Youth Ministry Booster
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
Episodes
Gen Alpha Is Here. Is Your Ministry Ready?
The students walking into your ministry today have never known life without smartphones, algorithms, or instant access to the world.
They're also asking bigger questions than many churches are prepared to answer.
In this episode Zac Workun sits down with Dr. Shelly Melia at SBC2026 to discuss what makes Generation Alpha unique,and why youth ministry may need to rethink some of...
This episode wraps up our three-part conversation with Dr. David Odom on Deconstructing Youth Ministry and offers a timely reminders for youth ministry friends.
The future of youth ministry doesn't hinge on doing more. It depends on becoming the kind of leader who can faithfully serve for longer.
🎙️ In this episode:
- Why working harder isn't the answer
- The hidden cost of ministry without margin
- Red flags that r...
Before we know it, youth ministry can become really good at running events—and not as effective at making disciples.
In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. David Odom and Deconstructing Youth Ministry, we tackle one of the biggest questions facing churches today.
How do we build student ministries that produce lasting faith, not just busy calendars?
We explore why teenagers today are both different and surpri...
What actually makes a youth ministry fruitful? Bigger crowds? Flashier events? Viral moments? In this episode Zac sits down with JP Black to wrestle honestly with those questions: presence, not popularity.
From the moment you walk into JP’s student building—covered in photos, memories, and a “Trophy Wall of Awesome”—you can feel a culture of belonging. But the real transformation d...
Youth Ministry Deconstructed with David Odom | What If We've Been Doing Youth Ministry Wrong?
Have we built youth ministries that attract students… but struggle to form lasting faith?
In this first episode of a 3 part series of the Youth Ministry Booster Podcast, Zac Workun sits down with Dr. David Odom from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and author of Youth Ministry Deconstructed, for a conv...
And we're back! Back in Nashville that is!
Zac and Chad sit down with Kyle Wilshire to talk about why youth ministry has to move past keeping students busy and doing and start forming students who go and live sent.
We unpack the Great Commission, what mission trips can and cannot do, and how to build everyday courage for gospel conversations in real life and online.
Pickup Kyle's book "GO" here
In a di...
When a student walked into the office during the pandemic asking whether his father would live long enough for a transplant, it exposed a gap many youth pastors feel but rarely name: we can teach Scripture and organize programs, but do we know how to shepherd teenagers when fear, grief, and uncertainty overwhelm them?
We sit down with Dr. Randy Jackson to talk about a gospel-shaped approach to soul care that equips p...
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 ...
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 ...
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 re...
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 wh...
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 conver...
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 Mi...
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 ...
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 t...
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 on...
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 rathe...
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 m...
🔥 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...
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 mo...
Popular Podcasts
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.