Talking Youth Ministry - A Youthscape Podcast

Happy New Year! Today we present a special treat to kick off 2026- the live recording of our special ‘Talking Youth Ministry’ event at November’s National Youth Ministry Weekend. If you’re looking for serious youth ministry content, maybe give this one a miss; if you’re in the mood for silly games and a dramatised reading from Hagbane’s Doom… listen in!Charles Merritt's 'The Anxious Man' - listen here https://open.spotify.com/album/3LyCv99SCt2nZzAx9qG1V5?si=8ddKZ6KeSDqj13mc49lyqwDo get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Merry Christmas! The return of a now-annual tradition as the team invite Dr Hannah Bowden from the Youthscape Centre for Research to share some reports and statistics that are tangentially related to both the time of year and (in some cases) youth ministry! Join us as we work our way through Chris in the first half, and Tmas in the second- and round off 2025 with a very festive edition of organised fun.Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lucy, Rachel and Martin discuss the implications of the recent ban on social media for under 16s in Australia. Is it a good idea? Could it work here- and should we want something similar? Plus with £500m of new funding announced for the UK youth sector, should Christian youth workers feel excited? As ever there’s some organised fun- this time featuring some of the weirdest Christmas Carol lyrics ever written. Festive.Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Martin and Rachel look ahead through Advent with some tips for leading others when you’re not quite feeling the Christmas spirit yourself. They also present our first full year of listening stats with some surprising revelations from around the globe. Plus we’ve got a bumper mailbag full of your feedback and of course, a little side order of organised fun.Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Rachel and Lucy discuss the decision to scrap the two-child benefit cap, how we can change worship culture in our churches and how to approach social media with young people. Find out which host has the bougiest Advent calendar and wait with expectation to hear what’s been planned for Organised Fun...Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re joined by not one but two special guests this week as we unpack the latest edition of The Children’s Society’s annual Good Childhood Report. Dr Gemma Madle from the Youthscape Centre for Research shares some of the key findings, and Headstrong’s Laura Haddow helps us to think about how Christian youth work can respond. Plus all the usuals, and a stunning revelation about a dark secret from Martin’s past…ShownotesGood Childhood report - https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/information/professionals/resources/good-childhood-report-2025Headstrong - https://www.beheadstrong.ukDo get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s our National Youth Ministry Weekend review episode. Relive the UK’s biggest youth work gathering, or if you didn’t manage to get along, hear some of the main insights. Plus we’ve got a larger than normal amount of Hagbane’s Doom content, and to balance out the silliness, some amazing testimonies.ShownotesNick Perrin's 'Hagbane's Doom' musical: https://www.starshine.co.uk/products?p=/hagbanes-doomYoutube playlist of the songs: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_loYJcP8Tr-MEqu9ouxMUCZp0BYLtHyFi0Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachel, Lucy and Martin are joined by a very special guest for the podcast's 50th episode. Dame Rachel de Souza is the Children's Commissioner for England, making her the most senior advocate for children and young people in the nation. She shares some sobering reflections from recent research into young people's experience of poverty, and encourages the Christian youth work community on their vital role in community transformation. Plus we have all the usual feedback, mayhem and (dis)organised fun. We really hope you enjoy listening to this one as much as we loved making it!Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today the team are talking about the hidden extras in youth work roles that no-one mentioned in the interview. There's discussion around when a new Christian is ready for baptism, how we can help young men to encourage each other, and how you cope with the unforeseen challenges of a rapidly-growing youth ministry. Plus there are some surprise revelations in the organised fun segment, when Rachel asks: when did you first learn to ride a bike...?Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're discussing good news stories involving young people, including the hit new TV series Worlds Apart, which pairs old and young in a travelling adventure. We ask: what kind of role might elderly people play in your youth ministry, and why might they be reluctant to get involved? Plus - since it's spooky season, the team are pondering how we respond when young people want to talk about darker spiritual ideas, and then don some Hagbane's Doom themed Halloween costumes for some very lightly-themed organised fun.Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team demonstrate their grasp of both up-to-the-minute cultural trends and thoughtful Christian reflection in a wide-ranging episode! What's the 6-7 trend all about, and is it substantial enough to form the basis of a whole game? How do we figure out if someone is spiritually mature enough to lead a youth ministry? How do you get started launching a school-based club? And for just how many more weeks are we going to pepper the show with references to a certain pop star? Listen and find out...Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you make progress with young people who won’t talk to you? Is there still a place in youth ministry for working exclusively with boys or girls? Which of the hosts is most likely to have been chosen as a Traitor? All these questions and more will be addressed in this week’s action-packed episode!Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

n a wide-ranging episode, Rachel and Martin reflect on what it means to have a woman at the head of the Anglican Church, discuss the youth ministry-relevant merits of Taylor Swift's new album The Life of a Showgirl in a totally unbiased way, and exchange thoughts on the role and limitations of the youth group social as an outreach tool. There's also more of your feedback, some organised fun, and some possibly-surprising reflections from Martin's recent trip to the USA.Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Martin away, Lucy and Rachel dive into a topic that’s equal parts tough and essential; how do we have honest conversation with teen girls about clothing without slipping into patriarchy dressed up in Bible verses! then they chat about how youth leaders can give Christian parents and carers a time but gentle nudge with it comes to discipline their teens. All topped off with obligatory fun, because what’s youth work without surreal fashion choices?Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Martin and Rachel enjoy a healthy disagreement about the opportunity of engaging with your local sports club, and ask: does 'sports ministry' need to lead somewhere else? There are surprise revelations about Rachel's past as an audiobook narrator and Martin's first crush, and there's a chance to imagine how TV's notorious 'swap' format could benefit youth ministries.Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode we discuss some challenging recent events -the murder of Charlie Kirk, the Unite the Kingdom March- and the way that ideas of Christian faith have been centred in the reporting of both. We ask- what does it look like to help young people navigate life and faith a climate of fear, misinformation and uncertainty?Plus we take a look at some more new developments in AI and ask: are youth leaders getting too comfortable cutting corners with ChatGPT?Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week the team provide their top tips for starting the new academic year well, and making sure we don’t lose young people in the transition from primary to senior school. We ask if it’s time to rediscover or reimagine the “quiet time”, and there’s the usual dose of organised fun; this week with added celebrity tittle-tattle.Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team return for the start of a new term by analysing the Netflix phenomenon that’s swept the globe. Is Kpop Demon Hunters harmless fun, or a doorway to something darker? There’s a review of some of the best moments from this summer’s Christian youth festivals, and a somewhat extraordinary comeback for organised fun. You’ve missed this…Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahead of the return of Talking Youth Ministry next week, we're inviting you to join us one more time to pray ahead of a new academic year. Today, we're taking an opportunity to ask God for new dreams for our work, and for the young people we serve.Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is our third week of interactive prayer, helping you to connect with God over the summer and bring your youth work to him. Today we're encouraging you to pray for supernaturally-charged rest and a chance to reset ready for the year ahead.Do get in touch with us by emailing us podcast@youthscape.co.uk or commenting on individual Spotify episodes.To hear more episodes like this, search for Talking Youth Ministry: A Youthscape Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.For more content from Youthscape, find us on Instagram and Facebook.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.