Claim OwnershipYouth Ministry Booster
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© 2026 Youth Ministry Booster
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Welcome to the Youth Ministry Booster podcast! The most honest and hilarious podcast in student ministry. Hosted by Zac Workun and Chad Higgins. We are the biggest fans of youth ministry leaders like you!
We are here for you with the humor and the help to engage, entertain, equip, and encourage.
Youth ministry is better together. Learn more @ http://www.youthministrybooster.com
320 Episodes
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Send a text Which snack would you like to popsicle? In this episode, Chad Daugherty joins Zac and the crew for a conversation that starts with dad-life fitness in the “llama lift lair” and ends with a practical blueprint for building a healthy, sustainable volunteer culture. Let's talk about the wild world of Gen Alpha — deodorant before rec, ball pumps on standby, and a suspicious loyalty to red Doritos. Then everything shifts when a middle schooler asks a deceptively deep question: ...
Send a text What if your calendar didn’t own your ministry — but served it? Welcome to the podcast garage Amanda Mejias! Lifeway Specialist for Girls' Ministry and Women in Youth Ministry. Check this pastoral note: We to need to make the move from submission (giving in after the fight) to surrender (choosing trust before the fight begins). In this episode, Zac and Amanda unpack a simple, repeatable framework to audit your year: Stop – Start – Change Stop what burns energy without bearing frui...
Send us a text Trade the contemporary hype for a deep concern with holiness! What if your youth ministry felt unmistakably sacred and still radically welcoming? In this episode of Youth Ministry Booster, Zac Workun sits down with Ribbin Dorado to explore a youth ministry model built on formation over frenzy, one that helps teenagers love the church they’re actually growing into. Together, we unpack a fresh durable, and repeatable, youth ministry framework designed for long-term fa...
Send us a text Well well look who just sledded into town! Hi Joseph Kellogg! "Presence rises above parties every time." Joseph traces how one ordinary moment in a youth ministry service became a lifetime of discipling teenagers—with humility, consistency, and deep trust in what God does when leaders simply show up. We talk about Pre-iPhone youth ministry to the post-Christian reality: what’s actually changed (and what hasn’t) We explore the changes in student ministry: from lock-ins and...
Send us a text New Year, New Episode. Welcome special guest Wyatt Pennington everybody! A new father, emerging and awesome youth ministry leader Wyatt walks us through a practical reframe: treat parents as partners, not an inbox. He details quarterly parent nights that include worship, teaching for adults, prayer, and a genuine response, plus simple series-based resources that turn “What did you learn?” into real conversations around the table. The result: families feel pastored, not processe...
Send us a text Want a youth ministry that outlasts the hype cycle and survives staff turnover without losing momentum? Oh for sure, eh! This week's conversation with Canadian veteran youth pastor Jonathan Kornelsen dives into the shift from big events to spiritual formation, equipping teens to lead, and building a ministry that actually gets healthier over time. Jonathan outlines nine core convictions from his Youth Ministry Blueprint—clarifying mission and priorities before any progra...
Send us a text Cleaner, Braver, More Effective: Youth Ministry in 2026 In this episode of Youth Ministry Booster, Zac and Chad lay our cards on the table, personal stakes, ministry wins we’re chasing, habits we’re cutting, and the simple shifts that actually build momentum with teenagers. 🌦️ Cultural Forecast: Where Teen Attention Is Really Going Teen culture is shifting—and the old plays aren’t working like they used to. Teens are less platform-hopping and more rooted in one primary laneThe ...
Send us a text Merry Christmas Adam & Eve everyone! The holiday calendar swirls, the phone notification buzzes, and suddenly December is deciding everything for you. We pressed pause to talk about the real pressure of ministering well at church and home. Our gift this year to share is presence. Chad and Zac share practical ways to build margin without dropping what matters. There’s a tender side to all this too. The holidays carry joy and grief in the same pew. We talk about walk...
Send us a text understand your words. We sat down with the Champion Forest student team to unpack how a “one church, two languages” model becomes one student ministry that actually belongs to everyone. If your context includes Spanish-speaking parents, English-dominant teens, and first-generation families navigating two worlds, this conversation offers a blueprint that’s both practical and hopeful. We share how one student ministry serves Spanish-speaking families and English-dominant student...
Send us a text What if the fastest way to build a strong student ministry isn’t a bigger stage, but a crowded living room? We pull back the curtain on our biggest do-overs: why we’d start with relationships, not programs; why a right-sized room beats a flashy setup; and why coaching volunteers weekly will outperform any event on your calendar. • starting in homes to build belonging • coaching volunteers rather than just filling roles • using the 80 percent rule for room choice • fast handoff...
Send us a text Ten years in and we’re still showing up, still laughing about late-night Taco Bell runs, and still fighting for youth pastors to feel seen on that drive home after midweek. We rewind to the After Nine roots—two friends comparing notes before weekend trainings—and trace how a simple idea to be a caring voice turned into a decade of community, practical help, and honest talk about the inner life of ministry. We mark ten years by tracing our start as a late-night voice for youth p...
Send us a text 🔥 Feel like you need to throw a last-minute mega event to fix that attendance dip? You’re not alone—but there’s a better way. This week, Chad and Zac kick things off with a hilarious misheard small group moment 😂 and dive deep into the tension youth pastors feel when numbers start to slip. Instead of chasing hype, we talk about trading panic for purpose, and crafting a longer runway for deeper discipleship. 🎯 Learn how to move from reactive programming to intentional ministry...
Send us a text Hey buddy... Are your teaching methods actually connecting with how today's students learn? I mean they love Roblox, Minecraft, and Cedarwood Scents. In this conversation, Chad and Zac challenge youth ministry leaders to move beyond traditional sermon-style approaches to create more engaging, effective learning experiences. The disconnect is clear: while schools have changed their teaching methods to include more group work, technology integration, and interactive learning, ma...
Send a text "It's all about the numbers." Ever feel like your ministry's is trapped by attendance numbers? What if the most powerful metric isn't quantitative at all? The stories unfolding in your student ministry reveal far more about God's work than any statistical report. We mean it! We want you to measure in stories! This webinar replay reveals why stories are a better scorecard for ministry success than numbers, showing how collecting and sharing transformation narratives creates lastin...
Send a text Ever wondered if there's a way to make meetings less painful and more productive? Kate Downing pulls back the curtain on what makes ministry team gatherings work—or fail spectacularly. Returning guest Kate Downing shares practical strategies for transforming team meetings from dreaded time-wasters into valuable, engaging experiences that build team culture and advance ministry goals. Kate's Great Tips • Starting meetings with celebration time (20-30 minutes) focused on relatio...
Send us a text Broncos, Gameboys, Doves... er uh Pigeons? Join Zac for an interview with Shane Pruitt. As they discuss how our culture has shifted to embracing a distorted version of a personalized Jesus while rejecting biblical authority, and why youth ministers must help students discover the authentic Jesus of Scripture. SHOW NOTES • Culture has shifted from accepting God-talk but rejecting Jesus-talk to accepting Jesus-talk but rejecting Bible-talk • People reshape Jesus into thei...
Send us a text Have you ever wondered why it seems so many youth ministers quit or leave around the three-year mark? In this candid conversation with longtime youth ministry veteran and author Jody Livingston, we talk the secret to youth ministry longevity. It's 2 old friends with personal stories, hard-earned wisdom, and practical insights that are meant to encourage youth ministers young and old. Fresh and wizened. In Staying Power, Jody Livingston shares his journey of mi...
Send us a text Jay Winn shares how his youth ministry at Riverpoint Church is shifting toward a more relational approach in response to changing student needs. Despite having fewer resources following leadership transitions, Jay is finding success by investing deeply in authentic connections with students rather than focusing primarily on programs and events. • Returning to "old school youth ministry" with a focus on authentic relationships and personal discipleship • Making small groups opt...
Send us a text Alleigh Jezek shares how she revitalized a youth ministry by creating an inviting atmosphere, multiplying small groups, and building an authentic community where students feel empowered to lead and invite friends. 🧠 IN THIS EPISODE: 🌀 Creating welcoming environments is in the details like cleaning and organizing the youth space🌳 Multiplying small groups from 6 to 12 groups allowed for deeper connections and more meaningful conversations🛠️ Building an "invite culture" by...
Send a text The hype of camp is fading. The smell of leftover sunscreen and emotional debriefs still lingers. But now it’s time to face the real ministry question: What’s next? In this episode, Chad and Zac unpack the sneaky shift from summer chaos to fall calendars, and how to survive the mid-summer mental fog without quitting or creating a whole new youth group (again). July can be a peculiar time in youth ministry. The adrenaline of summer events still lingers while the pressure of fall k...
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is this aimed more towards catholic beliefs?
terrible. this sucks.
Thank you guys for doimg this pod cast and i pray you guys continue do this! Im a new youth pastor and i find so much encouragement from these topics and talks!