M3 - Merge Ministry Mostly
A behind-the-scenes look at camp and ministry leadership, told with humor and heart. This podcast offers honest conversations about Christian leadership in student and children’s ministry—sharing real wins, mistakes, growth moments, and the everyday joys and challenges of serving. With plenty of laughs and genuine passion, it’s where Christian leadership meets youth camp chaos—real, relatable, and rooted in purpose.
Episodes
17 episodes
Types of Students at Camp
We start this week with another email from a listener! A little insight into the email, “Luke is nasty!” This week we look at the different types of students you will see at a summer camp! It’s great when over 20 churches get together for a wee...
Guest: Levi Cook (the most athletic staff member *according to him*)
This week we are joined by Levi Cook. He attended Merge as a kid and now serving on staff. We talk about his roles at Merge, what he would rather win, and him singing in the shower. If you have questions, comments, or input please email us at m...
Guest: Justin Williams (Board President)
This week we are joined by the Merge Board President Justin Williams. We dive into topics we have discussed before to get his thoughts, his email critic of the show, and a little of his story with Merge. As always if you have thoughts, question...
Types of Leaders at Camp
The true heroes of camp are the leaders who give of their time, vacation, and energy to keep their group together, on schedule, and safe. The thing is they each have their unique way of making that happen. Join us this week as we explore the ty...
Abbreviations
This week you can play along as we see how many common abbreviations we know. Below you will find the list of ones discussed so you can see how many you know. Don’t cheat! Send in the number of abbreviations you know to see if you are sma...
Socks, Clapping, and Nuggets
How do you put on your socks and shoes? Do you clap when movies end? Are boneless wings just chicken nuggets? We are back and solving all the world’s problems on this week’s episode of M3. If you have a topic idea, need help with something you ...
Hotdogs, Serving, and Sports
Everyone’s got opinions—but we’re putting ours on the mic. This episode dives into some of the most random yet oddly serious debates out there. From food classifications to church expectations to the age-old cheerleading question, nothing is of...
Overrated
What are things we think are overrated and underrated? Join us as we talk about the church, movies, TV shows, and dad bods! Email us at mergeministries12@gmail.com to let us know if you agree, disagree, or topics you want to hear our underrated...
Unpopular Opinions
This week’s episode is all about the hot takes!We’re sharing some of our most random opinions—from “ketchup belongs on everything” to “travel ball isn’t the devil.” Some of these might make you laugh, some might make you question us… and...
Moments That Made Us Laugh
It is not just about the destination but the journey and people along the way. Today we share some of the stories that made us laugh and continue to be shared through the years.
Should Kids Be In Adult Worship?
Check out this short clip of a conversation that did not make the final editing of the latest podcast. Should children be in the adult worship service? This will be something we dive into in later episodes but this came up this week.
What We Wish We Knew Sooner
What do you wish you'd known sooner? In this episode, we get personal — reflecting on the lessons that shaped them not just as leaders of Merge, but as ministers, spouses, and parents. These aren't lessons from a leadership course. They're the ...
The Hats You Wear
What does it really take to pull off a week of camp? In this episode of M3: Merge Ministry Mostly, Daniel and Luke pull back the curtain on the reality of being “camp programmers.” From preaching and production to problem-solving and l...
What makes Merge different?
Merge isn’t the first ministry to host a summer camp—and it certainly won’t be the last. But there are a few things we do differently that set Merge apart. Some of those differences are the reason our price is lower than many other camps, while...
Behind the Curtain Part 2: Being on Staff
What’s it really like to be part of the Merge staff?In Episode 3 of M3, Daniel and Luke pull back the curtain even further to share the heartbeat behind Merge—its staff. Made up of volunteers from more than fifteen different churches, sp...
Behind the Curtain Part 1: Learning, Growing, and Becoming
What if success isn’t just surviving a good week of camp—but faithfully walking the journey that gets you there?In Episode 2 of the M3 Podcast, we pull back the curtain on Merge to share the real story behind the scenes—the lessons learn...