22.4K
Downloads
141
Episodes
Helping Youth Workers to Keep Going
Episodes
Tuesday Feb 12, 2019
Tuesday Feb 12, 2019
Young love, isn't it precious?
Unless it's messing up your youth ministry!
We're coming up on Valentine's Day, and you know what that means: We get to take our wives out to dinner based on where we can go for free! Steve and Karen will be dining at Bonefish Grill (courtesy of a gift card from someone at church), while Mathew and Gina will get free dinner at Fogo de Chao courtesy of the sponsor of the big volleyball tournament they are working that weekend.
So what do we do with dating couples in our youth ministries? The truth is, there is little chance they will end up together, and little chance we can stop them. How do help protect their hearts for when things go sour, and how do we protect our ministries from the toxic fallout that descends in the wake of the break up?
There are no easy answers, except to the one question everyone is wondering: What did Mathew say when he was invited to Prom?
Episode 43 -- Love and Relationships
Tuesday Feb 05, 2019
Tuesday Feb 05, 2019
Finally, after 41 episodes, we got something right!
We took advantage of a federal holiday to get our wives -- Gina and Karen -- together in the studio to talk about youth ministry from their perspective. What has it been like to be married to a youth pastor for all these years? How did they survive the nights at home while their husbands were out working with other peoples' kids? How did they handle the expectations placed upon them by others? Do they ever wish we'd all chosen a different life? Do they have any advice for others whose spouses are youth workers? Most importantly, do they realize that without them, we (Mathew and Steve) would be toast?!
This podcast is 200% better than all the others!
Episode 42 -- Our Better Halves
Tuesday Jan 29, 2019
Tuesday Jan 29, 2019
It's late January, how are your New Year's Resolutions going?
Now is the time when we often fall away from the things we started this year. We have to say, over here at Youth Ministry Sherpas, we are doing pretty well. Mathew has been drinking enough water to fill a small pond and create an impressive level of bladder control. Steve has been in his new hot tub nearly every evening, winding down the day with his wife. He's hydrating his soul, if not his skin.
In this episode of Youth Ministry Sherpas, we wrap up our three-part "mini-series" called "Burning Out, Falling Down, Drying Up" with a conversation about how to stay hydrated in student ministry. How do we avoid becoming spiritually dry and brittle, ready to crumble at any moment? How can we avoid becoming kindling for ministry trouble and spiritual danger? There are some simple practical steps we can take--as well as some deeper spiritual rhythms--that we recommend to keep us fresher than a rapper's new wardrobe or a high mountain stream.
By the way, don't embarrass your friends by bringing Diet Coke into Pepsi-only restaurants. Sheesh. Some people!
It's Episode 41 -- "Burning Out, Falling Down, Drying Up."
Tuesday Jan 22, 2019
Tuesday Jan 22, 2019
It's winter in Maryland, and things are getting a little dicey. We've had our share of snow, ice, and sleet. And of course, we also face a new year of challenges in youth ministry.
In this episode, we continue our start-of-the-year discussion of "How to Avoid Burning Out, Falling Down and Drying Up." Other than falling on the ice, what are ways that we as youth workers can fall down? Are we vulnerable to unchecked ambition, dishonoring our church leadership, or straight out moral failure? We all think it can't possibly happen to us, until it does.
But we can avoid these dangers, and make it through this year closer to God and better youth workers than we are today. That's what we hope happens, and what we are counting on.
Episode 40 -- "Burning Out, Falling Down and Drying Up."
Thursday Jan 17, 2019
Thursday Jan 17, 2019
Welcome to our new show, SHERPA LEGENDS!
Each month, we will present a conversation with a Youth Ministry Legend. Our conversations center around their story. How did they get into youth ministry, what has kept them in it, and what were some of their favorite adventures along the way? We hope you will tune in each month for the next SHERPA LEGEND!
Our first legend: HEATHER FLIES
Heather is the Junior High Pastor at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, MN, where she has served for over 22 years. She's a frequent conference speaker, and was co-host at the National Youth Worker's Convention in St Louis this year. In 2018, she was named Bethel Seminary Alumna of the Year. (We didn't know alumna was a word, either, but apparently it is)
https://www.bethel.edu/news/articles/2018/august/heather-flies
Despite never realizing her dream of marrying a Viking's offensive lineman, Heather has helped many others realize theirs. She has been one of the leading voices for junior high ministry, for women, and for longevity during her amazing career. Anyone who's ever had the chance to meet her, hang out with her, be hugged by her, or arm wrestle her, will agree that she's a force of nature and a true legend in youth ministry. Heather has a gift for encouraging people, and she loves junior high kids even more than she loves the Vikings.
We hope you enjoy our conversation with Heather Flies!
https://joyousstrength.org/#heather-flies
https://wooddale.org/
Tuesday Jan 15, 2019
Tuesday Jan 15, 2019
Welcome to 2019!
We're back after a nice Christmas break. The McCabes enjoyed their frozen pizzas, days spent in pajamas, and their house guest, Clark W. Griswold (courtesy of Amazon and Steve). The Andersons enjoyed time with their adult children in their new favorite gathering spot, the backyard hot tub. Alas, now it's time to get back to work.
Speaking of New Year's, what resolutions do you have? Mathew wants to Cheetos for cheese sticks and protein so he can shed a few pounds. Steve wants to become sort of Jewish and pretend the day begins at sundown instead of sunrise. Our success in these endeavors is yet to be determined.
Which brings us to this episode. We wondered, "What will be be like one year from now? Will we be spiritually, emotionally and physically healthy? Will we still be doing youth ministry? What do we have to do this year to avoid burning out, falling down, and drying up? What do we need to practice in order to still be here doing this thing we love in January, 2020?
We hope this is helpful as we start a new year together.
Episode 39--Burning Out, Falling Down, Drying Up
Show Notes
If you are wondering what the heck Steve was thinking when he connected the Rockefellers to Clark Griswold, this will clarify. There's also a book about the story which is highly entertaining.
https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2009/01/fake_rockefeller200901
Feeling like you might be burned out? Here's a quick quiz we mention on the show:
https://careynieuwhof.com/burnout-quiz/
Here's a link to the book by Carey Nieuwhof that Mathew read on sabbatical:
https://careynieuwhof.com/product/didnt-see-it-coming/
And here's a picture of Steve and his wife in their hot tub! (Not really)
https://www.masterspas.com/
Tuesday Dec 18, 2018
Tuesday Dec 18, 2018
It's Christmas!
Time for lots of cookies, parties, and ugly sweaters. It also marks the end of an amazing year for us! At this time last year, the Youth Ministry Sherpa Podcast was still a dream. 65 full- and short-length episodes later, we're a thing! Who knew llamas would be the mascot of youth ministry everywhere?!
We are both ready to celebrate Christmas. We have our favorite Christmas movies to watch, and are looking forward to time with our families. Mathew is going all Clark Griswald (remember to ask him afterwards what he got from Amazon), while Steve, though he loves Clark, is more of a George Bailey kind of guy. He even met Jimmy Stewart once (sort of). Anyway, other than a youth ministry Christmas party or two, the days of filling Christmas break with youth activities (dare we say, Lock In?) are over. Take a break. Give your volunteers time off. Relax and plan....nothing.
We already have great plans for 2019 -- including a new season of episodes starting January 8th and a new series called "Sherpa Legends." Look for us in 2019! Until then, have a very merry Christmas and enjoy...
Episode 38 -- a Very Sherpa Christmas!
Tuesday Dec 11, 2018
Tuesday Dec 11, 2018
Batman meets Superman
Brady meets Manning
Dickens meets Twain
James meets Jordan
Stallone meets Schwarzenegger
Lincoln meets Washington
...Or 88-year-old Clint Eastwood meets 96-year-old Betty White?
It's the first-ever crossover podcast with our friend Derry Prenkert of My Third Decade!
Derry is a veteran youth worker from Indiana and host of the My Third Decade podcast, another great youth ministry podcast dedicated to longevity. He has been at his church for 22 years, having started as an intern and now serving in a fresh role as Next Gen Pastor. He started My Third Decade about the same time we started Youth Ministry Sherpas. Together, we have 54 years of youth ministry experience in 3 churches (about 82 years overall!). It's all part of this new wave of old people doing youth ministry podcasts! Just kidding. Derry is only in his 40s; we are the ones who are old here.
Anyway, we've wanted to do an episode together for a while, and we finally pulled it off. We talk about some of our most significant moments in our ministry life, about the challenges of transitions, and about what we've learned this year. It's a great conversation, proving it's never too late to make new friends and you are never too old to do a podcast.
Episode 37 -- My Third Decade Meets Youth Ministry Sherpas
Follow Derry's Podcast here:
https://podcast.downloadyouthministry.com/my-third-decade/
Derry's show is part of the Download Youth Ministry Podcast Network. There are a whole bunch of great shows here!
https://podcast.downloadyouthministry.com/
Also mentioned on this episode:
https://youthpastordiet.com/
https://www.experiencechallenge.org/
https://youthministrysherpas.com
Tuesday Dec 04, 2018
Tuesday Dec 04, 2018
First, we apologize if this episode puts you in a bad mood. It was just one of those days.
Steve was in a really bad mood when we recorded. It had something to do with the Pittsburgh Steelers losing late the night before. We take our football teams pretty seriously, and when things don't go our way, we get a little salty. A lot salty, actually. You might even say pissy. Hey, we might be shallow, but at least we're honest.
This is why we try not to watch football when we know we are going to be around students. We don't want our mood to be affected when we are trying to lead a youth ministry. Who wants a grumpy, angry youth pastor?
But the truth is, we all struggle with the various moods that ministry and life bring our way. Being a youth worker doesn't make us exempt from being angry/frustrated, disappointed/sad, tired/apathetic. In fact, ministry itself is often the number one factor making us feel this way. Welcome to life shepherding people!
In today's episode, we lay it all on the table. We don't always feel like doing youth ministry. Sometimes our mood is not good. After all, we're human. But we have to carry on anyway. We are adults -- we have to carry out our duties, even on the days we'd rather bite someone's head off, or disappear to the couch with our blankie.
We hope you don't mind us unloading a bit. In fact, we hope you will be able to relate, so that you can process your moods. We promise no dogs were kicked in the recording of this episode.
Episode 36 -- The Many Moods of Youth Ministry
Maybe this will make you feel better. It works for Steve!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGYS6IfLZC4
Tuesday Nov 27, 2018
Tuesday Nov 27, 2018
We made it!
After waiting for four months to see if we could raise enough money to make it happen, and waiting for four hours on the tarmac to see if the airline could remove enough ice to make it happen, we made it to the National Youth Workers Convention (NYWC) in St. Louis! We set up our booth in the Exhibit Hall and spent the next 96 hours meeting people, giving away t-shirts, and hearing stories of what God is doing in youth ministries around the country. Nearly 5000 people were there. "These are our people."
I don't think we've ever had more fun!
While we were chatting with folks and hawking the podcast, we also set up our "studio" and asked people to join us for a few minutes. We recorded nearly 30 responses to questions we made up. The results are interesting, encouraging, and funny. Here they are for your listening pleasure.
We're already excited for NYWC 2019 in Tampa. Can anyone say, "SHERPA HOUSE??!!"
Enjoy Episode 35 -- Your Answers to Our Questions at NYWC 2018
Also mentioned in this episode:
National Youth Workers Convention
https://www.nywc2018.com/
Our cool and generous neighbors at the booth behind our "craps table":
https://www.photoboxx.me/
Josh Griffin and Doug Fields, founders of DYM:
https://www.downloadyouthministry.com/
Frank Gil of the "15 Minutes with Frank" Podcast:
https://podcast.downloadyouthministry.com/15-minutes-with-frank/
I don't think our two dice qualified as official craps:
https://www.vegas.com/gaming/gaming-tips/craps/