Reconstructing Youth Ministry

In this episode, I got to chat with Spencer Jones. Spencer is the Minister to High School Students at First Baptist Church in Trussville, Alabama. Here, we talk about how Disciple Now weekends can still make a huge difference in a student's life. We also learn about how they have helped to grow his student ministry! Make sure to stick around for some practical tips at the end of the episode (37:03). Find Mark on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or send us an email to ReconstructYM@gmail.com.

In this episode, I got to chat with Abram Haley. Abram is the Lead Student Pastor at Sugar Creek Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. In this interview, we talk about how student leadership can help students thrive. We also talk about the details of the pipeline he created! Make sure to stick around for some practical tips at the end of the episode (32:30). Find Mark on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or send us an email to ReconstructYM@gmail.com.

In this episode, I got to chat with Tommy Kersten. Tommy serves as the Student Minister at The Cypress Campus of Houston's First Baptist Church. We got to spend some time talking about what it's like to minister to students from affluent communities. Make sure to stick around for some practical tips at the end of the episode (48:53). Find Mark on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or send us an email to ReconstructYM@gmail.com.

In this episode, I got to chat with Rick LaFavers. He is the Athletic Coordinator & Head Football Coach at Ridge Point High School. We talk about how his faith intertwines with his leadership at school, and also about our hopes and dreams for this generation. Make sure to stick around for some practical tips (56:12). Find Mark on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, or send us an email to ReconstructYM@gmail.com. Take the survey ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode, I got to chat with Ricky Chelette, the Executive Director of Living Hope Ministries. We talked about how parents can help their kids if they're struggling with gender confusion, same sex attraction, or other related issues. This can be a scary topic for parents, but it's an important one! Make sure to stick around for some practical tips (22:54). Find Mark on ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, or send us an email to ReconstructYM@gmail.com. Take the survey ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode, we talk to Jarret Garber about the nature of a student's faith as they enter college and how deconstruction starts much earlier than the young adult years! Jarret is the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Downers Grove in Chicago. This is one of the most impactful interviews I've done yet, so I hope you enjoy it! Make sure to stay for the practical steps to prepare your kid for college (38:36). Find Mark on ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, or send us an email to ReconstructYM@gmail.com. Take the survey ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode, I chat with Jenny Sheets, our Safeguarding Director at Houston's First Baptist Church. She has helped our church to navigate the difficult process of creating effective safeguarding guidelines. With all of the abuse happening in our world, we must do everything we can to keep kids and students safe while they're in our care! Find Mark on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, or send us an email to ReconstructYM@gmail.com. Take the survey ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

Just a couple of guys talkin' about summer camp! In this episode, we're joined by my pal, Tyler Scott. We talk about overcoming fears and other obstacles as well as the benefits of kids being away from technology for a week! Find Mark on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, or send us an email to ReconstructYM@gmail.com. Take the survey ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

In this episode, we catch up with Cassy Strickland to talk about growing in our beliefs, life in ministry, and women in leadership. Our conversation was amazing and will encourage you in your faith! Make sure to stick around for the end of the episode when we walk through our key takeaways (1:08:55). Find Mark on ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, or send us an email to ReconstructYM@gmail.com. Take the survey ⁠here⁠.

We're talking with Brad Griffin of Fuller Youth Institute. His new book, "Faith Beyond Youth Group" is a crucial resource to anyone working with students! We'll talk about the 5 elements of building character in our students. We'll also discuss some of the newest research about faith in the next generation. Follow Brad on Instagram. Find Mark on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠.  Contact us at ReconstructYM@gmail.com. Take the survey ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

Have you had "the talk" with your kid? Did you know that you should start that conversation at birth? Listen is as we talk about "the talk." Subscribe and share with a friend. Find Mark on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠.  Contact us at ReconstructYM@gmail.com. Take the survey ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

We're back! This season, we'll cover a range of topics including sex, technology, college ministry, summer camp and much more. Subscribe and share with a friend. Find Mark on ⁠Facebook⁠ or ⁠Instagram⁠.  Contact us at ReconstructYM@gmail.com. Take the survey ⁠here⁠.

In this episode, I caught up with Taylor Baker to talk about being judgmental as a teenager, a crazy mission trip experience, and why it mattered so much to have a leader she could lean on. Taylor is married to Austin and they have a sweet 2-year-old boy named Haze. I had so much fun with this episode! Make sure to stick around for the end of the episode when we walk through our key takeaways (59:09). Find Mark on Facebook, Instagram, or send us an email to ReconstructYM@gmail.com. Take the survey here.

In this episode, we catch up with Scott Workman on why discipleship mattered in his life and how that set him up for where he is now. We spend a few minutes finding out what happened between high school graduation and now (00:50) before we dive into his survey results (28:38). Make sure to stick around for the end of the episode when we walk through our key takeaways (1:01:35). Find Mark on Facebook, Instagram, or send us an email to ReconstructYM@gmail.com. Take the survey here.

In this episode, I interview McKenzie Willey, who graduated in 2020 from our student ministry here in Houston! She tells the story about how she had a few things take her focus away from the church throughout her student ministry years, which led her to stop attending our youth ministry in her high school years. But just before she graduated, God got ahold of her through one student who refused to give up and one leader who gave her space to process her questions! McKenzie's story is a success story, but it's not without its bumps and bruises. We'll talk about all those and more (and how they can have a serious effect on a student's spiritual life, so make sure to stick around for the end of the episode when we walk through our key takeaways (53:48). Find Mark on Facebook, Instagram, or send us an email to ReconstructYM@gmail.com. Take our survey here.

In this episode, I interview Andy Alvarado, who graduated in 2021 from our student ministry here in Houston! and experienced church drama way too early. My favorite part of the story is that he spent a gap year after high school and I can't wait for you to hear about it! One of the most important parts of the episode, though, is when Andy says that he feels like he wasn't fully equipped for life after high school. So make sure to stick around for the end of the episode when we walk through our key takeaways (46:29). Find Mark on Instagram or send us an email to ReconstructYM@gmail.com. Take our survey here.

In this episode, I interview Elaine Johnston, who graduated in 2013 and experienced church drama way too early. She talks about her experience with toxic leadership and a lack of church community and how she stays connected to God through it all! Stay tuned at the end for a key takeaway from this episode (1:03:42). Find Mark on Instagram or send us an email to ReconstructYM@gmail.com. Take our survey here.

Welcome to Season 2 of the Reconstructing Youth Ministry Podcast! Trey McClenahan joins me in this episode to talk about his experience in our student ministry in Arkansas. He had one major point to bring up: How can we be better at helping students grow in their relationship with God after salvation? Stay tuned at the end for a key takeaway from this episode (36:28). Find Mark on Instagram or send us an email to ReconstructYM@gmail.com. Take our survey here.

Following up on the previous episode, we're talking through the real-life example of Matt Chandler and The Village Church as it relates to deconstruction. While there are numerous reasons for the epidemic of deconstructing students, I've identified three main reasons for it, so I'm using The Village Church as a case study for how a church can demonstrate faithfulness to the Scriptures through a challenging scenario. This is actually the last episode of the first season of this podcast (we made it)! If you'd like to give feedback, you can email us at ReconstructYM@gmail.com. You can follow Mark on Instagram at instagram.com/markhcox.

There are many potential answers to this question, but I submit three main reasons that students are walking away from Christianity at an alarming rate. The stats have always been bleak, but deconstruction has taken up a big portion of conversation among Millennial and Gen Z Christians. Stay with us through the end of the episode for an update on this conversation that I didn't see coming! If you'd like to give feedback, you can email us at ReconstructYM@gmail.com.

If we want to help our students who are deconstructing, we have to look at some of the reasons that they're walking away. One of the most common reasons is a growing cynicism around church leaders. Here, I talk to my friend, Jay Newman, about the things that have made him cynical toward the church, while holding onto his faith in Jesus (9:16). We also talk barbecue for a minute (56:00) You can find the Catacomb Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and many other platforms.

The transition from 5th grade to 6th grade might just be the scariest transition a kid or parent can face. In this episode, we talk about that transition and how the church can help make it as smooth as possible. We also talk about our strategy for connecting kids with leaders who care in our ministry environments. In this episode, we'll talk with Tyler Scott, Minister of Children's Ministry at Houston's First Baptist Church - Sienna Campus. You can follow Tyler on Instagram @tyrexmosis.

We were in a mental health crisis before the pandemic started, but it's only gotten worse. Cynthia is a Licensed Professional Counselor and the Founder of ThriveOn Wellness Retreat Center. She is especially dialed into the intersection of the local church and the counseling industry. Here, we discuss the needs of Gen Z and how parents can help them navigate mental health issues. ThriveOn Wellness Retreat Center

One of the top concerns of parents today is related to phones, technology, and screens of all kinds. Whether you're dealing with a kid who is lacking social skills or you've discovered your child dealing with a porn habit, it's important to know what your next steps are! Lucky for you, Tony is here to help! Tony has been helping organizations and individual families with their technology plans for almost ten years. Here, we chat about the average issues that come up in families related to technology and what the next steps look like. If you want to bring Tony in to speak for your family, church, or organization, visit http://familytechnologyplan.com. Parental Control Apps Discussed In The Episode: Bark NetNanny Qustodio Covenant Eyes X3Watch Follow Tony on Instagram @thetonybianco

If you have kids, the conversation is coming. What happens when a friend comes out? What happens when one of your kid's friends comes out? What happens if one of your kids comes out? I talked with the Martins as they walked through this in the last few months. As always, I hope it's an encouragement to you as you figure out how to talk to your kids about their worldviews.

The research shows that we need to create space for students to ask hard questions in order to engage them. But so many of us aren't prepared for these questions. Whether you're a parent or a youth pastor, you need to start creating space for this! Nathaniel gives us some pointers on how to do that. Nathaniel is the Student Minister at Church at the Cross in Grapevine, TX. Follow Nathaniel on Instagram @nathanielkuhns

Jenny Sheets works with Legacy685, our Fostering/Adoption Ministry at Houston's First. Here, she tells us how children need healthy attachment in order to form some of the most basic elements of trust. Seriously...this is a good one! It's super applicable for early parents, but parents of teenagers shouldn't sleep on this either! Make sure to share this with your youth pastor or anyone who is parenting a teenager! Follow Jenny on Instagram @jprewitts. Follow Legacy685 on Instagram @Legacy685.

Neil Greathouse is a husband, father, pastor, and friend of mine. Recently, we had a conversation about how he brought up the topic of sex to his kids and what he's learned through that whole process. The one thing that we know is that it's definitely not just one talk! Listen in as we try to find some ideas on how to have the most awkward conversation in the world with our kids! Make sure to share this with your youth pastor or anyone who is parenting a teenager! Follow Neil on Instagram @NeilGreathouse

Doug Bischoff is the Next Generation Minister at Houston's First Baptist Church - Loop Campus. Recently, he gave a talk to a group of parents of teenagers addressing this question and I wanted to pick his brain! Make sure to share this with your youth pastor or anyone who is parenting a teenager!

The Reconstructing Youth Ministry Podcast is a platform to serve parents of students by bringing timely content to parents in the trenches of the teen years. Subscribe and you'll get new episodes directly to your podcast feed! Mark Cox // Wed, Jan 1, 2022