Youth Ministry for the Longer Haul Podcast

It has become a regular occurrence for me. At least once a week I have someone reach out asking if I know of anyone I could recommend for their Youth Pastor search. Sadly, the answer is the same every time these days...no. It seems that nearly everyone is looking to hire a Youth Pastor and the cupboard is bare. So, where have all the Youth Pastors gone? In this episode, I'm joined by my friends Dr. Tim McKnight (author of Engaging Gen Z), Dr. Scott Pace (author of Student Ministry by the Book), and Todd Jones (from Stoked on Youth Ministry) to discuss what led to the lack of Youth Pastors and what we can do to solve this problem. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Baptist Press Article: Why is there a shortage of student ministers and what can be done about it? Anderson University The College at Southeastern Stoked on Youth Ministry RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Engaging Gen Z by Dr. Tim McKnight Student Ministry by the Book by Dr. Scott Pace and Dr. Ed Newton Navigating Student Ministry: Charting Your Course for the Journey by Dr. Tim McKnight JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group

We all have it. It's the dreaded "other duties as assigned" disclaimer at the bottom of the job description. So what happens when those "other duties" are design, website, newsletter, social media? Maybe you're great at that, but it is a lot to manage on top of your "real job." Maybe you're not so great and don't know where to start. Or, maybe it's just an area you want to be better in. Well in today's episode Matt Curtis joins us and drops some really helpful and practical tips and tricks for getting it all done and doing it well. Oh, and did I mention he's also giving away about $50 in freebies to Longer Haul listeners as well? GRAB THE FREEBIES!! thelongerhaul.com/lunchtime JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group

As the old saying goes, "All good things must come to an end." In this episode podcast, we talk about what's ending, why it's ending, and what if anything the future holds for The Longer Haul. As always, thanks for being a part of The Longer Haul and for all you do! We're so thankful to have you as a part of this community. JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL4U for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply* I.N.F.O for Families Check out their brand-new resource for helping families navigate smartphones.  Use the promo code: LONGERHAUL for 25% off of your order of Smart Phones 101.  Head over and check it out at smartphones-101.com! AirOSport.fun AIR O SPORT is a new engaging, multi-use game that's guaranteed to get everyone in on the fun!  Easy to learn, challenging to master...boredom never stood a chance! Be sure to use the promo code: LONGERHAUL to save on shipping and get a free upgrade on your discs.

How often do you evaluate your youth ministry? Stop and think for a minute about the last time you sat down, blocked out some time, and REALLY evaluated your youth ministry. Maybe it has been a while or you're not sure how to do it. Maybe you're not sure what to evaluate or why you even should evaluate your youth ministry. Well, have no fear! In this episode, we're sharing how to, what to, and why you should. We also drop a few practical tools in as well. We hope you find this episode practically helpful as you finish out the year and look ahead to next year. Thanks for listening and for being a part of the longer haul community! RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED: Start by Jon Acuff Finish by Jon Acuff MinHubApp JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL4U for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply* I.N.F.O for Families Check out their brand-new resource for helping families navigate smartphones.  Use the promo code: LONGERHAUL for 25% off of your order of Smart Phones 101.  Head over and check it out at smartphones-101.com! AirOSport.fun AIR O SPORT is a new engaging, multi-use game that's guaranteed to get everyone in on the fun!  Easy to learn, challenging to master...boredom never stood a chance! Be sure to use the promo code: LONGERHAUL to save on shipping and get a free upgrade on your discs.

Longevity in youth ministry definitely requires growing and learning. There's always more to learn and areas to grow. In this episode, we share lessons we're learning, books that we've found helpful, and a few hints at what is ahead. Thanks for listening and for being a part of the longer haul community! JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL4U for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply* I.N.F.O for Families Check out their brand-new resource for helping families navigate smartphones.  Use the promo code: LONGERHAUL for 25% off of your order of Smart Phones 101.  Head over and check it out at smartphones-101.com! AirOSport.fun AIR O SPORT is a new engaging, multi-use game that's guaranteed to get everyone in on the fun!  Easy to learn, challenging to master...boredom never stood a chance! Be sure to use the promo code: LONGERHAUL to save on shipping and get a free upgrade on your discs.

Partnering with parents in youth ministry can be a challenge. Depending on what stage of life and ministry you are in, knowing how and where to start can leave you frustrated. Never fear! In today's episode we're diving in with practical advice and tips on how to partner more effectively with parents in your youth ministry. Thanks for listening and for being a part of the longer haul community. JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL4U for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply* I.N.F.O for Families Check out their brand new resource for helping families navigate smartphones.  Use the promo code: LONGERHAUL for 25% off of your order of Smart Phones 101.  Head over and check it out at smartphones-101.com! AirOSport.fun AIR O SPORT is a new engaging, multi-use game that's guaranteed to get everyone in on the fun!  Easy to learn, challenging to master...boredom never stood a chance! Be sure to use the promo code: LONGERHAUL to save on shipping and get a free upgrade on your discs.

Annnnd we're back! It's been a long summer, and we're excited to be back recording new episodes. In this episode, we give you an update on where we've been, what's ahead, and what things we're currently working on. Thanks for listening and for being a part of the longer haul community. JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL4U for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply* I.N.F.O for Families Check out their brand new resource for helping families navigate smartphones.  Use the promo code: LONGERHAUL for 25% off of your order of Smart Phones 101.  Head over and check it out at smartphones-101.com! AirOSport.fun AIR O SPORT is a new engaging, multi-use game that's guaranteed to get everyone in on the fun!  Easy to learn, challenging to master...boredom never stood a chance! Be sure to use the promo code: LONGERHAUL to save on shipping and get a free upgrade on your discs.

It's no secret that youth ministry over the last year and a half has been incredibly difficult. What your ministry will look like after Covid is probably still up in the air. One thing seems to be true for almost everyone, what your youth ministry looks like will largely require rebuilding your youth ministry. On the surface, this can look and feel really discouraging. In today's episode, Matt Lawson joins the show to talk about lessons we can learn from church planting. Matt is a youth ministry veteran and church planter who now works for NAMB supporting church planters. This episode is full of encouragement and practical advice and takeaways. So grab a notebook, pen, and some coffee and dive in. JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL4U for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply* I.N.F.O for Families Check out their brand new resource for helping families navigate smartphones.  Use the promo code: LONGERHAUL for 25% off of your order of Smart Phones 101.  Head over and check it out at smartphones-101.com! AirOSport.fun AIR O SPORT is a new engaging, multi-use game that's guaranteed to get everyone in on the fun!  Easy to learn, challenging to master...boredom never stood a chance! Be sure to use the promo code: LONGERHAUL to save on shipping and get a free upgrade on your discs.

How do we engage Gen Z? The largest generation we've ever seen certainly brings with it challenges and opportunities. In today's episode, Dr. Tim McKnight joins the show to talk about Engaging Gen Z. There's a lot to learn and this interview is SO good. So grab some coffee, something to take notes with, and enjoy! Links Mentioned: Engaging Gen Z by Dr. Tim McKnight Anderson University JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL4U for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply* I.N.F.O for Families Check out their brand new resource for helping families navigate smartphones.  Use the promo code: LONGERHAUL for 25% off of your order of Smart Phones 101.  Head over and check it out at smartphones-101.com! AirOSport.fun AIR O SPORT is a new engaging, multi-use game that's guaranteed to get everyone in on the fun!  Easy to learn, challenging to master...boredom never stood a chance! Be sure to use the promo code: LONGERHAUL to save on shipping and get a free upgrade on your discs.

In our last episode, we gave some helpful thoughts and tips for how to approach your youth ministry as we come out of Covid. Part of this is the reality that for most of us we won't see the same number of students we saw involved in our programs before Covid. But we don't want to be all doom and gloom so in this episode we're talking about, "what if they DO come back." JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL4U for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply* I.N.F.O for Families Check out their brand new resource for helping families navigate smartphones.  Use the promo code: LONGERHAUL for 25% off of your order of Smart Phones 101.  Head over and check it out at smartphones-101.com! AirOSport.fun AIR O SPORT is a new engaging, multi-use game that's guaranteed to get everyone in on the fun!  Easy to learn, challenging to master...boredom never stood a chance! Be sure to use the promo code: LONGERHAUL to save on shipping and get a free upgrade on your discs.

It's been a LOOOONNG year. With many churches now reopening for in-person gatherings, the question looms over many of us, "What if they don't come back?" To be fair, even before the pandemic we were often faced with the question of "What if no one comes?" So in this episode, we're diving in with some practical advice for what to do and how to handle things when our rooms don't look as full as we had hoped, or when they are empty. JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL4U for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply* I.N.F.O for Families Check out their brand new resource for helping families navigate smartphones.  Use the promo code: LONGERHAUL for 25% off of your order of Smart Phones 101.  Head over and check it out at smartphones-101.com! AirOSport.fun AIR O SPORT is a new engaging, multi-use game that's guaranteed to get everyone in on the fun!  Easy to learn, challenging to master...boredom never stood a chance! Be sure to use the promo code: LONGERHAUL to save on shipping and get a free upgrade on your discs.

Over the past year, youth ministry has been one of constant reimagining. We've made plans, to make plans, only to make plans again. The "in-person" gathering is no longer a given. Turns out a global pandemic makes an in-person gathering difficult at best...impossible at worst. This has caused many of us to rethink our ministries beyond the in-person gathering.  So in this episode, we bring on Jackson Arnett who serves with Jody as the online ministry director to talk all things "beyond the in-person gathering." Whether you're just figuring it out, needing more ideas, or running strong in this area we think you'll find this episode really helpful. JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL4U for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply* I.N.F.O for Families Check out their brand new resource for helping families navigate smartphones.  Use the promo code: LONGERHAUL for 25% off of your order of Smart Phones 101.  Head over and check it out at smartphones-101.com!

This year has been a year like no other. In this episode, we talk through the BIG lessons we learned over the year. Some are personal lessons and some are ministry lessons. So take a listen and we would love to hear what lessons you've learned as well. JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL4U for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply* I.N.F.O for Families Check out their brand new resource for helping families navigate smartphones.  Use the promo code: LONGERHAUL for 25% off of your order of Smart Phones 101.  Head over and check it out at smartphones-101.com!

In this episode, our friend Barrett Johnson from I.N.F.O. for Families joins us to talk about helping parents navigate devices and social media. We talk about the documentary The Social Dilemma as well as some practical bits of help and takeaways for you and for the parents you serve. LINKS MENTIONED The Social Dilemma I.N.F.O for Families - https://www.infoforfamilies.com/ JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! AirOSport.fun AIR O SPORT is a new engaging, multi-use game that's guaranteed to get everyone in on the fun!  Easy to learn, challenging to master...boredom never stood a chance! Be sure to use the promo code: LONGERHAUL to save on shipping and get a free upgrade on your discs. ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL4U for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply* I.N.F.O for Families Check out their brand new resource for helping families navigate smartphones.  Use the promo code: LONGERHAUL for 25% off of your order of Smart Phones 101.  Head over and check it out at smartphones-101.com!

The generation of students we're all ministering to right now is going through unprecedented times… or are they? More on that in a minute. Ok, let's acknowledge the elephant in the room. It's been a while since you've heard from us. Like you, Jody and I have been trying to navigate doing youth ministry in COVID and learning new rhythms for how we do life. That said, we're back! And we're back BIG! In this episode, you'll hear from Dr. Tim Elmore as he shares with us about his new book, The Pandemic Population. This is SUCH a timely interview as he addresses how COVID may impact our teenagers and ways we can help shape their narrative. LINKS MENTIONED GrowingLeaders.com JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! AirOSport.fun AIR O SPORT is a new engaging, multi-use game that's guaranteed to get everyone in on the fun!  Easy to learn, challenging to master...boredom never stood a chance! Be sure to use the promo code: LONGERHAUL to save on shipping and get a free upgrade on your discs. ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply* I.N.F.O for Families Check out their brand new resource for helping families navigate smartphones.  Use the promo code: LONGERHAUL for 25% off of your order of Smart Phones 101.  Head over and check it out at smartphones-101.com!

If you've been around the show you know that the focus of what we do here at the Longer Haul is helping Youth Pastors stay put and experience longevity in ministry. In this episode, we're tackling a crucial question you have to be able to answer when things get tough.  Without considering and resolving the answer to this you're likely to leave when things get tough.  It could literally be the difference between staying and going. JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! AirOSport.fun AIR O SPORT is a new engaging, multi-use game that's guaranteed to get everyone in on the fun!  Easy to learn, challenging to master...boredom never stood a chance! Be sure to use the promo code: LONGERHAUL to save on shipping and get a free upgrade on your discs. ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

I think it is safe to say we're all tired of doing youth ministry under quarantine... In this episode, Chris had the chance to jump on (yet another) Zoom call with our friends at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board to talk through post quarantine opportunities you need to consider for your youth ministry.  It's packed with some really practical thoughts you should be considering now as you're processing what "back to normal" should look like. (Also, you'll hear Chris rant on a bit about Zoom fatigue.  Worth listening just for this) JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! AirOSport.fun AIR O SPORT is a new engaging, multi-use game that's guaranteed to get everyone in on the fun!  Easy to learn, challenging to master...boredom never stood a chance! Be sure to use the promo code: LONGERHAUL to save on shipping and get a free upgrade on your discs. ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

WE LOVE OUR LISTENERS!!! Because our listeners LOVE teenagers! Last week we got a bunch of YOU together for a zoom call where we talked about what we're all going through. It turned out to be a great episode as we heard from listeners from different parts of the country. We talk about a little bit of everything in this episode, but perhaps the reason it turned out so great is that it was a Zoom room full of folks that are living and breathing youth ministry. In a time like this, it's great to have a support group. We'd love to have you in our podcast Facebook group. A much smaller Facebook group with way less... well... people in a bad mood than most. LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED: JaredHall.com YM360 Care Packages JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! AirOSport.fun AIR O SPORT is a new engaging, multi-use game that's guaranteed to get everyone in on the fun!  Easy to learn, challenging to master...boredom never stood a chance! Be sure to use the promo code: LONGERHAUL to save on shipping and get a free upgrade on your discs. ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

A couple of weeks ago Chris got word through social media that his friend, Patrick Thompson, like many, right now had gotten sick. It was super encouraging to hear over the last few days that he has recovered and is doing much better. Patrick and Chris have been friends for over 10 years now from back when he was a youth pastor living in Georgia. Patrick and his family were called as church planters to New York City almost 8 years ago and Chris' church has had the blessing of partnering with him a couple of times now on short term mission trips. We asked Patrick if he'd be willing to come on the podcast and share his experience with what it was like to be sick with the virus. We also wanted to have some hard conversations about how this might impact the future of the church and youth ministry in the coming days. We've been blessed to have some great conversations with some amazing people over the years, but I'm not exaggerating when I say that this interview is probably the best and most timely interview we've had a chance to be a part of. You're gonna want to listen all the way to the end on this one. LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED: Patrick Thompson New City Church youthgroupathome.com JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! AirOSport.fun AIR O SPORT is a new engaging, multi-use game that's guaranteed to get everyone in on the fun!  Easy to learn, challenging to master...boredom never stood a chance! Be sure to use the promo code: LONGERHAUL to save on shipping and get a free upgrade on your discs. ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

Like all of you, it has been a CRAZY couple weeks for us as we've adjusted to our current normal of not meeting with teenagers in person. So, we decided to take a moment and share a quick update regarding what we're doing and what we've learned in the last couple of weeks of doing youth ministry in quarantine. We're praying for you as you lead your teenagers during these unusual days. By the way, it'd be a GREAT time to join our super secret Facebook Group... Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED: youthgroupathome.com JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! AirOSport.fun AIR O SPORT is a new engaging, multi-use game that's guaranteed to get everyone in on the fun!  Easy to learn, challenging to master...boredom never stood a chance! Be sure to use the promo code: LONGERHAUL to save on shipping and get a free upgrade on your discs. ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

Have you ever wondered if we're doing all we can do to reach students for Jesus in a way that will last into their adult years? After hanging out with teenagers and trying to point them to Jesus for over 30 years now, I have and still do. Jody and I believe that part of experiencing youth ministry for the longer haul means we're willing to evaluate our methods and effectiveness on a regular basis. We both ran across an article a couple of months ago called: Time for ‘Radical Reevaluation' of Youth Ministry by Dr. Richard Ross. Dr. Ross is a friend of the show, Chris's former professor and has been thinking about youth ministry longer than anyone I know. So when he puts out an article about needing to reevaluate youth ministry, it got our attention. LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED: Is it Time for Radical Reevaluation of Youth Ministry by Dr. Richard Ross richardaross.com JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! AirOSport.fun AIR O SPORT is a new engaging, multi-use game that's guaranteed to get everyone in on the fun!  Easy to learn, challenging to master...boredom never stood a chance! Be sure to use the promo code: LONGERHAUL to save on shipping and get a free upgrade on your discs. ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

For many youth workers, fundraising is a necessary part of helping our student experience programming that we believe could help point them to Jesus. We know that for many of our students to be able to experience events like camp, mission trips or weekend retreats, they're going to need financial help. In this interview with Bubba Crowder we get to the heart of fundraising and share some ideas on how to make fundraising most effective. We're also super excited to introduce a new sponsor with an incredible give-a-way. Be sure to listen in order to find out how you can win. LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED: Fund the Nations Southeast Conclave ENTER THE GIVEAWAY thelongerhaul.com/giveaway JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! AirOSport.fun AIR O SPORT is a new engaging, multi-use game that's guaranteed to get everyone in on the fun!  Easy to learn, challenging to master...boredom never stood a chance! Be sure to use the promo code: LONGERHAUL to save on shipping and get a free upgrade on your discs. ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

We are just returning from attending a great conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We had a BLAST at Conclave! While there, we were able to sit down with some great youth ministry thinkers. Today we're sharing with you a great interview with Dr. Scott Pace where we talked about the importance of how students understand identity. Scott and Ed Newton has a great new book out called Student Ministry by the Book. In this episode we talk about his new book and also talk about the importance education plays in the life of a youth pastor. LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED: Student Ministry by the Book by Scott Pace and Ed Newton The College at Southeastern Southeast Conclave JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

Our hope for you as 2019 comes to an end is that 2020 gets off to a great start. We can't thank you enough for trusting us with your time each week. We don't take that for granted, so we want to be sure to continue to help you accomplish your goal of experiencing longevity in youth ministry for both your current gig and potentially your lifetime. In light of that, we always want to be open to sharing with you our ups and downs in an effort to allow God to use our experiences to help spur you forward. In this episode, Jody and I take a look back at 2019 and share with you some lessons we learned.   LINKS MENTIONED: Episode 80: Jimmy Fallon's Rules for a Great Youth Ministry Episode 58: Maturing as a Youth Pastor Time for "radical reevaluation" of Youth Ministry by Richard Ross JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

Family ministry can mean a lot of different things in the context of ministry. For some, it means that their entire ministry is family-focused and inclusive. For others thinking in a youth ministry context, they think of family ministry as their efforts to minister to the families of the students in their ministry. Regardless of your definition, I think we can all agree that some level of family ministry is important. In this episode, We in with Nick Blevins from the Family Ministry Podcast to talk about the impact family ministry can have on your youth ministry. LINKS MENTIONED: Family Ministry Podcast with Nick Blevins Graphic Design Help JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

Here we go! Episode 100!!! Wha what! Thanks for hanging with us and trusting us with your time. We're celebrating episode 100 with Clay Scroggins, Lead Pastor of Buckhead Church in Atlanta, Georgia. Clay is also the author of How to Lead When You're Not in Charge and a brand new book called, How to Lead in a World of Distraction. In this episode, Clay joins us to talk through how distractions impact youth ministers and what we can do about it. Trust me when I tell you, this is a good one! RESOURCES MENTIONED: How to Lead in a World of Distraction: Four Simple Habits for Turning Down the Noise by Clay Scroggins LINKS MENTIONED: TLH065: How to Lead When You're Not in Charge Graphic Design Help JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

We all love to be appreciated! I know I do! When it comes to volunteers in our youth ministries, we big-time need to know how to encourage and appreciate what they do for teenagers. In this episode, we interview Erin Wells. Erin works with Jody at High Desert Church in California as the Student Ministry Director. It wasn't long after Jody got to High Desert that we started talking about having her on the show. She's amazing at encouraging volunteers, so we do a deep dive into what's she's learned along the way. And of course, we add a few tips of our own along the way. RESOURCES MENTIONED: Slack GroupMe LINKS MENTIONED: Graphic Design Help JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

It's safe to say that the reason Jody and I are doing the Longer Haul Podcast together is that we first met while attending a network meeting. We've both greatly benefited from networking with others over the years and we think you can too. In this episode, we interview Zach Wyatt, a networking guru from Chattanooga, TN who knows youth ministry and knows how to establish GREAT youth ministry networks. We talk through the success they've had in Chattanooga and learn from Zach how to implement that success in metro and rural communities. This is a fun one! LINKS MENTIONED: Episode 059: The Importance of Youth Ministry Networks and Community Episode 022: Getting Adults to REALLY Pray for your Students Graphic Design Help JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

We believe in longevity, but we know that all of us eventually have to experience a transition and work for a new church. How you approach the first year of ministry at your new church is crucial. Jody recently experienced this when he left Georgia and headed to California. As he approaches the end of his first year of ministry there, he's here to talk about what that first year has been like and how we should all approach our first year of ministry at a new church. In this episode, we take a look at Navigating Your First Year at a New Church. LINKS MENTIONED: Episode 069 Graphic Design Help JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

Whoa! What a summer! We both had an amazing summer, but we have been BUSY! If you're like us, you LOVE summer youth ministry. But by the end of summer, you're completely worn out. Youth ministry without a summer, though? NO THANKS! In this episode, we take a look at what we've been up to all summer and we couldn't help but to throw a few tips in along the way. LINKS MENTIONED: Episode 069 Graphic Design Help JOIN THE PODCAST GROUP! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

We love student mission trips! Sometimes those trips are fairly close to home and sometimes they're super far away, but they're almost always incredible. There is something about getting kids outside of their comfort zone that can be truly life-changing. Giving them the opportunity to share the love of Jesus with others is giving them the opportunity to live out the great commission that we're all called to follow. But what do we do to leverage that experience in their lives to create long-lasting change in the way they're following Jesus? It's important that we consider doing much more than just taking our students on a trip, having a great experience and then coming home until the next big youth trip or youth event. We believe the key is discipleship. The kind of discipleship that prepares a teenager to go on mission, live out the mission while on the trip and continuing to live out the great commission when they get back home. In this week's episode, we're going to take a look at discipling students during short term missions. Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

Almost 19 years ago, Wendy and I (Chris) had our first kid. I remember being overwhelmed at the thought of being a Dad. We had no idea what we were doing and we had no idea how it was going to impact our being in youth ministry. It's been quite a ride these last 19 years. Last month, that soon to be 19 year old graduated from High School. He's grown up in youth ministry and been on practically as many youth ministry trips as I have. Jody and I decided to have him on so Jody could get some dirt on me... I mean... so we could pick his brain about what was great and what was challenging growing up in youth ministry and having a youth pastor for Dad. If you're approaching parenthood or are approaching that time where your kid is going to be a part of your youth ministry, this episode is for you. I'm proud of my boy! This one is perhaps one of the best we've done! Or maybe that's just a proud Dad moment?!? Take a listen and let us know what you think. Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

Under the category of "things you didn't know you'd have to know as a youth pastor"... Budgeting. Whether having to create a budget, maintain a budget or fundraise to get a budget, youth pastors have to become proficient in the skill of budgeting. Brent Baskins is a youth ministry professor at Shorter College and spends a lot of time helping youth pastors be the best they can be. When we saw a tweet he posted about budgeting, we decided to have him on. That turned out to be a great call because in this episode Brent shares great wisdom you'll want to pay attention to. The secret is not so secret anymore! Our Facebook group is growing and is a great way for us to stay in contact with one another. We'd love to have you. Join our Facebook Group! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

Today we're opening the youth ministry vault and sharing with you 5 great summer youth ministry ideas and here's the bonus... We both share 5 each so it ends up being 10! Plus a bonus idea, so really 11! If you're still looking for some ideas for this summer or are hoping to freshen things up in the future, this episode is for you. The secret is not so secret anymore! Our Facebook group is growing and is a great way for us to stay in contact with one another. We'd love to have you. Join our Facebook Group! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group RESOURCES MENTIONED: Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

Recently on our super secret Facebook Group, we were asked to address the topic of how to deal with discipline with teenagers. We immediately loved the idea as we remembered how much of a challenge this issue has been over the years. Because we knew it was a tough topic, we decided to invite back as a special guest, veteran youth pastor Seth Buckley. The wisdom he brought to the discussion did not disappoint. So, unless your youth group is picture perfect with no behavior issues what so ever, take a listen and let us know what you think. Have an idea for an episode? Join our Facebook Group! We'd love to hear it! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

Episode 90! We're pumped! We both started doing youth ministry in the '90s so we thought it'd be fun to do an episode highlighting all of the things we've seen change over the years... can you say overhead projectors??? It turned out to be a fun one with a few great tips along the way. If you didn't serve in youth ministry back then, you'll definitely be scratching your head as to how we got by. Enjoy! Speaking of what didn't exist in the '90s... Facebook Groups! We'd love to have you in ours! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group LINKS MENTIONED: Carmen's Satan Bite the Dust Carmen's A Witch's Invitation Carmen's The Champion SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

Trust us when we say that there comes a time in all ministry callings where something will not go your way and you will face discouragement. Don't get us wrong! We love what we get to do! Youth ministry can truly be one of the most rewarding gigs out there. But with great potential for reward comes the great potential for disappointment. When that happens, what do you do? How do you stay the course, keep your eyes on Jesus and not get discouraged? We know we don't have all the answers, but we did take time to share some of the things we've found helpful along the way. We hope after listening to this one, you'll have the tools you need to stay encouraged for the Longer Haul! Oh yeah... and JOIN THE FACEBOOK PODCAST GROUP! We'd love to have you. PODCAST GROUP! Come and hang out and jump in on some of our giveaways! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*

We had a chance to sit down with teaching pastor and youth ministry communicator, Nick Person. Nick LOVES youth pastors and clearly has a heart for youth ministry. We're all likely going to face changes in our calling at some point in our ministry or at least be asked to do things that we didn't sign up to do. In this episode, Nick talks about how his journey started in youth ministry but unexpectedly led to his being a teaching pastor at his church in Tennessee. PODCAST GROUP! Come and hang out and jump in on some of our giveaways! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*    

When Alan Smith found out he was going to be transitioning at his church from being the youth pastor to the campus pastor, he also learned he'd be mentoring the youth pastor that took his place. Alan started mentoring his youth pastor by writing out lessons for them to look at together. Before he knew it, he had the makings of a book. So, he and his wife set out to put together Let's Go: Creating and Sustaining a Thriving Youth Ministry. In this episode, Alan talks about where the book comes from and we take time to dig into several chapters from the book. It didn't take long for us to get into some great discussion about what it takes to experience longevity. You'll enjoy this one! PODCAST GROUP! Come and hang out and jump in on some of our giveaways! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group Links mentioned: Let's Go!: Creating and Sustaining a Thriving Student Ministry SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*  

Ben Trueblood knows his stuff. As the Director of Student Ministry for LifeWay Christian Resources, Ben and his team are passionate about pointing students to Jesus through everything they do. Years ago Lifeway did a study often referred to as the "drop out" study that revealed how many students leave the church when they graduate high school. If you've been in youth ministry very long, you too know that this is a reality for many students that have been through your ministry Now, they've once again taken another look at the habits of students and what's happening when they graduate high school. But this time, they're taking a positive approach trying to think through how we can help kids maintain their relationship with Christ during "after graduation" years. They really believe that making a difference is within reach. In this episode, Ben unpacks some of their findings and takes a moment to dig deep into one particular idea that's making a huge difference in the lives of teenagers. PODCAST GROUP! Come and hang out and jump in on some of our giveaways! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group Links mentioned: Lifeway Students SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*  

Some of our episodes and interviews can be tough. This week's episode is one of those episodes. The truth is though, that if you've been in youth ministry very long, you've probably had students in your ministry who have struggled with self-harm or suicidal thoughts. In this episode, you'll hear from Dr. Jamie Dew. Jamie is the Dean of the College at Southeastern. That sounds pretty fancy, but the thing you really need to know is that he has the heart of a youth pastor. In this episode, he'll help us to understand some of the issues facing so many of our teenagers. PODCAST GROUP! Come and hang out and jump in on some of our giveaways! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group Links mentioned: TLH011: Equipping Students to Defend their Faith Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary The College at Southeastern JamieDew.com SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*  

We all probably recognize the importance of discipleship when it comes to our youth ministries.  While there are a ton of different ways to approach this, we've not seen any that are more effective than a DiscipleNow. So whether you're a DiscpleNow pro or whether you have no idea what one is, you're gonna find this interview with Jon Messarra is solid gold.  Jon is the Yoda of DiscipleNow weekends so sit back take a listen and learn from the master. PODCAST GROUP! Come and hang out and jump in on some of our giveaways! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group Links mentioned: SWATMinistries.com SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! ym360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, DiscipleNow resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. *some exclusions apply*  

One of the major challenges in youth ministry is that often we can serve for years and years before we actually see fruit from the seeds we've planted in the lives of teenagers. We're convinced, though, that youth pastors ARE making a difference in the lives of teenagers and that often God uses youth pastors when they least expect it. It's often the little things done or said that can literally be used by God to impact the direction of a kid's life. Illusionist Jared Hall knows this well. Jared has traveled the world using illusions and comedy as a way to share the gospel When asked about how it all started, he points to a conversation that he had as a teenager... with his youth pastor. In this episode, you'll be encouraged by his story. Also, if you've ever thought about learning a little magic, stick around to the end and Chris will share with you some of the resources he's used to learn the "tricks" of the trade. Ha! PODCAST GROUP! Come and hang out and jump on some of our give-a-ways! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group Links mentioned: Links to magic tricks Chris mentioned: http://www.penguinmagic.com/ http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/4191 http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/1671 http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/2120 http://jaredhall.com/ SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! YM360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, Disciple Now resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com. For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. some exclusions apply. HELP OTHER YOUTH PASTORS! If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any future episodes, and please share it. Also, please leave an honest review for The Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They help others know the value of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

When it comes to serving in youth ministry, it can be really challenging navigating the world of finance and salary. We often have questions like: Am I getting paid fairly? How am I supposed to support a family on what I'm making? Is it ok for me to ask for a raise? These are common questions youth pastors have and can really impact longevity in youth ministry in a negative way. There's no question that some youth pastors go from church to church to church as a result of issues with salary. Youth Pastor Dan Navarra was struggling as well with navigating the world of youth pastor salary so he did something about it. A few years ago, he started the Youth Pastor Compensation Study. Now, the 2018 study is available and he recently sat down with us to talk about what all he discovered. PODCAST GROUP! Come and hang out and jump on some of our give-a-ways! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group Links mentioned: ypcomppros.com FREE Youth Pastor Compensation Webinar Youth Pastor Compensation Facebook Page SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! YM360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, Disciple Now resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com. For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. some exclusions apply. HELP OTHER YOUTH PASTORS! If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any future episodes, and please share it. Also, please leave an honest review for The Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They help others know the value of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Seth Buckley from First Baptist Spartanburg. He's been a youth pastor since 1982 and is still going strong. You'll want to listen to this interview as he gives some quick things he's learned that he believes are keys to longevity. Long story short, we love talking about longevity, but Seth... TOOK US TO SCHOOL! PODCAST GROUP! Come and hang out and jump on some of our give-a-ways! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group Links mentioned: StudentMinistryNetwork.com ymconclave.org SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! YM360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, Disciple Now resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com. For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. some exclusions apply. HELP OTHER YOUTH PASTORS! If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any future episodes, and please share it. Also, please leave an honest review for The Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They help others know the value of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

Let's face it. Jimmy Fallon is funny. Well, at least most of the time. Don't get us wrong. We're not making a major moral endorsement for who and what he's all about. But rather, we want to take a minute and consider how Jimmy Fallon is pretty much a youth pastor minus Jesus and a youth group. And on top of that, he does it WELL. In this episode, we talk about lessons we can learn from the Tonight Show and youth ministry programming. Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! YM360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, Disciple Now resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com. For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. some exclusions apply. HELP OTHER YOUTH PASTORS! If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any future episodes, and please share it. Also, please leave an honest review for The Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They help others know the value of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

It's a new year! How are those resolutions going so far? Regardless of how you feel about New Year's resolutions, the start of a new year is always a great time to evaluate how things are going in your youth ministry and set goals for the upcoming year. In this episode, we talk about the impact Evaluating and Goal Setting has had in our youth ministries over the years. We also share some tips on how to do this if it's something you've not really done before. PODCAST GROUP! Come and hang out and jump on some of our give-a-ways! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group Links mentioned: Episode 35: How to Set Goals in Youth Ministry SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! YM360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, Disciple Now resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com. For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. some exclusions apply. HELP OTHER YOUTH PASTORS! If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any future episodes, and please share it. Also, please leave an honest review for The Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They help others know the value of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

What the heck happened and where did we go? Whew! It's been a crazy few weeks and months for both of us and a little while since the last episode. We've had a ton of listeners and members of the Super Secret Podcast Group asking for an update so this episode is all about what has been happening, where we are, and what the future of the Longer Haul Podcast is.  So in this episode, we're giving you the skinny on all those details. PODCAST GROUP! Come and hang out and jump on some of our give-a-ways! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group Links mentioned: Episode 76: Reasons to Leave Youth Ministry Episode 77: Finding a Youth Ministry Job #livingstonstakethedesert #trentfamilyfun Resources mentioned Therefore GO by YM360 Jesus Colored Glasses by Todd Jones SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! YM360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, Disciple Now resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com. For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. some exclusions apply. HELP OTHER YOUTH PASTORS! If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any future episodes, and please share it. Also, please leave an honest review for The Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They help others know the value of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

So why an episode on finding a youth ministry job? Hopefully, you know that our goal at the Longer Haul is to help you achieve longevity in youth ministry.  For us we think of this in two ways, staying in youth ministry for the longer haul, and staying at your church for the longer haul. Both of these are really important for lasting influence and joy. We also understand that the reality is you may find yourself having to look for a new position (check out episode 76), or heck, maybe even your first youth ministry job.  If that is the case, we want you to be able to navigate that well. So, in this episode, we tackle how to go about finding a youth ministry job, what to ask, and some really important "what-not-to-dos." PODCAST GROUP! Come and hang out and jump on some of our give-a-ways! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group Links mentioned: Episode 76: Reasons to Leave Youth Ministry Resources mentioned 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller IMMANUEL: 25 DAYS OF DEVOTIONS FOR CHRISTMAS/ADVENT by YM360 SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! YM360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, Disciple Now resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com. For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. some exclusions apply. HELP OTHER YOUTH PASTORS! If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any future episodes, and please share it. Also, please leave an honest review for The Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They help others know the value of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

We, the Longer Haul Podcast team, are committed to... well... the Longer Haul. That's why we do the podcast. We know though, from experience that there are times when God makes it known that it's time to move on. There are seasons of change. The big question we all face is how do we know when it's time to leave? If God doesn't send a burning bush, how can we determine his plan regarding the current church we're serving in? These are hard questions and are often super emotional. In this episode, we tackle the reason WHY you should leave your church and the reasons why you should NOT leave your church. PLUS, Jody shares some personal news related to this very topic. PODCAST GROUP! Come and hang out and jump on some of our give-a-ways! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group Links mentioned: When You Want to Stay and Can't Avoiding Burnout in Youth Ministry Be Soberly Reminded 25 Tips from 25 Years of Marriage While Serving in Youth Ministry Balancing Family and Youth Ministry Maturing as a Youth Pastor Resources mentioned 7 Reasons to Leave Your Youth Ministry Position Consider This: The Youth Minister's Guide to Longevity by Chris Trent Leading on Empty: Refilling Your Tank and Renewing Your Passion by Wayne Cordeiro Is God Calling Me by Jeff Iorg IMMANUEL: 25 DAYS OF DEVOTIONS FOR CHRISTMAS/ADVENT by YM360 SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! YM360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, Disciple Now resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com. For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. some exclusions apply. HELP OTHER YOUTH PASTORS! If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any future episodes, and please share it. Also, please leave an honest review for The Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They help others know the value of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

This weeks interview tackles identity in Christ head on. Todd Jones has written an excellent book called Jesus Colored Glasses. Besides our being jealous of his coming up with a super catchy super cool name for his book, we're pumped about this interview. Todd gets youth pastors! He's one of us! As the founder of Stoked on Youth Ministry and as a middle school pastor, he brings a lot to the discussion in our goal to experience youth ministry for the longer haul! Dig in. It's a good one. PODCAST GROUP! Come and hang out and jump on some of our give-a-ways! Click here to join our Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast Facebook Group Links mentioned: http://stokedonyouthministry.com/ http://stokedonyouthministry.com/transitioning-from-summer-youth-ministry-to-you-th-ministry/ Resources mentioned Jesus-Colored Glasses: Seeing Our Worth And Value In A World That Doesn't by Todd Jones SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR! YM360.com YM360 is the premier provider of youth ministry Bible study curriculum, student devotionals, Disciple Now resources, youth leader development, and summer camp experiences through GENERATE Camp by YM360. Check out YOUTH MINISTRY THREE SIXTY at YM360.com. For being a loyal listener use promo code: LONGERHAUL for 20% off your next order. some exclusions apply. HELP OTHER YOUTH PASTORS! If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any future episodes, and please share it. Also, please leave an honest review for The Longer Haul Youth Ministry Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They help others know the value of the show, and we read each and every one of them.