Beyond the Event: A Youth Ministry Podcast

BTE 5.15 Summers Off vs. Regular Programming: Part 2 with Hannah Helwege and Lane Moss

Mailbag questions or topic suggestions? Text us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1869215/fan_mail/new] Summer can either empty out your youth ministry calendar or expose what was never sustainable to begin with. We sit down with Hannah Helwege from New Life Church in Colorado Springs to get specific about what actually works when school gets out, sports and theater shift, and families finally have breathing room. If you’re a youth pastor trying to build summer programming that keeps students engaged and keeps leaders healthy, you’ll hear practical rhythms you can borrow immediately. Hannah serves in a multi-congregational church where each congregation has real autonomy, which means student ministry can be shaped around local schools and real family schedules. We break down her baseline weekly plan for middle school and high school, why they meet when they meet, and how she thinks about consistency versus flexibility. Then we zoom out to the bigger summer moments like conferences, serving opportunities, and CIY MOVE, including how she’s using camp as a launchpad for incoming freshmen and a capstone option for seniors. The heart of the conversation is follow-up. We talk about testimony nights right after returning, one-on-one and small-group conversations in the weeks that follow, and how to mobilize volunteer leaders so students don’t come home from a “mountaintop experience” and get dropped back into isolation. We also cover long-range planning outside the summer rush, simplifying teaching to create margin, and protecting Sabbath with a church culture that treats rest as obedience, not a luxury. Subscribe wherever you listen, share this with a youth pastor who’s building their summer calendar, and leave a review with the one summer rhythm you’re committing to this year.

BTE 5.14 Summers Off vs. Regular Programming: Part 1 with Tyler Lane and Brittany Shoemake

Mailbag questions or topic suggestions? Text us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1869215/fan_mail/new] Summer doesn’t just disrupt student schedules, it disrupts your ministry’s rhythm. And when families are already juggling travel, sports, camps, and changing routines, adding a calendar full of one off events and long breaks can quietly drain momentum. We wrestle with a simple question: if Wednesday night is the one predictable thing you can offer, why would you remove it? Tyler Lane, next gen pastor at Valley Real Life in Spokane, shares how his team is rethinking summer youth ministry programming around consistency. We talk about what teenagers actually need when life gets chaotic, how to keep meeting even when volunteer availability drops, and why “unplugged” summer nights can drive more relational ministry than a rigid school year format. Tyler also gets practical about simplifying worship and teaching, planning early, and empowering key volunteers and students to lead so the ministry doesn’t depend on staff doing everything. You’ll also hear about Engage mission trips and the reality of leading across time zones, plus travel tips that only come from experience. If you’re deciding whether to pause youth group for summer, radically change it, or keep it steady, this conversation gives you a framework, not just ideas. Subscribe, share this with a youth leader on your team, and leave a review. What does summer look like in your ministry right now?

BTE 5.13 Phones on Trips vs. No Phones on Trips: Part 2 with Matt Stevens and Korey Klein

Mailbag questions or topic suggestions? Text us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1869215/fan_mail/new] Confiscate every phone or teach teens how to use them well? We invite Matt Stevens from Calvary Christian Church in Omaha to unpack a wiser middle path that keeps safety high, communication clear, and discipleship at the center. Matt walks us through how his team uses a shared channel to coordinate hundreds of students on campus, why parents relax when there’s a direct line to their kids, and how simple expectations—phones away in session, focused small groups, presence over scrolling—turn devices from a distraction into a tool. We dig into the moments that test any policy: late-night scheming, social media spirals, and the ever-present risk of missed messages. Matt’s answer isn’t a lockbox; it’s culture. He loops parents in early, treats issues as relational not punitive, and empowers student leaders to model the standard and nudge peers back to attention. That self-policing is gold, because it builds ownership that lasts long after the bus ride home. We also explore how school restrictions have already trained students to respect time-and-place phone rules, making ministry expectations more natural than many adults assume. Along the way, we trade stories from the Superstart tour, celebrate the hospitality of host churches, and name practical guardrails any group can adopt this summer: one communication hub, clear non-negotiables, visible leaders during free time, and a consistent “if it becomes a problem” pathway. The goal isn’t to win a tech debate; it’s to form disciples who can live wisely in a digital world they won’t escape. If you’re building your trip policy now, this conversation offers a workable framework you can adapt to your context. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a ministry friend, and leave a review. Your feedback helps more leaders find practical ideas they can use this week.

BTE 5.12 Phones on Trips vs. No Phones on Trips: Part 1 with Matt Tibbit and Caleb DeRoin

Mailbag questions or topic suggestions? Text us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1869215/fan_mail/new] What if a single boundary could transform your next youth trip? We sit down with Arkansas youth pastor Matt Tibbit, who has led students for 20 years without allowing phones at camp. His reasoning is simple and sharp: protect attention, protect safety, and give students a rare chance to belong without the pull of a screen. Matt walks us through the practical side—how his team handles parent communication using leader phones, why bright ID bracelets include staff numbers, and how a strict buddy system turns a big campus into a safer, smaller community. The surprising part isn’t the policy. It’s the fruit. Van rides become instant mixers full of card games, jokes, and stories that set up small groups for depth. Free time shifts from solo scrolling to shared memories. Anxiety over losing a “lifeline” eases within days as students discover they can navigate with a paper schedule, ask a leader, or simply follow their group. Parents get on board quickly, often because they see noticeable change when their kids come home—more present, more joyful, and more connected. We also dig into the bigger picture: how constant connectivity fuels distraction and comparison, why Gen Z and Gen Alpha are increasingly open to analog moments, and where phone discipleship best fits into a ministry calendar. Matt argues camp is for eternal work—scripture, repentance, calling, and unity—while the other 51 weeks are ideal for teaching wise tech habits. If you’ve wondered whether a phone-free week is possible, this conversation delivers both conviction and a clear blueprint you can adapt, from paper maps to nightly group movement rules. Subscribe for part two, where we explore the other side: the case for allowing phones and coaching students to use them well. If this episode helped you think differently about trip policies, share it with a leader friend and leave a review so more youth workers can find it.

BTE 5.11 Tried and True Programming vs. Something New: Part 2 with Tyler Hensley and Katelyn Adams

Mailbag questions or topic suggestions? Text us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1869215/fan_mail/new] When the Spirit nudges your ministry to change, do you add another program—or clear the calendar and listen? We sit down with student pastor Tyler Hensley from Forum Christian Church to unpack a bold move: cutting Sunday class so students worship with the whole church and step into meaningful serving roles. It wasn’t easy, especially after COVID, but the long-term fruit is clear—deeper intergenerational ties, a thriving midweek, and students who own their faith by leading in kids, middle school, worship, and tech. We also open the hood on CIY’s Follow Through app, a free tool that helps churches guide students from event decisions to everyday discipleship. Tyler explains how students choose pathways like vocational ministry or Kingdom Worker, connect with mentors, and work through content while church admins track progress in a simple dashboard. If you’ve been looking for a smarter way to support commitments made at MOVE or MIX, this is your on-ramp to consistent mentoring, parent resourcing, and better follow-up. What stands out most is the renewed hunger for Scripture. Instead of quick topical series, Tyler’s students asked for the whole story—so they’re studying Revelation on Sundays and spending sixteen weeks in Exodus on Wednesdays. We talk practical planning for summer, balancing leader and student feedback, and building post-event momentum with 21-day Rhythms journals. Above all, we come back to a simple conviction: the message of Jesus doesn’t change, but our methods should, because generations do. If you’re wrestling with what to cut, where to focus, and how to sustain growth between mountaintops, this conversation will help you act with clarity and courage. Subscribe, share with a fellow leader, and leave a review to tell us where the Spirit is leading your ministry next.