The Missing Voices Podcast

On this episode of the Missing Voices Podcast, you will hear from one of our Theologians in Residence, Mike Mather. Mike is a pastor, now in Boulder, Colorado, where he is “discovering” ministry in a new way in this community. Today's episode will show you his mindset for ministry, particularly around his experience with assets-based community development, all while hearing a few stories along the way.

We hear all about youth ministry from a place of abundance, in today's episode. Annalise Hume is a Spiritual Director who currently leads workshops on the connection of movement and faith. She has many years of experience working with Young Life and also happens to be one of our grant coaches through Ministry Architects, helping churches learn along their grant journey.

Featured on today's episode is Justin Ferrell. He is a professor of Design Thinking at the Stanford D.School, where he helps students to creatively discover new ways to think about business. This is where we sought out Justin's expertise to help our team of Missing Voices Project leaders and churches to think about innovative, forward-thinking youth ministry.

On today's episode, you will hear from Rev. Kermit Moss. As both pastor and theologian, you will hear Kermit's passion for youth ministry and the church through the topics of race, reconciliation and culture. Kermit is a faculty member of Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina where he is the Professor of Practical Theology, Black Church Studies, and Culture.

We are visited by the familiar voice of Megan DeWald on this episode of the Missing Voices Podcast. As one of the Theologians in Residence for this project, Megan has walked with the MVP team in regard to queer youth and youth on the margins. She is also the Associate Director of the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary and the host of the IYM's Disrupting Ministry podcast.

In this episode, you will hear from Ben Conner. He is a professor of Practical Theology at Western Theological Seminary and serves on the Young Life National Capernaum Mission Wide Committee. In addition, Ben is one of our Theologians in Residence for the Missing Voices Project, offering his experience in youth ministry with people of various abilities.

On this season of the Missing Voices Podcast, you will hear all about Design Thinking and youth ministry. In the first episode, you hear the voice of Kenda Dean, the professor of Youth, Church, and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary, as she discusses the opportunities of failure for the church, especially when it comes to ministry with young people. She is a long time mentor and friend of the Missing Voices Project and an early contributor to the design of this grant.

Our third storyteller is Kermit Moss from Princeton Theological Seminary. Kermit tells stories of suffering and how the church can be a place of safety and solidarity for young people. He calls out the best in youth workers, challenging us to champion young people's dreams and fight for their opportunities to participate in the church.

Our second storyteller, we welcome back Megan DeWald from Princeton Theological Seminary. In this story, Megan shares a powerful encounter with her mother as she tenderly unfolds the complexities of identity throughout the telling. Megan challenges us to avoid stereotyping the young people we serve and to honor their unique identities as children of God.

The next few episodes will highlight our “stories from the field” from the 2020 Flagler College Youth Ministry Forum. Our first storyteller, we welcome back Tyler Fuller as he shares the many different realities of young people who grow up in the foster care system. Tyler helps us imagine the ways we can step in for those in our community who need support and advocacy.

In part two of this series, Nate Stucky takes a deeper dive into the Sabbath by examining how it unfolds in the lives of those in Scripture. He invites us to consider the reality that if Sabbath is going to take root in our lives something else has to die. In this life changing invitation, we are free to put down our "duckies" and embrace an identity rooted in a gracious God.

In part one of this two part series, Nate Stucky from Princeton Theological Seminary invites us to consider how the gift of Sabbath reveals core truths about God and our identities that we cannot know unless we give rest a real shot. A pertinent message amidst the dominant culture of busyness, Stucky's wisdom offers healing to those of us in need of Sabbath renewal.

In this episode, Justin seized an opportunity to interview New Testament scholar N.T. Wright while overseas. The two of them explore Wright's life and the connections of his work to youth ministry.

While in LA we toured Union Rescue Mission, the largest rescue mission in North America. Andy Bales, the CEO, was kind enough to spend the afternoon with us and with this episode we would like you to hear his heart. The way he sees people has changed everything.

Join the Missing Voices Project lead innovators as they are led through a morning devotional by Fil Anderson, our spiritual director. With this episode we invite you to listen in and participate yourself in the devotional life of this learning community. Fil is an incredible spiritual director, and with this episode you get a taste of his leadership.

In this episode we will hear what it takes to build a web of support around young people in the foster care system. Jay Panther is the director of “Impacting Hearts” a ministry focused on surrounding young people in the foster care system with the love and support they need. This episode points to a very different approach to youth ministry, one that is profoundly communal and working within the system. Enjoy!

In this episode we hear from Gregory Boyle, the founder and director of “Homeboy Industries.” Father G explores themes of friendship, the poor, and how kinship might offer a way to reimagine ministry and relationships across social difference.

The next few episodes will be focused on our experience in Los Angeles with the lead innovators of the Missing Voices Project. In this episode I give some context to that trip and how we hope to share as much of what we learned with you all through this podcast!

Fil Anderson is a spiritual director and close friend of the Missing Voices Project. Together we discuss the nature of having a spiritual life in the midst of this pandemic. Grief, gratitude, busyness, and having a rule of life are just some of the topics Fil explores. 

Andy Root, Professor and author from Luther Seminary, helps us reflect on the nature of relationships during this pandemic. Together we explore themes of Youth Ministry that we have been forced to revisit due to the current constraints we are all living with.

Angelina Devincenzo, Wes Ellis, and Rachael McNeal are Youth Workers on the front lines of ministry today. Angelina is a first-year Youth Worker who only months in found herself in quarantine re-imagining youth ministry. Rachael and Wes are long time veterans of youth ministry and reflect on the changes taking place today. Together they share their insights and experience of this complicated season.

Megan DeWald is the Assistant Director of the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary. In this interview, Megan shares the resource she compiled in hopes of providing one central location of numerous resources to help youth workers do their important work. It is an incredible gift!

An ordained PCUSA clergywomen of Long Island, New York, Aqueelah Ligonde invites us to consider the church as an extended family moving beyond our buildings into a deeper engagement with the surrounding community. She shares powerful stories and practical tips for the minister who finds themselves longing for resurrection hope. 

Makenzie Knowlden and Dustin Aagaard are Youth Workers on the front lines of ministry today. Mak is a first-year Youth Worker who only months in found herself in quarantine re-imagining youth ministry. Dustin is a 20 year veteran of youth ministry and oversees all children, youth, and family ministry at his church. Together they share their insights and experience of this complicated season. 

Trey Wince, from Ministry Architects and Ministry Incubators, points out the uniqueness of being a leader during the COVID19 pandemic.  As ministry leaders we are given permission to try new things, especially in this crisis.  This is an opportunity to leverage the moment and build new ways of being while we lead our people through the struggle of survival anxiety and learning anxiety.  

Author and professor Rev. Dr. Angela Gorrell has combed through research and recently released her own findings for compelling online engagement with youth.  Hear from the author of "Always On: Practicing Faith in a New Media Landscape," named a New and Noteworthy Book by Christianity Today.  Find her free resources for online participatory worship services and a guide for online youth ministry - https://www.baptiststandard.com/falling-seed/creating-online-participatory-worship-services/  

A prison chaplain, father, minister, and previous youth minister - Luke shares stories from behind bars and invites us to consider ways in which the Church might begin imagining nearby prisons or jails as the very locations where church should be happening!

Hayne, a Flagler graduate and mental health counselor, speaks from years of experience in both youth ministry and mental health. Inviting us to consider the realities of trauma, Hayne exposes our need for counseling and mental health therapist in the youth ministry world. Hayne makes an open invitation to join him for tacos… so give him a call.

Katy is a lot of things, but in this episode she speaks with a mothers heart. She shares her story from that perspective and invites us all to listen a little closer to the stories of those who don't fit classically embraced gender roles. This is a story of life and death, don't skip this episode… our baptismal promises won't allow for it!

Tyler Fuller is a foster parent and Missions Pastor at Crosspoint Church in Niceville, Florida. Through personal stories from his family Tyler invites us into the world of foster care and how family can be re-imagined. He also speaks about his work in and around poverty, and how working across socio-economic boundaries has shaped the community he helps lead. Tyler is hilarious and witty and was in a heavy metal rock band. If we had been able to, we would have opened the episode with some of his scream-o music from long ago.

Flagler graduate Zach Grant is interviewed about his ministry with and alongside folks with varying abilities. Zach shares personal stories and challenges the church to listen to his friends. He is the Director of Special Connections at St. James United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida. You will fall in love with Zach just like we all have.

In this episode Justin Forbes interviews Martha Shinn, the long time professor of Youth Ministry from Flagler College. Together they discuss her roots and how she shaped a program that would year after year send people into ministry at the margins. Martha has come out of retirement to serve on The Missing Voices staff as the Congregational Liaison- or as Justin likes to call her- The Chief Listening Officer. Martha is amazing!

In this episode Mark DeVries interviews Justin Forbes, the Director of the Missing Voices Project, about the podcast and this new youth ministry project coming out of Flagler College. Justin shares the vision of The Missing Voices Project and how a particular teenager named James taught him about youth ministry in ways that no one else could.