Best LifeWay Student Ministry Podcasts (2026)

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Episode 378: Why Fun is Important for Youth Ministry 37:08

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2y ago37:08

37:08

Join us on this week’s podcast as they discuss why fun is an important element of youth ministry. Watch the podcast on YouTube here. About Chuck Peters Chuck Peters is Director […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 377: Setting Up Student Leadership Teams to Grow Youth Ministry 49:25

2y ago49:25

49:25

Join us on this week’s podcast as we discuss how to build and set up student leadership teams to help grow your youth ministry. Watch the podcast on YouTube here. […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 376: How To Be A Better Speaker 39:57

2y ago39:57

39:57

Join Ben, Zac, and Nathan on this week’s podcast as they talk about how to become a better speaker in youth ministry and share what they have learned over the […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 375: Managing Stress in Youth Ministry 31:34

2y ago31:34

31:34

“You are a human and the pastoring that you are doing filters through that. We have to remember that we are a human doing and not just a human being.” […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 374: Upgraded Pastries and Youth Ministry Conferences 25:41

2y ago25:41

25:41

“Try to upgrade your experience whenever you can. That may mean one nice meal or a little nicer hotel, that stays within budget, but this can be great for way […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 373: Pumpkin Spies 45:33

2y ago45:33

45:33

“Ministry doesn’t just happen when you control it” – Zac Workun “If we are not careful we can be calendar busy but not ministerially busy.” – Ben Trueblood About Ben […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 372: Your Role in Girls Ministry 37:49

2+ y ago37:49

37:49

“Girls ministry should always be a freeing thing.” – Amanda Mejias “Healthy ministry is when we are replaceable.” – Corinne Allen About Ben Trueblood Ben serves as the Director of […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 371: Building Real Relationships in Student Ministry 40:49

2+ y ago40:49

40:49

“Growing up friendship was easy but community was hard. True community is a group of people who push you and challenge you and call you up.” – Tega Faafa “Relationships […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 370: Did you know you could bonsai any tree? 42:34

2+ y ago42:34

42:34

“Volunteer recruitment is a premium right now. Spending the final few weeks of the summer focusing on volunteers helps the fall start off feeling really good.” – Ben Trueblood “The […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 369: Heat Index and a Cold Water Baptism 48:36

2+ y ago48:36

48:36

“Maybe what we see at camp is meant to push our low moments a little bit higher than they were before. Rather than my ministry needs to feel like camp […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 368: Calling out the Called 47:20

2+ y ago47:20

47:20

“Students connect to stories, so share your story about how God called you into ministry.” – Shane Pruitt “Invite people into your calendar to show them what ministry looks like […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 367: Start to Finish, a Conversation with Mark Dance 37:40

2+ y ago37:40

37:40

“We need to talk less and listen more.” – Mark Dance “Time management is a big challenge that needs to be a priority in your life.” – Mark Dance Mark […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 366: Urgent Care 1:06:17

2+ y ago1:06:17

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“When the busy is the result of procrastination or the wrong priorities, it makes it hard to get the rest we need.” – Zac Workun “You are measured by who […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 365: A Conversation with Zach Wyatt 41:46

2+ y ago41:46

41:46

“Finding community with other student pastors is vitally important ” – Zach Wyatt “Student pastors have to focus on more than just their strategic ministry. Their personal walk with The […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 364: Creating Traditions 47:14

2+ y ago47:14

47:14

“Often students remember serving or time spent in their small group with a leader over coffee or lunch, and it’s those moments that tend to last. What would it look […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 363: A Conversation with Lee Wilson 54:35

2+ y ago54:35

54:35

“Find someone who you can be accountable to who doesn’t care about your title or your past.” – Lee Wilson “My first ministry is my family.” – Lee Wilson Lee […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 362: Oklahoma Crepes 52:37

3y ago52:37

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“If you have to do ministry with less, then you can do a lot with relationships and being people.” – Ben Trueblood “The challenge in ministry beyond what we say […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 361: A Conversation with Curtis Zackery 1:08:00

3y ago1:08:00

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“Spiritual disciplines should be intentional, substantial, and sustainable” – Curtis Zackery “Suffering allows us to see who we are now because of what we have experienced.” – Curtis Zackery Curtis Zackery (CZ) is known […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 360: A Conversation with Dr. Loritts 1:09:47

3y ago1:09:47

1:09:47

“Ethnic unity can only come through relationships. Proximity creates empathy. ” – Dr. Bryan Loritts Dr. Bryan Loritts (D.Min., Liberty University) is the Teaching Pastor at The Summit Church. An […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 359: A Conversation with Jeff Wallace 1:20:20

3y ago1:20:20

1:20:20

“My mom didn’t want me to have a single story perspective. She wanted me to see the heart of the man before I saw the face of the man.” – […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 358: The Art of Communication 30:29

3y ago30:29

30:29

“You communicate not just from stage but also in the way you write emails, train volunteers, budget, and through many other ways.” – Ben Trueblood About Ben Trueblood Ben serves […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 357: Wake Up Cake 41:02

3y ago41:02

41:02

“There are things that frustrate us that we can’t control but I think even in those areas there are things that we can control. When we get stuck on the […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 356: What’s New? 30:39

3y ago30:39

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“Continue to challenge yourself to do something new. This does not always have to be something brand new but can be tweaking something to make it better.” – Ben Trueblood […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 355: Bizzaro World & A Happy New Year 41:55

3y ago41:55

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“We need to help our students fight loneliness for themselves but also understand the loneliness epidemic around to help students engage in a lost world.” – Chad Higgins “Creating a […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 354: Unbound 28:47

3y ago28:47

28:47

“Jesus is not content to let Lazarus live his new life in his grave clothes. What would it look like if we removed the grave clothes from our lives and […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 353: Admin All-Star 31:34

3y ago31:34

31:34

“Your administrative ability will become your lid to effectiveness. Those who are able to push through that administrative barrier, develop their skills, and execute the to-do lists of ministry, are […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 352: Leading before you’re ready 36:41

3y ago36:41

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“You don’t have to be an expert on everything, you just need to bring to the table what you are good at.” – Sam Landrith “Learning from mentors, or through […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 351: Student Ministry and Faith Deconstruction 41:56

3y ago41:56

41:56

“Students who have a strong and vibrant faith have a leader who poured into them and invested in them.” – JC Groves “Students need to see faithful adults living out […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 350: Neck Pillow and Witch’s Fingers 47:34

3y ago47:34

47:34

“If you are waiting for the students in the chair to set the energy level for the fun element, it may never come.” Chad Higgins “Is important to connect the […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 349: Contextualizing the Gospel and Youth Culture 43:20

3y ago43:20

43:20

“Contextualization is really about effective communication and making sure what we say is the same thing that is received. I am not changing the message, I am just making sure […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 148: Next Gen Ministry 41:07

3y ago41:07

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“Kids and student ministry leaders need to work together to create a discipleship plan that goes from preschool through high school.” – Crystal Mazzuca “Creating a strategic next gen ministry […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 347: Out of the Office but in Our Hearts 30:07

3y ago30:07

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“Help your leaders manage their time by not putting too many events on their calendar during busy seasons.” – Ben Trueblood “We need to make sure that we get rest […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 346: Navigating the Holiday Season 23:17

3y ago23:17

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“We need to think about the people we are leading and think about their calendar as well. We may be unintentionally filling the ministry calendar, making it difficult for our […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 345: What Gaming Taught Me About Student Ministry 36:27

3y ago36:27

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“Your mission is unchangeable, but the strategy and how you accomplish the mission can be different. Surround yourself with people who think about things in a different way. There might […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 344: Know Thy Gamer 43:25

3y ago43:25

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“Video games become accessible playgrounds in a world where many physical playgrounds are no longer safe. There are dangers in this digital playground and we need to educate ourselves about […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 343: Following Jesus in a Digital Age 41:30

3+ y ago41:30

41:30

“We need to peel back the layers of how technology is shaping our world view.” – Jason Thacker “The end of the story is written. Technology might change our world […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 342: Live from a CB Radio 43:59

3+ y ago43:59

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“Communicating with your boss and leaders in their preferred style goes a long way in earning trust and relational credibility with them.” – Ben Trueblood “If we get organized and […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 341: One Question to Ask Every Parent 36:03

3+ y ago36:03

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“Ask parents this question, how can we partner in how God is working in your teenager?” – Dr. Kara Powell “Parents have more time to influence their kids than youth […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 340: Fruitful Theology 38:59

3+ y ago38:59

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“We are all theologians because anyone who has thoughts about God is a theologian.” – Ronni Kurtz “A deep contemplation of God and all things in relation to God can […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 229: Patchwork Potluck 38:36

3+ y ago38:36

38:36

“The big questions is when we feel inadequate, what we do after that feeling. That to me seems to be the marker of how we are handling the situation and […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 338: High Altitude Berries 40:47

3+ y ago40:47

40:47

“Before you leave the church on Sunday, make sure you look and plan your next week so that you can start well.” – Ben Trueblood About Ben Trueblood Ben serves […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 337: Rescue A Generation 32:48

3+ y ago32:48

32:48

“Every person in youth ministry needs to know how to do it effectively and remain healthy through the process so that you don’t burn out, punk out, or back out […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 336: Conversations That Help You Grow 41:00

3+ y ago41:00

41:00

“In our mastermind we would take time to hear how student ministry was going in different areas across the country. It is amazing to see how God is moving in […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 335: Boost Your Student Ministry 30:55

3+ y ago30:55

30:55

“The health of you as a minister is vital. Your health will be less if you do not surround yourself with others who can support you, who you can learn […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 334: An Oxford Shirt and an Ogden 33:20

3+ y ago33:20

33:20

“Do not lose heart student ministers. Students improve year over year and not always Wednesday to Wednesday” – Zac Workun “When you go to sporting event for students, realize that […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 333: Theology in Student Ministry 39:36

3+ y ago39:36

39:36

“Youth pastor theologians need to be able to take something that is complicated and show you how simple it is to help students understand it better.” – Mike McGarry Mike […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 332: A Conversation with Levi Lusko 29:22

3+ y ago29:22

29:22

“Jesus spent time with people and we must not forget to minister that way.” – Levi Lusko “The number one thing I have been praying for is for salvations.” – […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 331: Attacking Apathy 35:57

3+ y ago35:57

35:57

“Create a community among volunteers where they can’t imagine doing anything else.” – Dr. Allen Jackson Dr Allen Jackson is the Senior Pastor at Dunwoody Baptist Church. He returned to […]By Lifeway Students

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Episode 330: Leading a Team of Leaders 40:34

3+ y ago40:34

40:34

“Make sure that your leaders understand the mission, vision, and culture of your ministry and that everything funnels through that.” – Jason Mick “You have to have everyone on the […]By Lifeway Students