Youth Ministry Needs Sacred Rhythms For Real Students w/ Ribbin Dorado

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 repeatable,  youth ministry framework designed for long-term faith formation:

• A two-hour Sunday night gathering that prioritizes formation over games
• A monthly rhythm that includes a Student Sabbath at home, complete with table liturgies
• A mid-month Worship in the Round, where students lead and testify
• Sacred worship spaces using incense, kneelers, and iconography to signal reverence. Elements of signs, symbols, and wonder. 
• Memorizing creeds, spontaneous testimonies, and students “fighting for the mic” to name where they see God at work
• Teaching shaped by the lectionary, offering a balanced diet of Scripture and resisting cherry-picking

We also talk about rethinking leadership in student ministry:

• Hospitality leaders who cultivate belonging
• Formation leaders who guide 30-minute Bible circles
• Thoughtful training, interviews, and resources that treat leaders as ministers—not just volunteers
• Language that dignifies the calling and responsibility of those shaping students’ faith

At the core is the soul of the youth pastor. Ribbin challenges leaders to abide in Christ (John 15), practice the daily Examen, read Scripture beyond sermon prep, and develop a living rule of life. Teenagers don’t just hear what we teach, they catch what we love. 

We lead from overflow, not exhaustion.

Finally, we reframe success in youth ministry:

• Are students worshiping with the broader church?
• Are families practicing prayer and Scripture at home?
• Two years after graduation, are students rooted in a local church?

Formation is a long obedience in the same direction—formed inwardly and sent outwardly.

Subscribe, rate, and review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. Check out Lifeway.com/Essentials for free roundtable days this spring in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Virginia, and North Carolina. Sign up and bring your team.

Transcript

Garage Cold Open And Snack Chaos

SPEAKER_06 0:16

Hey, we're back with another episode of the Youth Ministry Booster Podcast. Hang out in the garage with a new friend. Well, new to y'all, not new to us. Ladies and gentlemen, this is my friend Ribbon Dorado. Hey up, Ribbon! How are you, bud?

SPEAKER_00 0:29

I'm so good.

SPEAKER_06 0:31

Thank you for being with us today. For beating the snowstorm in. I know. It's almost here.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

Right?

SPEAKER_06 0:38

Do you have preparations?

SPEAKER_01 0:39

Do you I mean I went to Costco yesterday.

SPEAKER_06 0:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 0:42

This is the first youth ministry note you guys need to know about youth ministries. Do not go to Costco to buy your Sunday night snacks before a winter storm.

SPEAKER_06 0:51

We were in competition.

SPEAKER_01 0:52

Oh, every people were like, literally, people were like, oh, you're really packing up for this storm. Oh, they were. It's like, what? Now I see you like this person.

SPEAKER_06 1:01

I guess she really likes Cool Ranch Doritos. That's like 14 pounds of Doritos. Big fan. Big fan of the Coolanch Doritos.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

So I had a ton of stuff for Sunday and I was just.

SPEAKER_06 1:12

Okay, tell us a little bit more. Like what were some of the like, what were the ones that were like standout that if like an average Costco Walmart shopper saw you with, they'd be like, what's going on? What's going on over there? Like what were the any weird, any weird quantities or items that would have been like a little standout?

SPEAKER_01 1:26

I mean, just the go-to is always bags of chips. So I had so many things of chips.

SPEAKER_06 1:32

Like the like large bags, or you do it individual size. Okay, okay. You're running a concession stand.

SPEAKER_01 1:37

Like you're just I never thought about that. That's what people think I'm doing for sure.

SPEAKER_06 1:42

It's like a wrestling meet. What's going on?

SPEAKER_01 1:44

Yes, yes. So I had everything, and I was like, should not have gone to Costco.

SPEAKER_06 1:50

What are some of your kids' favorite chips? Like, what's there, like, is there like one you have to lean lean heavy on? Furitos for sure. Like blue, red, red. Red?

SPEAKER_00 1:59

Yes. Definitely red.

SPEAKER_06 2:00

Nacho cheese for life.

SPEAKER_00 2:02

So bad for the Fritos.

SPEAKER_06 2:04

Oh, right. Oh, the Fritos or the old school Lay's. Not the baked Lay's, but the old school Lay's. Like, like bottom of the barrel. Right. Every time.

SPEAKER_01 2:13

Every time I look at them in the box, I'm like, you want picks.

SPEAKER_06 2:17

Until, until the stroke of genius, a walkie taco comes around. Open that bad boy up. Put a little, put a little chili meat cheese. Yeah. Now it's a bag and a bowl, if you know what I mean. There you go. So just gather those things up. Just gather them up and turn them into next week's meal.

SPEAKER_01 2:35

Honestly, what I end up meet eating on Thursdays or, you know, after youth group is the Fritos because I can't throw them out.

SPEAKER_06 2:45

Just pity corn chips.

SPEAKER_01 2:47

Pity corn chips. They are so bad, though. I hope you don't ever need to be sponsored by them.

Ribbon’s Calling Story And Early Faith

SPEAKER_06 2:51

No, it's okay. We've passed on from PepsiCo a long time ago. But Coca-Cola hit us up. Fred, we are so glad that you're here with us. We've known each other for the last five, six years, so. And so we've been talking about some of the new things that you're working on at Cornerstone Church. I just wanted to talk about ministry and life and rhythm. And so if we're going to kind of theme some of the things that we're talking about today, one of the things I know to be true about you is striving for healthy rhythms in both your own life as a minister and in ministry. But for folks who get to know you a little bit better, before we get into the content of today, I want to hear about the calling. Because uh anybody that's in youth ministry uh isn't in it for long unless there's a deeper level of connection or spiritual discernment to it. Because there's so many other things you could do. I mean, yeah, like so many other things you could do.

SPEAKER_00 3:42

There's so many dogs out there.

SPEAKER_06 3:44

Sessions stand for a wrestling match. You're already ready. This girl's got snacks. Yeah, yeah. So prepared. So prepared. And so I just want to hear a little bit, like let our folks hear from you, like how you ended up in youth ministry, what keeps you in it. Um, five plus years, especially starting on this side of COVID. Like, I just seems like there's a real richness and experience. And I so I know some of it, but I want you to share most of it.

SPEAKER_01 4:04

Yeah, yeah. Well, truly, by the grace of God.

SPEAKER_06 4:07

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 4:08

Like, I have no idea. I I still sit in my desk and I'm like, how am I supposed to be like the person at this desk? Like, how did it end up me? Or like all me preaching?

SPEAKER_06 4:22

But not like why me, but like, why me?

SPEAKER_01 4:25

Yeah, exactly. Me prepping a sermon. I'm like, was I supposed to be the person doing this? Like, I look back at my life and it just like floored, like God truly uses the least of us. And um, yeah, so I I didn't grow up in a Christian home. Um I grew up in actually like a very abusive home. So I left my home whenever I was about 14. I kind of went into a few foster homes. Uh I knew, like, I think about the book of Romans and how we know Christ through our conscience and through creation. Like we can look around us and we see creation. Something's wrong.

SPEAKER_03 5:05

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 5:06

And then, like, even a sense of conviction within our conscience or anything, just the hope and the joy that we have makes you realize, like, okay, this isn't like there has to be more to life.

SPEAKER_03 5:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:16

So I felt that from a very, very early age. And then um, yeah, went through sort of foster homes um and just started to search for more. Like, why like why did I go through what I went through? Like, there has to be more to my story than this. Um, and so I just developed a prayer life. I got baptized whenever I was 13 as a little Nazarene. Okay. And I knew nothing about the Nazarene church, just that they baptized people.

SPEAKER_06 5:49

You were there right place, right time. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:51

Um, yeah. So Pastor Michael, he baptized me in this little Nazarene church. Um, and I really say that was the beginning of just like God's God doing work in my life. Um, really so much before that, but where I was like, okay, I got baptized. Like it was enough for me to like lock in.

SPEAKER_03 6:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:09

And I did.

SPEAKER_03 6:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:10

Um and so I played softball in high school and was trying to decide if I wanted to play college softball, which was gonna be at Mid-America Christian University in Oklahoma City. And if I wasn't, I was probably gonna go to OSU. And by the grace of God, like I was walking along the back fence and I found this tore-up, nasty piece of paper on the ground, which everyone grabs, right? Right. Like, what if it is from the Lord?

SPEAKER_06 6:38

And so the tumbleweed flyer was for me. Yeah, that's that's a story in judges, I think. I know exactly.

SPEAKER_01 6:45

And so right next to the wet sponge. Yes, for real. So it was muddy day, and I pick up this piece of paper and literally I have it framed in my office. Um, this is how important this was for me. Like, I don't know that anything could have caught my attention like a paper covered in mud with only one sentence that is clear that says, and it gradually became apparent that the Lord would establish her plans. I didn't know what that meant. Yeah, but for me, it meant I've got to go to a Christian college. Yeah, like what else am I supposed to do with this? Um, and it wasn't really what I was thinking about. I was just thinking about I'm gonna play softball. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 7:21

The only place I have a scholarship to go do that is here, so we're going there.

SPEAKER_01 7:25

Yes, and I sat in my first biblical life and witness class. My professor was Cliff Sanders, and he ended up initiating my husband and I's wedding. And he just like told us about a relationship with God. And I remember sitting in that class thinking, like, this is the most important thing about our life. Yeah. And like I have to share it with others. Like, I really, really have to. Like, this is so important. Um, and so that's kind of what got me into like ministry in general. I remember everyone in the class, they were PKs.

unknown 7:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

And I remember telling someone else.

SPEAKER_06 7:59

It's like the open secret, you know, you keep asking, like, what did your parents do? Like, what did your parents do? Hold on, what's going on here? Yeah, yes.

SPEAKER_01 8:07

She's got a conspiracy. I know, right? And I remember telling someone, like, I'm I'm gonna study ministry or I'm gonna change my major because I definitely didn't go in thinking I was gonna study mini ministry. And um, they were like, Well, where did your dad pastor? And I quickly, like, at that point, my dad was not pastoring, he was currently in prison, and um, I was just thinking, like, is this for me? Like, is this something that I'm supposed to do everyone else? Like, was raised in this.

SPEAKER_04 8:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:36

My whole time studying ministry, and I'm currently studying at Asbury Theological Seminary. I'll graduate in May. Um willing have a Masters of Divinity.

SPEAKER_06 8:45

There you go, you like that.

SPEAKER_01 8:46

Yeah, yeah, that thing, that thing took a while. Um, but just chipping away, chipping away.

SPEAKER_06 8:52

Yeah, come on, come on.

SPEAKER_01 8:53

Literally 96 hours is crazy.

SPEAKER_06 8:56

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 8:56

Um, but I really study ministry because I was trying to make up for lost time that I I didn't have in the scriptures and around like uh in a faithful home. And it developed me so much. So there was never really a goal of like, I want this specific job.

SPEAKER_03 9:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:10

Um, but it was like I want to be developed in this way, and I don't know how else to get it. Um, so I immediately out of college did see, worked at OU Medical and was a trauma chaplain.

From Trauma Chaplaincy To Youth Ministry

SPEAKER_06 9:21

Yeah. And I sat which what a what a like, for lack of a better phrase, baptism by fire to be in folks like some of their hardest moments. Yeah. Uh wrestling with lived theology that is so very different than the classroom, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:40

Yeah. You want you want to be a good pastor, good youth pastor, walk with people who are crisis. Yeah. Like that'll develop you real quick. Um, and I was in the trauma bay and just kept seeing all of these um middle school and high school students coming in and uh going through extreme depression and anxiety doing things and ending up in in in trauma, like in a trauma bay. And so I was like, what if I could tackle this from the inside? Like, how do we stop getting to the point to where I'm having to walk out and tell parents like hey, your your student, like your kid is uh dying. Yeah, like this is what's happening. How can we get from that? And like, can I tackle this from inside of the church? Can I tackle this from some other way? Like, I was sick of sitting with 16-year-olds who like were overcome by depression and anxiety.

SPEAKER_06 10:29

At the end of their rope, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:31

Like, I'm I'm so done with it, and I got fired up about youth ministry. And so, yeah, that's kind of how I got into crazy. Uh, but that's how I got into youth ministry.

SPEAKER_06 10:41

So deep end almost all at once, and then have been serving a couple different churches, cornerstone for the last few years. Um, one of the things I wanted to ask you about is just some of the ways in which um you identified some of the unique spiritual needs in both, I mean, you're here in the greater Tulsa area, so there's some shared things that you know some of our friends have heard before, but like and the ways in which your experience, education, have come together to see youth ministry for their students now. Like, what do you what do you feel like are some of those unique needs? Like, do you do you carry some of that from the trauma wing with you as you consider what ministry looks like? Are there some notes or lessons that like you wish others knew? Or like what what what are some of the things that like for teenagers in 2026, like these are like the like the priority things for the ways in which we should be ministering to them?

SPEAKER_01 11:33

Yeah. That's a good question. Um I think it's easy for us to sit. Well, let me back up. I um I start I started to sit around tables and like think about what's the new thing that we need to do. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And uh then just spent time thinking, like, I don't know that we need to invent something new. Like, so the way that I approach our youth ministry is like, I don't think we need to reinvent the wheel. Yeah, like there are good and faithful people who have gone before us, who have done good things. Like I say, uh if you're creating something new, like a new idea, it's probably heresy. Like someone's gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_06 12:19

Don't trust me that it's too new.

SPEAKER_01 12:21

Yeah, I mean, I mean, not really, but like sometimes. So yeah, sometimes. Um yeah, so there have been good and faithful people who have gone before us. So instead, what I'm doing in our youth ministry is like looking back at what has been done and what has worked for so many years within the church.

SPEAKER_04 12:40

Yeah.

Naming Today’s Teen Needs Without Hype

SPEAKER_01 12:40

I know it's a hot topic right now about um like hype ministry and all of these things. I think a lot of people are talking about this, and partly we've realized that may not be like developing and forming students in the way that we hope they're formed.

SPEAKER_06 12:54

It's fun to be exciting. It is like it is, it really is, but it's fun to be fun and it probably grows some of the program that we're doing. It like it hypes the thing. Yes, it always hypes the people. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:08

And it partly makes us feel better about ourselves.

SPEAKER_06 13:11

It's what we had planned. Yes, and then again, I I don't we would never on this podcast want to dismiss the fun part, but the hype part is where I think sometimes we get more excited about what the thing is versus what we're trying to do inside of the thing. That's a careful, it's a careful distinction. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:29

So this is this is funny. We um just renovated our church building and added a a youth area, and I want to be fun and I want to value formation.

SPEAKER_03 13:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:39

Like I'm not letting students leave our three-hour Sunday evening gathering and feel like they were not formed in the way of Christ. Yeah. Like I cannot do it, I won't do it.

SPEAKER_03 13:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:48

Um, and so we have actually created a space where we have a student gathering room.

SPEAKER_03 13:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:53

And we have fun in that room. Yeah. That's that's our place where we have fun.

SPEAKER_06 13:56

There's a there's a dedicated space to it. Okay. Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Say more, say more.

SPEAKER_03 14:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 14:02

And that's serious. Yeah. That's where confession happens.

SPEAKER_03 14:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:05

That's where we ask and like welcome the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Um, it's where we sing, it's where we worship. And they're like, I want to do both of those. Yeah. I so I had to develop a plan of like, how are we gonna do this well?

SPEAKER_03 14:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:20

Our students walk into our worship space and it's like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. What do we need to hear from the Lord? Um, and so yeah, that's that's been helpful. Unique challenges for us is um, I think I don't know what students would say. I would say maybe for them, is recognizing that this road that we're on, developing a relationship with the Lord, it starts to feel longer as you go. Um, like it's not easy. Uh, and so we are trying to take like I don't know, um, like it may seem surface level, but we're trying to take it, we're trying to take it deeper. And one of the ways is taking steps to read the Bible, and this is this is something that we're valuing, is like how much time are we gonna spend reading the Bible? So it's alright, small for us. Like, we want the rhythm for our students to be like we read the scriptures. It sounds vague, but like if we can get students reading the scriptures or they can sit in formation groups, which follows our teaching, yeah, and they can sit it may not sound that shocking, but in a circle for 30 minutes with six people and talk about the Bible, awesome.

SPEAKER_06 15:35

We're there, yeah, right.

SPEAKER_01 15:36

Like that's that's a good thing that we're doing. And I don't know, like are students doing that at school? Probably not. Like, are they developing that muscle anywhere else to be able to learn to sit in the scriptures together and ask the question like okay, now what how do I apply this to my life?

Designing Fun And Formation Spaces

SPEAKER_06 15:53

Um well, go on a little bit more because one of the things that you shared, because I think for some folks they may attach to various things, uh, that y'all are gathering for three hours on a Sunday evening. Uh, there are a lot of folks that are barely gathering for an hour and a half on uh a Wednesday or a midweek. Some of that's a time constraint, some of that's an alignment thing with the rest of the church programming stuff. So, how did you get to uh again, three hours on a Sunday night? Is that every week? Is there other stuff before someone like spirals out? Yeah, because that just sounds like that's more to plan than like I could plan on my own. How do how does that fit into the flow of what you're doing across the week, across the month? And then how does that three-hour time fill up or fill out as we get together? Because I know for a lot of folks are like, I barely can plan three hours a week for a whole week, let alone like one setting. Like my teenagers wouldn't sit or participate for that long anyway. But I know you've got some things that are wrapped up in that. Yeah, yeah. So it's just to say a little more. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:51

Yeah, okay. I have to correct myself. It's two hours, so it's six to eight. I'm there from five to eight.

SPEAKER_06 16:55

So for me, I'm always three hours.

SPEAKER_01 16:58

Uh but yeah, yeah. Students are there from six to eight.

SPEAKER_06 17:01

Yeah. On a Sunday night before school of the Monday, they're gathering, and that's been that's been the window for time that works for y'all. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

Yeah. But specifically, I think you have to to figure out your your context, what works works best for your context. Um, so for us, it's a Sunday evening. We've realized that one day Wednesdays aren't working well for our students.

SPEAKER_06 17:21

Um Is it just too much competition with everything else? Or is it a good thing?

SPEAKER_01 17:25

Yeah, I think they just have sports, things like that. Um, it's helpful for us to go from Sunday morning church together, uh, and then families go home, hang out together, and then they come back to church.

SPEAKER_06 17:38

Students come back. Students come back. Is there kids stuff also in that window, or is it primarily just student fellowship? Student gathering.

SPEAKER_01 17:45

Um, so our rhythm kind of looks like we have hangout time. We've moved away from doing dinner. We used to do dinner at every gathering, but we have realized that it's a lot of money.

SPEAKER_06 17:55

That's a lot. No, to feed the feed the children every week. Yes, as we know, they eat a lot of chips.

SPEAKER_01 18:00

Yeah, and as yes, exactly. And as we have grown, um, just recognizing that yeah, that's a lot. So we spend time together in fellowships. We call that portion of our gathering fellowship. We have snacks together, we do play a little game, and then we the rest of our gathering is formation. So we're doing that for about like play for about 45 minutes. Um, something for me is I like on paper, do not want like students see what we value the most. What we're spending the most time doing, we value.

SPEAKER_03 18:31

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 18:31

And so we are focused on spending more time in formation than we are in um just like our playtime.

SPEAKER_03 18:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:38

So we go into a teaching time, that's where we transition into our worship room. Uh we teach on sometimes the lectionary. So whatever scripture is given to us in the lectionary, this helps me not just pick what I want to talk about.

SPEAKER_06 18:54

Keep you from cherry picking, absolutely. Yeah, is is there uh uh ways of incorporating old and new uh through through that? Or is there like is it typically some seasons favor more than one or the other?

SPEAKER_01 19:05

Or yeah, the lectionary provides an old testament reading, New Testament psalm. Yeah. Uh and so we get to just kind of choose, choose from there. Yeah. Uh so we go into teaching time, and then uh prior to our teaching time, we always say a creed together, probably the Nicene Creed or the Apostles' Creed. I think it's helpful for students to know what we believe.

SPEAKER_03 19:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:25

So I believe in this. Um memorization is crucial in what we're doing right now. We want to memorize the scriptures, we want to memorize the creeds. Uh I like pause. I remember one time, like um, I think I was mowing the yard, and for the first time four years ago, I had heard the apostles' creed.

SPEAKER_03 19:43

Okay, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:44

I was sitting there mowing and I am repeating the apostles' creed. Like, why am I saying this?

SPEAKER_06 19:53

Just doing the breath pair. That's right, that's right. Just yeah, Jesus in, Jesus out. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:57

Literally, it had formed me and I had. Memorized it and I was saying it during a time that like I'm just sitting here mowing, I could be doing anything else, and I'm saying the creed, and it formed me in some type of way. So I think memorization is powerful. We begin with that. Uh, we begin with a liturgy of some sort. We've recently added a student share moment. Okay. So a student sharing the way that they saw God throughout the week.

SPEAKER_03 20:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:24

Will they stand up and share? Sometimes. Okay.

SPEAKER_06 20:28

I was gonna say, how is that something that like has been received well? Do you have to plant it with a few folks? Or because again, we're here for the testimonies, but I just didn't know if that was like something that was offered freely, freely received, or if it was, hey Jackie, you're up next week.

SPEAKER_01 20:47

I don't tell them in advance.

SPEAKER_06 20:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 20:49

Part of like we've got to, okay. I want students to fight for the mic. I literally tell them that all the time. Yeah. Like we should all be racing to share what God has done in our life. And that is so, so important. And even praying, like who's gonna pray? Who's going to um offer up the prayers of the people? Like we're gonna, we're gonna do this and we're gonna fight for the mic. So I don't tell them because I want to create a sense of urgency, like I will sit until someone says what God has done throughout their week. Like we have to be these type of people because if they're not doing it there, are they doing it anywhere else? And like, if who are we to sit on our hands and hoard the love of God and not share it with anyone else? So it's like I I try to create those moments where um it's not planted and it's not planned. And soon enough they'll get the hang of it. They'll be walking into the worship room and they're like, I'm gonna think about it because what if Ribbon picks me?

SPEAKER_06 21:46

Well, and and and uh again, so much of youth ministry sometimes can be the content that we plan, but the formation is the way in which they understand how they respond. And I love that the extemporaneous nature of that forces them to not just, you know, like they they can't pad their answer with, you know, like an obvious or whatever. Like they kind of have to like be moved and be urged. Yeah, love it.

SPEAKER_01 22:12

I mean, sometimes you have to prepare for like um God was so good that my dog learned how to play fetch.

Scripture Habits And Formation Groups

SPEAKER_06 22:19

Right. Like my cat was sick and now she's well. Which you know, listen, if if you're if you're a seventh creator out there and you're worried about your pet, bless you in the love of God that restores and heals all of creation. Absolutely. We pray for goldfish on the podcast. We do, we do pray. We pray for sick cats, we pray for goldfish, all the things all the things.

SPEAKER_00 22:41

You ask for prayer requests, you better be ready. Yeah, you ask for it.

SPEAKER_06 22:45

This is what's on their heart, and that is how we learn to pray. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:49

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And the Lord cares about so many little little things. Like I remember the prayers I used to pray, and the Lord had me like, oh, sweet girl.

SPEAKER_06 22:58

If my mom can pray for a parking spot, we can pray for a golf.

SPEAKER_01 23:02

Exactly. Exactly. Um, so we have a student share moment. This is new. We literally implemented it last week. Um, I want students to participate in things.

SPEAKER_03 23:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:12

Also, I'm hardly ever standing up there and leading anything. Like if it's a liturgy on the screens, I have a student stand up and share it. Okay. I want to give you capable of doing these things.

SPEAKER_06 23:22

Um you can lead the call and response, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:24

Yeah, yeah. And we're doing call and response, um, things like that. And then I teach, and what's been most formative for us, I think, is we going to we have a few chairs. So we have kneelers on our chairs. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 23:40

Are you in the larger, are you in like the the church like worship center sanctuary for this? Or just like the your room, your your worship space. Oh, I love that. Okay. Yeah, I love it. Come on. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, good.

SPEAKER_01 23:50

We have an iconographer coming next week and she's gonna do icon art on the back wall. I mean, it's just the same thing.

SPEAKER_06 23:56

So this is like sacred transformative space. This is not just like this is the clean room versus the other room of the dirty room. Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_01 24:03

It's already, and if you don't have that, you don't have it, but you can create it. Yeah, we've worshipped in spaces where like we've had to change from children's classroom to like we were turning over spaces. We've had to do that. You can make a space like holy. You really, you really can. Um I think we had the chance, we had the opportunity right about our building. So we were gonna be intentional about spaces matter.

SPEAKER_06 24:27

Well, but fought for that as one of the spaces. Like that's really cool that it mattered that much, that it wasn't just we want more storage or we want just one big room or whatever, but we believe that this is valuable this way. Yeah, yeah, it's good.

SPEAKER_01 24:38

And they're they're 13 years old, so they need more than like um sermon to let them know that they're in a a sacred space. Like they need to feel it.

SPEAKER_03 24:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:47

They we need to hear the sound of it when they're sitting the ground. It's time.

SPEAKER_03 24:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:51

And we like for us, we we burn incense. Like the the smell of our space reminds us like this is a sacred moment. This is different.

SPEAKER_06 25:01

And uh maybe we record it, then we can we can play with it.

SPEAKER_01 25:08

I think our spaces have to look and sound different than our home.

SPEAKER_03 25:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:13

If students are they can go to a space and have as much fun and it looks similar and sounds similar as in a concert or a mall or anything else we're doing that something might be mixing. Yeah, and so creating spaces that like this is a church and um spiritual formation is happening here. Like real vulnerable moments are happening in that space.

SPEAKER_06 25:35

Yeah. That's good. That's good. Um well, because that is some of the ways in which they learn, and I think that's one of the things that we've got to be mindful of is sometimes the way in which we learn best isn't how they learn best in both mode and maturity. Um again, your constant reframing of like they're 13, they're 14. Like this is they they are they are building those muscle memories, they are building those associations with we're in this room, this happens here. Uh, we see it in in young people today that there is a hunger for having church look like church. Like there is uptick in in in young families and in Gen Z folk, maybe young millennials or older Gen Z folk that are trying to figure out what church means in a sacred way, because we've we've pitched so long, yeah. Um what some might kind of frame as like a seeker sensitive or you know, a palatable model of this, that it does look like something else that they could imagine, that it keeps them from imagining what the sacred or the holy could be. Yeah, and and and they and for a middle school student trying to figure it all out, I think in the tender way of not just trying to speak it verbally to them, but imagine it in practice or formation really, really matters. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Why Sunday Nights And Two-Hour Flow

SPEAKER_01 26:59

Yeah, exactly. And we are preparing young souls to eventually go into church. Like they're they're gonna age out a youth group.

SPEAKER_03 27:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:11

Don't tell my students that they're gonna age out of youth groups.

SPEAKER_06 27:14

They are, they are. Uh they're not unafraid, they're not ready to hear it, but it's true.

SPEAKER_01 27:18

It's true. The transition, we need to make it as seamless as possible. Because what's the crisis right now? So it's people, students aren't going back to church.

SPEAKER_03 27:26

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:26

But like that's how I measure are we are we doing what we're supposed to be doing in two years? Were my seniors are they going to church?

SPEAKER_06 27:33

Yeah, that's right. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 27:34

Like, is this what's happening? And so one of the ways is like, I can't say that I hope this is happening, but I want to build and form something where it's like this will happen.

SPEAKER_04 27:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:43

Uh, and one of the ways is um making it not look so different from the church. So we're doing, we're following the Sunday liturgy that's happening.

SPEAKER_06 27:52

Because that's what their few experience as a family, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:55

Yeah, that's what that's what they're already doing. Um, our language, uh, all of these things aren't much different than what's happening in the church. Yeah. And the hope is like, I want them to be to seamlessly go out of youth ministry and be able to find a church and not be shocked.

SPEAKER_06 28:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:11

I love games, but like, when are we gonna play games?

SPEAKER_06 28:14

Well, now hold on, because I actually think we need more adult games at church, but that's a different, that's a different segue for yes. I I actually think that there are some moments for corporate worship on Sunday morning that we should explore more options for play, but that's just that's just that's not that's just me.

SPEAKER_01 28:30

Wait, what game would you lead on a Sunday morning? Let's hear it.

SPEAKER_06 28:33

Uh I mean, you know, I I think there's probably some kind of you know, large toss across uh that we could do from yeah, to the front to the back. I don't know. There's just there's some some ways in which if if kids are not fully formed adults, then that means that adults are just people that are forgetting their kiddom. So maybe to bring that back, maybe just to bring it back. That's just you know, just the the youthfulness and the fun of what it's like to be. I don't know. My favorite room is still a room full of youth leaders without teenagers. So it's all the fun without any of the responsibilities. It's the best group, it's the best group you can put together. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, they get it, they get it.

SPEAKER_01 29:10

I love it, I love it.

SPEAKER_06 29:11

But help us a little bit. So you said it in a way that I think is really powerful to hear that like the measure of of of what we do, maybe even to say language of like success, is students that that leave to return and not just experience well while they're here. So the the idea of don't measure a student ministry by the number of sophomores in high school, measure them by the sophomores in college or or that measure the 20-year-olds that that stay in it or return to it, as opposed that are just there while they're there. But for some of our friends that are feeling in the middle of it, maybe they feel like they they haven't been there very long or they feel like they're in the fat middle of a lot of students right now, how would you give them grace uh or or insight to feel like that they're doing a good job before the measurement gets in from three or four years out from where they're at right now?

SPEAKER_01 30:03

I mean, if you've created a space where you're sitting in the sacred scriptures and you're teaching students um how to have community, how to create biblical friendship, then like the Lord will use that. Yeah. Uh like we will see the fruit of that work and just you being like faithful to what you have right then. Um yeah, I think I do measure it by students who are going to college and still finding a home church and building a church. I also measure it for me in my context. I don't know how similar this would be to everyone else's context, but is my student going to Sunday church?

SPEAKER_06 30:47

Okay, yeah, the extension beyond just the time that you have.

SPEAKER_01 30:50

I never count numbers, although we have a check-in system, and I can see that. Like I'd rather have like a small amount of people picked up than a big huge group of students with like I want to I want to pour into that. And uh yeah, so I'm I I see a way, like a way that I see that is are they go to church Sunday?

SPEAKER_03 31:15

Yeah.

Liturgy, Creeds, And Student Voices

SPEAKER_01 31:16

Maybe the question is like I maybe not every student is desiring that, but what can you do to foster that? Like you should students should desire to participate Sunday. In the larger body, to be a part of the larger body of of church. And so that's what I'm thinking about. And also another thing is are their parents going to church?

SPEAKER_03 31:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:36

We know it's not rocket science that students are spending more time in the home than they are in the church.

SPEAKER_06 31:42

That's right, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:42

Uh so if you're developing parents in a way that they can um read the scriptures or value reading the scriptures at dinner or prayer, then that in and of itself is huge because they get to do that seven times a week. Yeah. As opposed to us spending two hours one time a week or two hours. So those are a few ways. Are they going to church on Sunday morning?

SPEAKER_03 32:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:04

Are their parents going to church? Uh, and then for me, it's like two years from now, yeah, are students still involved and connected in the church.

SPEAKER_06 32:13

Now, I did want to ask you one of the things that was really powerful about the rhythm of ministry that you had is there was always a Sunday night available for you and the leaders for students to be with their families. Is that still true? Is that still part of the rhythm of the monthly work? So it's not just every week is the same. I think for a lot of folks, we can feel in the trenches of week after week after week. Another one, another one. But for but for you, there's some built-in like respite and family discipleship inside the rhythm. Would you would you share more about that? Yeah, I think that matters. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:45

Yeah. So we are our rhythm is unique monthly. Okay.

SPEAKER_06 32:49

Um, so which again, I already love that you're living in the the month of the season instead of the week over week, because sometimes those can slip away.

SPEAKER_01 32:56

Yes, yes. So our first Sunday of the month, we have student gathering. Okay. Second Sunday of the month is student Sabbath. Okay. Where I am sending um sort of curriculum out to families.

SPEAKER_03 33:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:05

And it's like you are replacing our student gathering with your time at the table.

SPEAKER_03 33:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 33:09

And every time I'm talking about the family matters. Yeah. Like you have we've got to sit around the table as a family, ask questions and be vulnerable and read the scriptures.

SPEAKER_06 33:19

So there's still youth on Sunday nights, but it's at home.

SPEAKER_01 33:21

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_06 33:23

It's the idea of You're still providing youth, but it's having it at home. Yeah. Okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 33:27

Um, it's truly the idea of like get the church into the home.

SPEAKER_06 33:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:32

Like get it, get it there.

SPEAKER_06 33:34

They've already carved the time. There's already a two-hour block that should be accounted for every Sunday, six to eight. You're just providing it and making the means possible for it to happen at home. Yes, that's good.

SPEAKER_01 33:43

Uh yeah. And then following that Sunday, we have worship in the round. So we do one Wednesday. Okay. And we just worship in a circle together and have so much fun. It's such a delight. Uh, so we're not doing worship every Sunday. We're just doing it once a month on that Wednesday. And then the third Sunday, we have a student gathering. The fourth Sunday used to be student serve, so we go out and serve, but I created that because I loved the idea. It's super awesome.

SPEAKER_06 34:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:11

No one's really open on Sundays, bro.

SPEAKER_06 34:13

The organizationally complicated. Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:16

It's good ideas.

SPEAKER_00 34:17

You youth pastors know me on this.

SPEAKER_06 34:19

It may it may work in your time frame. Yeah. So the the the merit is there, the availability is we were writing cards to every person in the nursing. We were we were playing so many board games. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 34:34

Literally, I loved that model. Um, it just wasn't working for us. And then um, so that's our monthly model. On Sunday mornings, we have service, we have worship on Sunday morning um at nine, church wide at nine and eleven. And between that, we do common prayer. So we walk through the book of common prayer, Anglican prayer book from 10:30 to 11.

SPEAKER_06 34:55

Yeah. Again, part of the denomination, part of the tradition, um, kind of already set sets the guide for what you're doing and also introduces them to some of the facets of the church. Yes, yeah. Is that something that like you lead the group? Are there other adults involved? Does that give space for? Like how is how are you structured leadership for for some of those moments?

SPEAKER_01 35:13

Or Sunday morning.

SPEAKER_06 35:14

Sunday morning, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:15

Yeah, it's just me.

SPEAKER_06 35:16

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 35:16

I we have like 15 student leaders. Uh, so we break ours up into hospitality leaders and formation leaders. I'd be happy to talk more about that model. It's what's worked well for us. Uh I've realized it doesn't give me a ton of time alone with students, of like with like 12 students. That's probably who comes on a Sunday morning. So it's a bit quite a bit smaller than our um Sunday evening. That's kind of how we just sit together and we prepare to receive the scripture at 11 a.m. Um, think about the book of James and put away all like rampant, like all of these things like it's hard sometimes to come to Sunday morning and receive the scriptures. Yeah. So we prepare for that, realizing that it's a it's part of the word. It's part of the word and it's it's valuable. Um yeah.

Creating Sacred Space Students Can Feel

SPEAKER_06 36:03

Good. Okay, so one of the things that we kind of prepped for, we talked about was some of the ways in which maybe we had to unlearn some of the things that we knew. And I think some of the reasons you approach it so freshly is because this is all relatively new, because for you that you didn't grow up in this. This is not like you have this debt of seven years of youth ministry that you grew up in that you're either trying to like overcome or fulfill. Um, but what are some of the things that like you've had to work against or kind of unlearn either from time spent in like college and seminary or in other ministry modes? Um, like what are some of the things that you would share as a gift of like, man, I know there's a real pull for this, but here's what I would share as wisdom for that. Because I do feel like some of us are living in the tension of trying to do everything all the time and trying that that we feel like if everybody's busy, we've got to stay busier. So, what are some of the unlearned things for you, either as a minister or in the ministry?

SPEAKER_01 37:02

I learned so much.

SPEAKER_06 37:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 37:05

Um oh goodness. Whenever I was first in youth ministry, I wanted to do it all. Like I wanted to have all the things, like more opportunities to for us to be together is better. And my model has changed a little bit. Like, I actually think the because I've talked about the family is important. So getting the church, getting the whole family with the church familiar with the scripture reading and prayer um is important. So I've I've stopped planning a lot of things.

SPEAKER_03 37:35

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 37:36

And I'm not, I'm also just not gonna kill myself trying to plan all of these retreats and camps and and mission trips. Like, I don't know that there's any youth pastor out there that can say that they're not tired during that season. Yeah, right. Like it's it's exhausting.

SPEAKER_06 37:52

Ask most of them, and that's probably one of the top three responses. How are you doing today? Tired, probably in the top three at at almost any given moment.

SPEAKER_01 37:59

Yes, exactly. And I've just realized like, this is also a learn, my personal abiding is so important for the students' formation. So maybe they do want to do five more events, which they do, sure, they always want to, uh, but it's not good for my can't all make it, but they all want it.

SPEAKER_06 38:17

And so, yeah, why not? And yet, and yet, yeah, yeah, yeah. But for your own sake.

SPEAKER_01 38:23

Yeah, and and I have to think about I'm leading this and being a shepherd and steering this gift and this call that is so sacred. Like the young and um like these young souls, like it's so important in their most vulnerable years. Then it does mean that I like cannot do all the things. Like I I need time for my own personal biding. Yeah. And um because out of that is is what your students are seeing. Yeah. Like what I'm passionate about is also what I'm probably teaching about and and what I'm talking about. So yeah, that's that's that's been a learn for me for for sure. Um, and just something that I've been working on. Because I can't, I can't do it all.

SPEAKER_06 39:05

Well, what are some of the things? Uh I do think this is always it's it's highly personal, and yet for a lot of us, it can be the right kind of affectation for other folks. What are some of the things for your own um dwelling, depth, personal like uh uh nurturing like that have been really, really key? Whether that's like true now or true always, I think for a lot of us the the tending to our own soul really, really matters. And so what what is something in your life or a couple of things that have been like really true or essential for you?

SPEAKER_01 39:37

Yeah. I've really been studying John 15.

SPEAKER_06 39:40

Okay, just living in it, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:43

Because I want to abide in Christ. I this is the deeper you get into ministry, like I've said, uh the more you realize how much there is to it. Like I want to live. The Lord with in thought, word, and deed. And that means thinking about literally what am I saying to people? How am I like treating people? All of the all of these things. And so I'm thinking about like how do I abide in Christ? Like remaining connected to the vine, but also just like what does my secret life with Christ look like? How many times do I open the scriptures and I read something and I think about how it could change a lot of students and not?

SPEAKER_04 40:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:29

Like, how could this be a sermon? But the Lord's like, this is a sermon for you. Yeah, this is this is for you. I've gotten so wrapped up sometimes in my spiritual life. And part of it is I'm working in ministry, I'm studying ministry, I love the Lord, so I'm in it at home. Is learning how to separate those things. Um, and that helps me abide well in Christ. Um, so when I'm reading the scriptures, I have noticed recently, like I said, that I quite literally am like, this would be so good for so-and-so.

SPEAKER_06 40:59

Oh, what if this is so good? The utility of it all, like what what how this might serve someone else instead of like to cut, sharpen.

SPEAKER_01 41:08

Yeah. Um so I've been sitting in that in that scripture. Our our staff, we have staff formation on Mondays, um, and then we have a staff meeting on on Thursdays, and we are just always thinking about and talking about abiding as one of our values. Uh and just thinking about what do I do? How do I do this well?

SPEAKER_03 41:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:31

And my own relationship with God matters so much. Yeah, our students do. Um but I want I want to know the way, and it doesn't just stop whenever you get into ministry and you start preaching and doing all of those things. Okay. So this is what I'm working on. Create a looking at creating like a rule of life, yeah, often, um, which changes all literally all the time. I'm like, okay, new rule.

SPEAKER_06 41:57

New rule, new rule, new rule, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:01

New rule all the time. Um, and yeah, just spending time. One thing that's been so helpful is the daily examine. Have you heard of this?

SPEAKER_06 42:10

Okay, so yes, but walk me through for folks that need to know, like, like the questions to ask ourselves. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:15

There's so many. There's ultimately it's the end of your day.

SPEAKER_06 42:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:18

Like, um, we have a confession liturgy that we say on Sunday mornings and Sunday evenings, but I it says I've left, like, what have I left undone? What have I done which I ought not to have done? And and thinking about that in the daily exam of like, what did I do today that I wasn't supposed to do?

SPEAKER_03 42:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:38

What did I not do that I was supposed to do? Yeah. So it's essentially looking through your entire day, yeah. Which I think most humans do that anyway. Like you ever get in bed at night and you're like, Oh, why did I say that to that person?

SPEAKER_06 42:52

Well, and then we reactively doom scroll for an hour.

SPEAKER_00 42:55

Yes, because we want to forget about it.

SPEAKER_06 42:57

But it's the Lord trying to numb me to my inactivity, oh Lord, we pray. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:03

Yes. And it's it's really formative to just think about it's not enough for us to do it once a year. Uh, we want to do it before New Year's. It's like what everyone does. Uh, but I don't know about you guys. I need it literally on the daily.

SPEAKER_03 43:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:18

What I what did I do, Lord? Yeah. How did you want to shape me today that I didn't pay attention to?

SPEAKER_03 43:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:23

And in these moments, the Lord helps me realize so so many things. Um, so it's been a really sweet practice for me. Read the Bible outside of your office time.

SPEAKER_06 43:33

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 43:34

Quit leaving your Bible at your desk.

SPEAKER_06 43:36

Oh my god. Well, first of all, get at least one Bible for your desk so that you can be tempted by reading it. True. Second of all, have a Bible that's not your phone with you outside of your office.

SPEAKER_01 43:46

Exactly. Yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_06 43:48

Stop by for more hot tips. But but but it is those little things, right? And I go back to like that is that is some of the things that tie together formationally. Like, like, yes, we want our students to have a deep understanding of the theology of who our God is amongst other religious figures. Yes, we want them to have a breadth of knowledge of how these 66 books that form a library that we call the Holy Bible, that is a miracle, have come together.

SPEAKER_01 44:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 44:19

But where it often starts is just having it close enough to them that they might weather a chance to open it. Yeah. Like the yes, we we we don't just want them to have a quiet time or devotion. That's that is not enough. That is not enough. But we have to figure out to right size it for the folks that we are serving. Like this is the challenge of the project of youth ministry is to make right-sized for a 13-year-old to keep them inquisitive, curious, and excited about, as you said so well earlier, uh, how long the road is. And I think that's really, really so that I do want to come back. I want to touch base on one more thing because you brought it up and I don't want it to pass by. We have a lot of folks that have student leadership teams that help with hospitality, greeting. Maybe they're a part of the worship team or they're a part of uh an event planning team. What are you the students in your formation team responsible for? And in what ways are they leading out in those formative things?

SPEAKER_01 45:21

Like, what does that look like? So we have moved away. Like I'm real big on language. I think language matters. So it does, it does. We've moved away from calling our student leaders our volunteers. So it may sound different. It sounds like they are student leaders, but they're leaders of our student ministry. So those are our volunteers. Um, and we have two streams of leadership.

SPEAKER_03 45:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 45:44

We have hospitality team and formation team. So our hospitality teams doing um like they're the people who want to be involved in student ministry, but don't want us in the small groups. And I like we've got to find a home for those people. Like we love and we need you also.

SPEAKER_06 46:00

I love teenagers. I don't know if I can lead the circle of them. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 46:04

Yes, exactly. And haven't we all said that before?

SPEAKER_06 46:07

Like, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:08

Uh and then we have our formation leaders who really, it's in the title, they are forming students in the way of Christ.

SPEAKER_04 46:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:15

So right now, um, like we are releasing podcasts to be able to train them in a way of like how do I lead a formation group? That's our version. I got kind of off, but of our uh service, it goes teaching and then formation groups. So they go into formation groups for 30 minutes. Really particular about the people who sure, sure.

SPEAKER_06 46:35

That's a that's a more specific role, right? This is specific. I mean, beyond just the humorous like hospitality, more folks could do it, less folks, fewer folks could be formation leaders, but rightly so, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Monthly Rhythm And Family Sabbath

SPEAKER_01 46:50

Well, formation leaders are spending more discipleship time with students than I am. And and so we are like very, very serious about what's happening within that group time, who those those people are. Are they living in the way of Christ? For example, anyone who wants to be a formation leader, they are going to through two interviews with either a parent or someone on staff and myself.

SPEAKER_03 47:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 47:12

We are contacting references, um, they are signing a leader manual, they are listening to about five podcasts because they're spending 30 minutes with students of just talking about the Bible. Like it has to be percent.

SPEAKER_06 47:25

Trusted.

SPEAKER_01 47:25

Um, yeah, and so that's sort of like our model. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 47:29

Love it.

SPEAKER_01 47:30

I welcome any other other questions.

SPEAKER_06 47:31

No, that's good. No, I think those are so many of the big questions. Um, as we finish up our time here, is there anything else from um this or from youth ministry conversation you'd want folks to know on the way out? I know you brought some notes and some reflections. Um, didn't want to miss some of the things that you had had had worked and prepared. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because we love our time together with you.

SPEAKER_01 47:50

Uh, I think one of the questions you had is how do you define a win when it comes to student discipleship? Yeah. I loved this question and we spent lots of time on it.

SPEAKER_03 47:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 47:59

We've developed that, like we say formation is long obedience in the same direction.

SPEAKER_03 48:03

Yeah, come on.

SPEAKER_01 48:04

So, what we're trying to develop is that students are creating an obedience through reading the scriptures, through praying, talking about the scriptures with one another. Um, and I think discipleship plans can easily become so detailed and like have so many, like you've got to reach all of these points and demanding, demanding, and that mission um starts to feel like impossible.

SPEAKER_03 48:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:24

And so what we desire instead is both simple and faithful, so that students learn how to be with Jesus. Yeah. We all learn how to sit with the Lord. Um, and as students spend time with Jesus, they begin to become like him. They're becoming like the Lord, and then as um students are formed inwardly, they are sent outwardly. So that's our discipleship plan.

SPEAKER_06 48:47

Formed inwardly and then sent outwardly. Yes. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:51

Because I told students this last week. When you truly love something, like you're eager to share it.

SPEAKER_03 48:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:58

You are like there's so many people, have you gotten the new iPhone?

SPEAKER_03 49:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 49:01

Why are you telling me about it? Because I love it.

SPEAKER_03 49:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 49:03

Yeah, we should when when are we gonna do this about a relationship with God? So I want students to be formed inwardly, but also see that this is something so important that students should share it, share outwardly. Um and so these rhythms shape parts over time. I've seen it, like we're we're working to develop this within our students, long obedience in the same direction, which means that we will see students be like Jesus and then not be like Jesus and then share it and then be scared to share it for like two months because it's just long obedience. Like we're all headed in the same direction, like I talked about earlier. The biggest thing we're struggling with is um, I think every student is struggling with this. The deeper you get into the word, like we teach students how to read the Bible and start reading the Bible, and then they read about the epic fall in Eden and the separation that this has caused between God and humanity. And then they start to see this sin, this disaster in Eden and Genesis seep into our own lives. And they're I'm not talking about sin in a way of like like it's just it's it's what we're dealing with. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's what it's what is it's the reality, like not to come on here and be like, oh everyone stop sinning. Like it's the reality that it is the thing that separates us from God. So students are like reading in that, um, they're realizing how long, like this is a hard journey, but it's like the Lord is faithful, his grace is so good, and he will guide us and lead us. Be obedient, like sit in the scriptures and be obedient to what God um is calling us all to do. Yeah, like know Christ, and then also make Christ known. And so this is the type of formation we're trying to develop in in students and love it.

SPEAKER_06 50:50

Well, friend, thank you so much for joining us today. I hope we could have more conversations soon about this. If you have questions for Ribbon, we'll drop some contact ways in the show notes below. But leave a comment, share how the ways in which you are uh feeling the challenges of what students need today and some of the responses that we're making for how we minister guide and shepherd in this age. So, Ribbon, thank you so much, my friend. So good to have you with us.

SPEAKER_01 51:11

Hey, wait, can I say something?

SPEAKER_06 51:12

Yeah, please, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:13

Uh, I'm praying for you guys and all of the people in ministry. What we're doing is not always easy. And I just ask, uh, my name is Ribbon, so please soak.

SPEAKER_06 51:23

Yes. Well, thank you so much, friend. And we'll see you all back next week. Uh hey, if you like this episode of Youth Minister Minister Podcast, make sure to check it out. Subscribe, rate, and review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube or wherever you get your podcast at. And if you'd like to hang out with other Youth Ministers in the area, check out Lifeway.com slash Essentials. We're gonna be in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Virginia, and North Carolina this spring, and we'd love to hang out for a free round table day with you. All you gotta do is sign up, bring your team, bring your leaders, bring your interns and friends, and we'll see you at lifeway.com slash essentials. We'll see you then.