ETCH with Chuck Peters
The ETCH NextGen Podcast is your go-to resource for inspiration, practical advice, and spiritual encouragement tailored specifically for those leading the next generation. Whether you're a pastor, youth leader, Children's Ministry director, or a volunteer passionately investing in young lives, this podcast is designed to equip and empower you for impactful ministry to kids, students, and families. Each episode features insightful conversations with seasoned leaders, experts, and influencers who share their wisdom on relevant topics. Join us as we explore how to navigate the enormous needs of Gen Z and Alpha, and the unique challenges and opportunities of next-generation ministry leaders.
Episodes
35 episodes
34. Define the Relationship: Partnering with Parents for Lifelong Faith with Chad Higgins and Zac Workun
In the world of next generation ministry, it’s easy to focus all our energy on the kids and students who show up week after week. We pour into them, plan for them, and pray over them. But what if the greatest impact we can make isn’t just in th...
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44:29
33. Leading with Purpose in Next Gen Ministry with Kristoff Hart
In ministry, it’s easy to get caught up in what’s next. The next event, next age group, next building phase. But what if we slowed down long enough to truly see the opportunities God has placed right in front of us? What if collaboration wasn’t...
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44:54
32. Bridging the Methodological Gap Between Kids and Student Ministry with Landry Holmes and Brett Buckland
As ministry leaders, we’re not just teaching lessons - we’re shaping lives. And the way we teach matters just as much as what we teach. From coloring sheets and object lessons to small group discussions and personal reflection, kids and student...
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50:25
31. One Mission, Many Ages: Closing the Philisophical Gap with Jay Barbier
It’s easy for ministries within a church to drift into silos, each one focusing on its own age group, calendar, and curriculum. But when we forget that kids and student ministries are part of a larger discipleship journey, we risk creating disj...
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41:52
30. Bridging the Educational Gap in Next Gen Ministries with Jay Strother
Every child’s faith journey is a story in progress, but far too often, our ministry strategies treat it like a series of disconnected chapters. When there’s no alignment between kids and student ministries, we risk losing spiritual momentum at ...
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41:18
29. Syncing the Calendar and the Mission: Closing the Schedule Gap with Tristan Meza and Randy Craft
In ministry, calendars fill up fast. Between planning events, training volunteers, and caring for families, the pressure to “just get it all done” can pull ministry leaders in different directions. And when kids and student ministries aren’t al...
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43:02
28. Guiding Kids Through Meaningful Transitions Heidi Hensley
Ministry to the next generation isn’t just about meeting kids where they are, it’s also about helping them get where they’re going. As children grow, they encounter major shifts: socially, emotionally, spiritually, and developmentally. These tr...
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40:51
27. Building Relationships That Unite Next Gen Ministry Teams with Jeremy Echols
In ministry, we often talk about strategy, curriculum, and programming - but beneath all of it is something even more essential: relationships. Without trust and connection between leaders, even the best ministry plans can fall flat. As childre...
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48:37
26. Bridging the Gap: Connecting Kids and Student Ministries for Lifelong Discipleship with Zach Workun and Jana Magruder
One of the most pivotal seasons in a young person’s spiritual journey is the transition from kids ministry to student ministry. It’s a season filled with excitement, change—and often, challenges. As ministry leaders, we want to see continuity a...
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46:34
25. Leading Under Pressure: Managing Stress in Ministry with Lee Hotchkiss
Ministry is a calling filled with joy, purpose, and deep meaning—but it can also carry a heavy weight. Behind every sermon, every program, and every conversation is a leader who is pouring out their heart, often while carrying their own unseen ...
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49:44
24. Building Bridges: Unifying Kids and Student Ministry in the NextGen Model
Have you ever found yourself asking, “What could ministry look like if we truly worked together across every age and stage?” In many churches, kids and student ministries operate in silos—running strong but disconnected. But what if we...
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43:32
23. Redefining Family in Ministry: Embracing Diversity and Belonging with Dr. Shelly Melia
Have you ever thought about how your childhood dreams shaped the person you are today? For many of us, the journey from our early aspirations to our current calling in ministry is filled with unexpected turns, challenges, and lessons learned. Y...
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36:34
22. Helping Kids Heal: Trauma-Informed Ministry for the Next Generation with Stephanie Shivers
Have you ever paused to consider what’s really going on beneath the surface in the lives of the kids and students you serve? So often, we see behaviors that confuse or frustrate us, but behind many of those actions is a story—sometimes one mark...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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41:37
21. Understanding Generations: Adapting Your Kids Ministry for Greater Impact with Jana Magruder
Have you ever stopped to think about how different generations view the world, the church, and even the gospel? In kids ministry, we often focus on reaching the next generation—but understanding where they've come from and who’s come before the...
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52:00
20. Shaping a Biblical Worldview in the Next Generation with Dr. Shelly Melia
In this impactful episode, Chuck Peters sits down with Dr. Shelly Melia to discuss one of the most critical issues facing today’s kids and students: worldview formation.As ministry leaders and parents, we have a short window to help shap...
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33:47
19. Teaching Students to Study the Bible: The Seven Arrows Method with Brett Buckland and Chris Brown
How can we equip students to engage with God’s Word in a way that transforms their lives? In this episode, Chuck Peters, Brett Buckland, and Chris Brown explore the importance of biblical literacy and introduce the Seven Arrows method, a practi...
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44:10
18. The Impact of AI, Social Media & Smartphones on the Next Generation with Tony Bianco
Technology is shaping the way Gen Z and Gen Alpha think, interact, and even define their identity. In this episode, we dive into the profound impact of smartphones, AI, and social media on the next generation’s mental health, social dynamics, a...
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51:22
17. Practical Tips to Share the Gospel with the Next Gen with Shane Pruitt
What if the next generation isn’t rejecting the gospel—they just haven’t heard it clearly?As ministry leaders, we have the greatest message in the world, but are we communicating it in a way that truly connects with Gen Z and Gen Alpha? ...
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45:49
16. Keeping the Bible As The Central Script of Your Next Gen Ministry with Kevin Jones
As ministry leaders, how can we ensure that the next generation remains deeply rooted in God’s Word? Are we modeling the kind of Bible engagement we hope to see in the kids and students we lead? In this episode, we dive into the heart of Next G...
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34:09
15. Understanding and Reaching the Revival Generation with Shane Pruitt
Welcome back to another great episode of ETCH Next Gen Ministry Podcast with Chuck Peters! In this truth-packed episode, we sit down with the National Next Gen Director for the North American Mission Board, Shane Pruitt, to talk about the R...
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40:24
14. Setting Your Sights On A Gospel Centered NextGen Ministry with Dr. Kevin Jones
Welcome back to another great season of ETCH with Chuck Peters! Are you keeping the gospel at the center of your ministry to the next generation? As leaders, it’s easy to get caught up in programs and distractions, but Gen Z and Gen...
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38:50
VBS: Building Bridges, Transforming Lives, Impacting Generations
What if one week could transform your church and community for eternity? Could a summer tradition become your most powerful tool for outreach and evangelism? YES! We believe that Vacation Bible School (VBS) is more than just an event—i...
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45:54
12. What It Means to Know Jesus with Jeremy Echols
Is simply knowing about Jesus enough for the next generation? Or are they missing the deeper relationship they need?In part 2 of this important conversation, Chuck Peters and Jeremy Echols unpack the essential difference between...
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20:47
11. The Need to Know Jesus in Personal Relationship with Jeremy Echols
Knowing about Jesus simply isn't enough. It is crucial that Gen Alpha and Gen Z understand what it is to intimately know Jesus as their personal savior. In this impactful episode, Chuck Peters and Jeremy Echols unpack the e...
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20:42