Youth Ministry Booster

Youth Ministry Presence Over Hype w/ JP Black

Send a textWhat actually makes a youth ministry fruitful? Bigger crowds? Flashier events? Viral moments? In this episode  Zac sits down with JP Black to wrestle honestly with those questions: presence, not popularity.From the moment you walk into JP’s student building—covered in photos, memories, and a “Trophy Wall of Awesome”—you can feel a culture of belonging. But the real transformation didn’t come from décor. It came from a deliberate shift away from event management toward spaces where students encounter God.JP shares how the post-COVID reset forced his team to rebuild from the ground up. Instead of chasing attendance as proof of “anointing,” they began measuring spiritual fruit through markers like confession, repentance, prayer, and resilient discipleship. The result? A ministry less driven by hype and more shaped by genuine transformation.One standout example is their redesigned Venture Weekend, now treated as a modern “stone of remembrance.” Students participate in a powerful concert of prayer, laying down idols and naming what’s holding them back.Fruitful youth ministry isn’t built on popularity, it’s formed through presence, repentance, prayer, and patient discipleship.• history and community markers in the student space• why the Trophy Wall of Awesome matters for belonging• JP’s calling story and long obedience• post-COVID reset of metrics and motives• presence of God as the ministry north star• redesigning Venture Weekend for encounter• splitting middle school and high school for depth• testing hype vs transformation through repentance• practical ways to bring camp home weekly• modeling humility and pressing on from Philippians 3• concert of prayer and a seventh grader’s salvation• how to connect with JP BlackFirst Rockwall Students on Facebook and Instagram Instagram: @JPBlack_Support the showJoin the community!

Gospel Centered Soul Care At Home For Youth Ministry w/ Dr. Randy Jackson

Send a textWhen a student walked into the office during the pandemic asking whether his father would live long enough for a transplant, it exposed a gap many youth pastors feel but rarely name: we can teach Scripture and organize programs, but do we know how to shepherd teenagers when fear, grief, and uncertainty overwhelm them?We sit down with Dr. Randy Jackson to talk about a gospel-shaped approach to soul care that equips parents as the primary shapers of a teen’s faith. We trace his journey from a pandemic crisis to building a practical framework that deepens conversations at home and in small groups and why equipping parents remains the most strategic work in student ministry.This episode offers practical tools for youth pastors, volunteers, and parents who want to move beyond behavior management and into Christ-centered care for the inner lives of teenagers.🧠 What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeA clear, Scripture-rooted definition of soul care for youth ministryWhy crisis moments reveal the limits of program-driven ministryHow the Gospels connect soul care with healing and restorationEight core components of biblical soul care every leader can practiceWhy parents and grandparents remain the primary influencers in teens’ livesHow to equip families to talk about identity, emotions, and mental healthThe most transferable skill for shepherding students: active listeningHow better questions lead to deeper spiritual conversationsWhy vulnerability should come from scars, not  woundsHow volunteers can provide meaningful care without being counselors📖 The 8 Components of Gospel-Shaped Soul CareDr. Randy Jackson outlines eight practical dimensions of caring for the soul that apply to both ministry leaders and parents:Time — Slowing down to be present (Psalm 90)Influence — Recognizing who shapes a teen’s inner worldMotivation — Understanding the “why” behind behaviorVulnerability — Modeling honest faith from healed placesEmpathy — Entering a student’s experience without rushing to fixMindfulness — Paying attention to God, self, and surroundingsDiscernment — Seeing spiritual realities beneath surface issuesCommunication — Speaking truth with grace and clarityParents and grandparents outrank social media influencers, celebrities, and youth pastors as the most influential voices in teenagers’ lives.Connect w/ Dr. Randy Jackson, Youth Pastor, FBC Atlanta, TexasEmail: rsjacksonus@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/rsjacksonusBook Recommendations:Aundi Kolber, Try SofterT. Dale Johnson, The Church as a Culture of CarePaul David Tripp, Instruments in the Redeemer's HandsHarley Atkinson, W. Lee Barnett, and Mike Severe. Ministry with Youth in Crisis. 3rd ed.Richard Foster, Celebration of DisciplineRobert D. Jones, Kristin L. Kellen, and Rob Green. The Gospel For Disordered LivesKara Powell and Brad Griffin, 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager- J. Alasdair Groves and Winston T. Smith, Untangling Emotions- Timothy Paul Jones. Family Ministry Field Guide: How Your Church Can Equip Parents to Make Disciples- Edward T. Welch, Caring For One Another: 8 Ways to CultivateSupport the showJoin the community!

Youth Ministry Volunteers Are Undefeated w/ Chad Daugherty

Send a textWhich snack would you like to popsicle? In this episode, Chad Daugherty joins Zac and the crew for a conversation that starts with dad-life fitness in the “llama lift lair” and ends with a practical blueprint for building a healthy, sustainable volunteer culture.Let's talk about the wild world of Gen Alpha — deodorant before rec, ball pumps on standby, and a suspicious loyalty to red Doritos. Then everything shifts when a middle schooler asks a deceptively deep question: Why does the Bible use so many bread images for God?Suddenly, frozen Uncrustables become a doorway to manna, the Bread of Life, communion, and daily dependence on God.That pivot — from silly to sacred — is youth ministry in a nutshell.🔑 Key TakeawaysPause Your Way OutWhen big questions land, you don’t have to have instant answers. Chad shares how to slow the moment, invite students into discovery, and model a faith that seeks together.Clarity → Confidence → Consistency → CultureHealthy volunteer teams aren’t built on hype. They grow through clear expectations, steady investment, and repeatable rhythms.Recruitment Is Not DevelopmentMost ministries stop after “yes.” Real leadership happens in what comes next.A Simple Leadership RhythmPray • Ask • Invest • WaitCare that continues long after the initial excitement fades.👥  Chad’s 3–2–1 Weekly Volunteer SystemA practical framework you can start this week:Pray for 3 peopleMake 2 proactive touchpointsSchedule 1 face-to-face connectionCoffee, hallway chat, game night, or visitDo this for 50 weeks:💯 ~100 families personally touched🤝 50 in-person connections🌱 A culture shaped over timeMake sure you hit the links below, whether we're gonna see you in a couple states, in a couple regions in the next few ways, or catch us onlineLifeway.com/essentialsLifeway.com/experienceWe'd love to see you in Virginia, in North Carolina, or one of our youth pastor summit locationsSupport the showJoin the community!

The Church Calendar, Don't Drown! Stop, Start, Change And Swim w/ Amanda Mejias

Send a textWhat if your calendar didn’t own your ministry — but served it?Welcome to the podcast garage Amanda Mejias! Lifeway Specialist for Girls' Ministry and Women in Youth Ministry. Check this pastoral note: We to need to make the move from submission (giving in after the fight) to surrender (choosing trust before the fight begins).In this episode, Zac and Amanda unpack a simple, repeatable framework to audit your year:Stop – Start – ChangeStop what burns energy without bearing fruit (even if it’s beloved).Start where your God is calling you out: only when you have conviction and capacity.Change the good-but-not-great by adjusting structure, timing, and goals to serve outcomes that actually matter.We talk:Anchoring your plans to your church’s missionWorking backward from your budget cycleDefining fruit before you planVolunteer buy-in and giving ideas real runwayWhy leaders must measure what mattersPlus, a live case study: Her Good Retreat — a focused gathering for women leading in youth and college ministry. Born from real needs (belonging, rest, targeted training), it models how vision, people, and place shape events that last.Key Points• the value of discipline through a swim lesson story• moving from submission to surrender• defining fruit before planning• annual audit using stop, start, change• aligning events to church mission• budgeting timelines and approvals• volunteer capacity and early buy-in• when to kill traditions and when to tweak what you inherited• launching Her Good Retreat for women in youth and college ministry• links to Youth Pastor Summit and  ExperienceCheck the links below for the Her Good Retreat this March, the Youth Pastor Summit locations in April, and the Preaching Experience in May. Like, rate, subscribe, and review, and we’ll see you next timeHer Goodhttps://www.lifeway.com/en/events/her-good-retreatPreaching Experiencehttps://www.lifeway.com/en/events/experience-2026Support the showJoin the community!

Youth Ministry Needs Sacred Rhythms For Real Students w/ Ribbin Dorado

Send us a textTrade the hype for a deep concern with holiness! What if your youth ministry felt unmistakably sacred and still radically welcoming?In this episode of Youth Ministry Booster, Zac Workun sits down with Ribbon Dorado to explore a youth ministry model built on formation over frenzy—one that helps teenagers love the church they’re actually growing into.Ribbon shares his powerful journey—from foster care and a “muddy paper” sense of calling, to serving as a hospital chaplain in a trauma bay, to theological formation in seminary—and how those experiences have shaped a clear vision for discipling teenagers in 2026.Together, we unpack a durable, repeatable youth ministry framework designed for long-term faith formation:A two-hour Sunday night gathering that prioritizes formation over gamesA monthly rhythm that includes a Student Sabbath at home, complete with table liturgiesA mid-month Worship in the Round, where students lead and testifySacred worship spaces using incense, kneelers, and iconography to signal reverenceMemorizing creeds, spontaneous testimonies, and students “fighting for the mic” to name where they see God at workTeaching shaped by the lectionary, offering a balanced diet of Scripture and resisting cherry-pickingWe also talk about rethinking leadership in student ministry:Hospitality leaders who cultivate belongingFormation leaders who guide 30-minute Bible circlesThoughtful training, interviews, and resources that treat leaders as ministers—not just volunteersLanguage that dignifies the calling and responsibility of those shaping students’ faithAt the core is the soul of the youth pastor. Ribbon challenges leaders to abide in Christ (John 15), practice the daily Examen, read Scripture beyond sermon prep, and develop a living rule of life. Teenagers don’t just hear what we teach—they catch what we love. We lead from overflow, not exhaustion.Finally, we reframe success in youth ministry:Are students worshiping with the broader church?Are families practicing prayer and Scripture at home?Two years after graduation, are students rooted in a local church?Formation is a long obedience in the same direction—formed inwardly and sent outwardly.👉 Subscribe to Youth Ministry Booster for weekly coaching and conversations on sustainable youth ministry.👉 Share this episode with a youth pastor who’s tired of hype and hungry for depth.👉 Leave a review and tell us: what rhythm will you try this month?We explore how to trade hype for formation with guest Ribbon Dorado, from her journey through foster care and chaplaincy to building a youth ministry shaped by creeds, Scripture, and sacred space. We break down two-hour Sundays, monthly family Sabbaths, and leadership models that form teens for the long road with Jesus.• recovering historic practices to form teens today• designing separate spaces for play and worship• using creeds, liturgy, and student testimony• structuring two-hour Sunday nights around formation• monthly rhythm with at-home Student Sabbath• forming leaders: hospitality vs formation roles• measuring fruit beyond attendance and events• abiding practices: John 15, daily examen, rule of life• helping teens integrate into Sunday worship• defining wins as long obedience and missionSubscribe, rate, and revieSupport the showJoin the community!