practical path for ministries of any size to create belonging, sustain growth, and hand off a stronger system to the next leader.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The takeaway is direct: stop chasing attendance as the primary metric and measure formation, ownership, and calling.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jon shares a nine-conviction blueprint for building healthy, transferable structures that outlast any one leader.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;• defining mission, vision, and priorities before programming&lt;br/&gt;• building a discipleship strategy with clear wins&lt;br/&gt;• prioritising leader health as the true foundation&lt;br/&gt;• equipping students to lead worship, teach, and serve&lt;br/&gt;• onboarding and aligning volunteers with clear expectations&lt;br/&gt;• designing programs that form disciples, not consumers&lt;br/&gt;• creating belonging through small groups and culture&lt;br/&gt;• assessing health with simple tools beyond headcount&lt;br/&gt;• applying biblical models for structured, durable ministry&lt;br/&gt;• resourcing and connecting with Youth Ministry Blueprint&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Order Youth Ministry Blueprint on Amazon and follow us on Jonathan at Youth Ministry Blueprint&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.youthministryblueprint.com/'&gt;https://www.youthministryblueprint.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="http://community.youthministrybooster.com/"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.youthministrybooster.com'&gt;Join the community! &lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text Want a youth ministry that outlasts the hype cycle and survives staff turnover without losing momentum? Oh for sure, eh!  This week's conversation with Canadian veteran youth pastor Jonathan Kornelsen dives into the shift from big events to spiritual formation, equipping teens to lead, and building a ministry that actually gets healthier over time.  Jonathan outlines nine core convictions from his Youth Ministry Blueprint—clarifying mission and priorities before any progra...

Homegrown Youth Ministry: Why Sustainable Ministry Beats Hype with Jonathan Kornelsen

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/51331/open_sms">Send us a text</a>Cleaner, Braver, More Effective: Youth Ministry in 2026In this episode of Youth Ministry Booster, Zac and Chad lay our cards on the table, personal stakes, ministry wins we’re chasing, habits we’re cutting, and the simple shifts that actually build momentum with teenagers.🌦️ Cultural Forecast: Where Teen Attention Is Really GoingTeen culture is shifting—and the old plays aren’t working like they used to.<ul><li>Teens are less platform-hopping and more rooted in one primary lane</li><li>The “grow your Instagram” for the sake of reach is a strategy that is losing effectiveness</li><li>Vanity metrics are fading; trusted circles are winning</li></ul>If reach is fragmenting, trust is the new algorithm.🏆 The Big Youth Ministry Win for 2026: Practical EvangelismThe most effective move forward is surprisingly old-school:Teach students how to share their faith simply and confidently.We break it down into repeatable tools:<ul><li>A 2-minute personal testimony</li><li>One gospel verse every student memorizes</li><li>Three conversation-opening questions for real-life moments</li></ul>Pair that with a program shift:<ul><li>Less content, more confidence</li><li>Proverbs over lectures</li><li>Make the move to Coaching over Influencing</li></ul>End every gathering, every week with one crystal-clear action step students can actually live out this week.🔄 From More Content to More ConfidenceInstead of piling on teaching:<ul><li>Build repeatable prayers and rhythms</li><li>Reinforce the same tools until students own them</li><li>Measure success by clarity and courage, not coverage</li></ul>Confidence compounds when expectations are clear and doable.🎮 Rethinking Games, Hangouts, and ConnectionLet’s be honest—forced mixers and tired screen games aren’t doing the work anymore.We suggest:<ul><li>Structured hangout time instead of awkward programmatic icebreakers</li><li>Simple competitions with small stakes</li><li>Leader-led engagement that models participation</li></ul>Connection grows when leaders go first and environments feel safe, playful, and intentional. <a rel="payment" href="http://community.youthministrybooster.com/">Support the show</a><a href='https://www.youthministrybooster.com'>Join the community! </a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/51331/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Cleaner, Braver, More Effective: Youth Ministry in 2026&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode of &lt;em&gt;Youth Ministry Booster&lt;/em&gt;, Zac and Chad lay our cards on the table, personal stakes, ministry wins we’re chasing, habits we’re cutting, and the simple shifts that actually build momentum with teenagers.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;🌦️ Cultural Forecast: Where Teen Attention Is Really Going&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Teen culture is shifting—and the old plays aren’t working like they used to.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Teens are &lt;b&gt;less platform-hopping&lt;/b&gt; and more rooted in &lt;b&gt;one primary lane&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The “grow your Instagram” for the sake of reach is a strategy that is losing effectiveness&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Vanity metrics are fading&lt;/b&gt;; trusted circles are winning&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;If reach is fragmenting, &lt;b&gt;trust is the new algorithm&lt;/b&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;🏆 The Big Youth Ministry Win for 2026: Practical Evangelism&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The most effective move forward is surprisingly old-school:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Teach students how to share their faith simply and confidently.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We break it down into repeatable tools:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;A &lt;b&gt;2-minute personal testimony&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;One gospel verse&lt;/b&gt; every student memorizes&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Three conversation-opening questions&lt;/b&gt; for real-life moments&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Pair that with a program shift:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Less content, more confidence&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Proverbs over lectures&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Make the move to &lt;b&gt;Coaching over Influencing&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;End every gathering, every week with &lt;b&gt;one crystal-clear action step&lt;/b&gt; students can actually live out this week.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;🔄 From More Content to More Confidence&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Instead of piling on teaching:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Build &lt;b&gt;repeatable prayers and rhythms&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Reinforce the same tools until students own them&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Measure success by &lt;b&gt;clarity and courage&lt;/b&gt;, not coverage&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Confidence compounds when expectations are clear and doable.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;🎮 Rethinking Games, Hangouts, and Connection&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Let’s be honest—forced mixers and tired screen games aren’t doing the work anymore.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We suggest:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Structured hangout time&lt;/b&gt; instead of awkward programmatic icebreakers&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Simple competitions with &lt;b&gt;small stakes&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Leader-led engagement&lt;/b&gt; that models participation&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Connection grows when leaders go first and environments feel safe, playful, and intentional.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="http://community.youthministrybooster.com/"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.youthministrybooster.com'&gt;Join the community! &lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text Cleaner, Braver, More Effective: Youth Ministry in 2026 In this episode of Youth Ministry Booster, Zac and Chad lay our cards on the table, personal stakes, ministry wins we’re chasing, habits we’re cutting, and the simple shifts that actually build momentum with teenagers. 🌦️ Cultural Forecast: Where Teen Attention Is Really Going Teen culture is shifting—and the old plays aren’t working like they used to. Teens are less platform-hopping and more rooted in one primary laneThe ...

Youth Ministry Trends 2026: Predicting Win Lose Meme

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/51331/open_sms">Send us a text</a>Merry Christmas Adam &amp; Eve everyone!  The holiday calendar swirls, the phone notification buzzes, and suddenly December is deciding everything for you. We pressed pause to talk about the real pressure of ministering well at church and home. Our gift this year to share is presence. Chad and Zac share practical ways to build margin without dropping what matters. There’s a tender side to all this too. The holidays carry joy and grief in the same pew. We talk about walking slowly enough to notice the first Christmas after a loss, the newcomer who needs a name remembered, and the family who only shows up in December. With clear expectations at home and a plan for attention—yes to phone-free days—you can serve your church without sacrificing your people • mapping service schedules and roles before crunch time • choosing “Christmas Adam” and micro-traditions to free family time • weekly and twice-weekly family meetings for clarity • device boundaries, batching messages, phone-free days • moving prep earlier to be present with people • shifting from the booth to visible shepherding • noticing grief and first holidays without loved ones • simple follow-ups that turn holiday hellos into care “Please drop a comment and tell us how you drink your coffee” <a rel="payment" href="http://community.youthministrybooster.com/">Support the show</a><a href='https://www.youthministrybooster.com'>Join the community! </a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/51331/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Merry Christmas Adam &amp;amp; Eve everyone! &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The holiday calendar swirls, the phone notification buzzes, and suddenly December is deciding everything for you. We pressed pause to talk about the real pressure of ministering well at church and home.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Our gift this year to share is presence. Chad and Zac share practical ways to build margin without dropping what matters. There’s a tender side to all this too. The holidays carry joy and grief in the same pew. We talk about walking slowly enough to notice the first Christmas after a loss, the newcomer who needs a name remembered, and the family who only shows up in December. With clear expectations at home and a plan for attention—yes to phone-free days—you can serve your church without sacrificing your people&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;• mapping service schedules and roles before crunch time&lt;br/&gt;• choosing “Christmas Adam” and micro-traditions to free family time&lt;br/&gt;• weekly and twice-weekly family meetings for clarity&lt;br/&gt;• device boundaries, batching messages, phone-free days&lt;br/&gt;• moving prep earlier to be present with people&lt;br/&gt;• shifting from the booth to visible shepherding&lt;br/&gt;• noticing grief and first holidays without loved ones&lt;br/&gt;• simple follow-ups that turn holiday hellos into care&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;“Please drop a comment and tell us how you drink your coffee”&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="http://community.youthministrybooster.com/"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.youthministrybooster.com'&gt;Join the community! &lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text Merry Christmas Adam &amp; Eve everyone!    The holiday calendar swirls, the phone notification buzzes, and suddenly December is deciding everything for you. We pressed pause to talk about the real pressure of ministering well at church and home.  Our gift this year to share is presence. Chad and Zac share practical ways to build margin without dropping what matters. There’s a tender side to all this too. The holidays carry joy and grief in the same pew. We talk about walk...

Merry Christmas Adam & Eve Everyone! Youth Ministry's Gift of Presence

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/51331/open_sms">Send us a text</a>understand your words. We sat down with the Champion Forest student team to unpack how a “one church, two languages” model becomes one student ministry that actually belongs to everyone. If your context includes Spanish-speaking parents, English-dominant teens, and first-generation families navigating two worlds, this conversation offers a blueprint that’s both practical and hopeful.We share how one student ministry serves Spanish-speaking families and English-dominant students without splitting community. From staffing to services, we explain the model, the mistakes, and the practical moves that make unity real. • one church in two languages with one student ministry • culture valued over vocabulary in programming • integrated Wednesdays with bilingual worship moments • Sunday hours aligned with adult services for families • intentional staffing across student, admin and production • communication to parents in both languages at once • planning events together to avoid silos • defining success as connection, not room counts • honoring family traditions and calendars • giving leaders courage to try and learn We’ll drop emails in the show notes below or folks that have questions <a rel="payment" href="http://community.youthministrybooster.com/">Support the show</a><a href='https://www.youthministrybooster.com'>Join the community! </a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/51331/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;understand your words. We sat down with the Champion Forest student team to unpack how a “one church, two languages” model becomes one student ministry that actually belongs to everyone. If your context includes Spanish-speaking parents, English-dominant teens, and first-generation families navigating two worlds, this conversation offers a blueprint that’s both practical and hopeful.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We share how one student ministry serves Spanish-speaking families and English-dominant students without splitting community. From staffing to services, we explain the model, the mistakes, and the practical moves that make unity real.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;• one church in two languages with one student ministry&lt;br/&gt;• culture valued over vocabulary in programming&lt;br/&gt;• integrated Wednesdays with bilingual worship moments&lt;br/&gt;• Sunday hours aligned with adult services for families&lt;br/&gt;• intentional staffing across student, admin and production&lt;br/&gt;• communication to parents in both languages at once&lt;br/&gt;• planning events together to avoid silos&lt;br/&gt;• defining success as connection, not room counts&lt;br/&gt;• honoring family traditions and calendars&lt;br/&gt;• giving leaders courage to try and learn&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;We’ll drop emails in the show notes below or folks that have questions&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="http://community.youthministrybooster.com/"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.youthministrybooster.com'&gt;Join the community! &lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text understand your words. We sat down with the Champion Forest student team to unpack how a “one church, two languages” model becomes one student ministry that actually belongs to everyone. If your context includes Spanish-speaking parents, English-dominant teens, and first-generation families navigating two worlds, this conversation offers a blueprint that’s both practical and hopeful. We share how one student ministry serves Spanish-speaking families and English-dominant student...

 Multicultural Student Ministry

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/51331/open_sms">Send us a text</a>What if the fastest way to build a strong student ministry isn’t a bigger stage, but a crowded living room? We pull back the curtain on our biggest do-overs: why we’d start with relationships, not programs; why a right-sized room beats a flashy setup; and why coaching volunteers weekly will outperform any event on your calendar. • starting in homes to build belonging • coaching volunteers rather than just filling roles • using the 80 percent rule for room choice • fast handoffs from staff to leaders and peers • connecting new families to adult community quickly • becoming the storyteller to senior adults • reframing criticism with real student wins • choosing joy and hospitality as strategy Make sure to drop a comment below or email us at chad.higgins at lifeway.com your stories of what it&apos;s like to be ministry in the new place that you are, or the wisdom that you would give to be featured on an upcoming episode <a rel="payment" href="http://community.youthministrybooster.com/">Support the show</a><a href='https://www.youthministrybooster.com'>Join the community! </a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/51331/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;What if the fastest way to build a strong student ministry isn’t a bigger stage, but a crowded living room? We pull back the curtain on our biggest do-overs: why we’d start with relationships, not programs; why a right-sized room beats a flashy setup; and why coaching volunteers weekly will outperform any event on your calendar.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;• starting in homes to build belonging&lt;br/&gt;• coaching volunteers rather than just filling roles&lt;br/&gt;• using the 80 percent rule for room choice&lt;br/&gt;• fast handoffs from staff to leaders and peers&lt;br/&gt;• connecting new families to adult community quickly&lt;br/&gt;• becoming the storyteller to senior adults&lt;br/&gt;• reframing criticism with real student wins&lt;br/&gt;• choosing joy and hospitality as strategy&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Make sure to drop a comment below or email us at chad.higgins at lifeway.com your stories of what it&amp;apos;s like to be ministry in the new place that you are, or the wisdom that you would give to be featured on an upcoming episode&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="http://community.youthministrybooster.com/"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.youthministrybooster.com'&gt;Join the community! &lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text What if the fastest way to build a strong student ministry isn’t a bigger stage, but a crowded living room? We pull back the curtain on our biggest do-overs: why we’d start with relationships, not programs; why a right-sized room beats a flashy setup; and why coaching volunteers weekly will outperform any event on your calendar.  • starting in homes to build belonging • coaching volunteers rather than just filling roles • using the 80 percent rule for room choice • fast handoff...

Lessons For First Year Youth Ministers

Welcome to the Youth Ministry Booster podcast! The most honest and hilarious podcast in student ministry. Hosted by Zac Workun and Chad Higgins. We are the biggest fans of youth ministry leaders like you!&nbsp; We are here for you with the humor and the help to engage, entertain, equip, and encourage. Youth ministry is better together. Learn more @ http://www.youthministrybooster.com

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