Student Ministry Connection

Ever wondered how collaboration among churches can create a powerful outreach opportunity? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve talks with Dan Lynch about his faith journey and his experience guiding about 50 churches that collaborate every year for camp. They talk about what it takes to create an impactful, large-scale youth retreat with lots of churches, the chal

 Mission trips can be life changing for students, but if they're not planned well, they can be disastrous. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve breaks down 3 crucial areas to focus on to set up our trips for the biggest impact. Links referenced in this episode: Save $25 off your Orange Conference 2025 ticket by visiting https://bit.ly/orangeconference25 or u

On this quick episode of Student Ministry Connection, we're talking about one thing you can do to both connect with others and grow in your ministry: conferences. Steve shares 3 reasons why they're important where you can find them. Links referenced in this episode: Steve's list of youth leader conferences is at https://stevecullum.com/2024/11/04/youth-pastor-conferences-2025/

Games in student ministry—some love them, some avoid them, but could they actually be a key tool for deeper discipleship? On this episode, Steve talks with Mike McGarry about the theology of fun and games—why they matter, how they can open the door to meaningful conversations, and how to use them effectively in your ministry. Get ready to rethink how games can fit into your min

Middle schoolers are full of energy, questions, and chaos—but they’re also at one of the most pivotal moments in their faith journey. So how can we better connect with them and create a ministry that truly meets them where they are? My guest today has dedicated her life and ministry to helping churches do just that. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we’re talkin

 What if you could unlock a deeper understanding of how you work best in ministry? What if a simple tool could help you and your team thrive instead of just survive? In this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve talks with veteran youth pastor and ministry coach Derry Prenkert about the power of ministry coaching, the Working Genius assessment, and how these tools can hel

 How do we keep students coming back to our ministry and our programs? What's going to help us open that front door really wide, but close that back door so that they don't escape and never experience the Christian community that we're creating in our student ministries? Well, that's exactly what we're talking about on this quick episode of Student Ministry Connection. Links r

How do you grow a youth group? And what does that even mean? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve digs into what growth should look like and how we can shift our priorities to get there. It starts by shifting our focus away from program growth to growing students and the Kingdom in these 3 ways: Equipping and empowering students to share their faith and reach

We had some great guests in 2024, so on this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we highlight some of the best moments from this year, including topics like: youth pastor compensation, empowering teenagers, anxiety, being fired, helping kids enter our student ministry, keeping students attention while teaching, using artificial intelligence, training the next generation, stayin

When do you know it’s time to move on from either a specific church or from student ministry altogether? This is a question we’ve all asked at some point, which is why we’re talking about it on this episode of Student Ministry Connection. Todd Pearage joins Steve to discuss some practical things to look for and some solid resources that will help you navigate that question no