Best Steve Cullum Podcasts (2025)

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157: What's in a Ministry Name? 8:17

2d ago8:17

8:17

Does every ministry need a catchy name? Should it match your church’s branding—or stand out on its own? And what if your youth group’s name already sounds like a dozen others? In this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we’ll break down six essential questions to ask before naming—or renaming—your ministry or program, so you can avoid confusion…

1
156: Collaborating for Bigger Impact with Dan Lynch 49:07

16d ago49:07

49:07

Ever wondered how collaboration among churches can create a powerful outreach opportunity? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve talks with Dan Lynch about his faith journey and his experience guiding about 50 churches that collaborate every year for camp. They talk about what it takes to create an impactful, large-scale youth retre…

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155: Planning Ahead for Mission Trips 11:31

1M ago11:31

11:31

Mission trips can be life changing for students, but if they're not planned well, they can be disastrous. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve breaks down 3 crucial areas to focus on to set up our trips for the biggest impact. Links referenced in this episode: Save $25 off your Orange Conference 2025 ticket by visiting https://bit…

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154: Why Attend Conferences? 5:36

2M ago5:36

5:36

On this quick episode of Student Ministry Connection, we're talking about one thing you can do to both connect with others and grow in your ministry: conferences. Steve shares 3 reasons why they're important where you can find them. Links referenced in this episode: Steve's list of youth leader conferences is at https://stevecullum.com/2024/11/04/y…

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153: Theology of Fun and Games with Mike McGarry 46:38

2M ago46:38

46:38

Games in student ministry—some love them, some avoid them, but could they actually be a key tool for deeper discipleship? On this episode, Steve talks with Mike McGarry about the theology of fun and games—why they matter, how they can open the door to meaningful conversations, and how to use them effectively in your ministry. Get ready to rethink h…

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152: Make it Middle School with Ashley Bohinc 41:52

2M ago41:52

41:52

Middle schoolers are full of energy, questions, and chaos—but they’re also at one of the most pivotal moments in their faith journey. So how can we better connect with them and create a ministry that truly meets them where they are? My guest today has dedicated her life and ministry to helping churches do just that. On this episode of Student Minis…

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151: Unlocking Ministry Potential with Derry Prenkert 47:26

3M ago47:26

47:26

What if you could unlock a deeper understanding of how you work best in ministry? What if a simple tool could help you and your team thrive instead of just survive? In this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve talks with veteran youth pastor and ministry coach Derry Prenkert about the power of ministry coaching, the Working Genius assessm…

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150: Getting Students to Return 12:10

3M ago12:10

12:10

How do we keep students coming back to our ministry and our programs? What's going to help us open that front door really wide, but close that back door so that they don't escape and never experience the Christian community that we're creating in our student ministries? Well, that's exactly what we're talking about on this quick episode of Student…

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149: Growing a Student Ministry 11:21

4M ago11:21

11:21

How do you grow a youth group? And what does that even mean? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve digs into what growth should look like and how we can shift our priorities to get there. It starts by shifting our focus away from program growth to growing students and the Kingdom in these 3 ways: Equipping and empowering students to…

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148: Highlights from 2024 Guests 29:39

4M ago29:39

29:39

We had some great guests in 2024, so on this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we highlight some of the best moments from this year, including topics like: youth pastor compensation, empowering teenagers, anxiety, being fired, helping kids enter our student ministry, keeping students attention while teaching, using artificial intelligence, tr…

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147: When to Stay or Go with Todd Pearage 48:51

5M ago48:51

48:51

When do you know it’s time to move on from either a specific church or from student ministry altogether? This is a question we’ve all asked at some point, which is why we’re talking about it on this episode of Student Ministry Connection. Todd Pearage joins Steve to discuss some practical things to look for and some solid resources that will help y…

1
146: Practicing Thankfulness 6:57

5M ago6:57

6:57

How can we practice the thankful attitude that Paul talks about in Colossians 2 and 3, especially in the middle of busyness, divisiveness, and struggles? On this quick episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve shares a simple method to remain thankful and shares some of the things he is thankful for, including you. Links referenced in this epis…

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145: Equipping Teen Evangelists with Andi Custer 38:35

6M ago38:35

38:35

Imagine a high school where students are leading their friends to Jesus, where outreach happens in the cafeteria, and the gospel is shared in classrooms across the campus. This isn’t just a dream—it’s happening right now, with over 10,000 students responding to the gospel through student-led events in their schools. On this episode of Student Minis…

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144: Keys to Healthy Ministry with Dustin Fisher 35:22

6M ago35:22

35:22

If we want to be healthy ministry leaders, there are 3 big connections we need to focus on. First, we have to be pursuing Jesus. And the other 2 connections we need are with a network of other youth leaders and with a ministry coach or mentor. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Dustin Fisher joins Steve to discuss how you can make both…

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143: Longevity in Student Ministry with Jeff Glenn 57:23

7M ago57:23

57:23

How do we stay in student ministry for the long haul? And what would it look like to be at a church for 10, 15, 20, or more years? That’s exactly what Steve talks about with Jeff Glenn on this episode of Student Ministry Connection. Before stepping into his role with National Network of Youth Ministries, he served as youth pastor of a church for ov…

1
142: Ministry on a Small Budget 21:31

7M ago21:31

21:31

How do you make every dollar count in student ministry? Whether you’re working with a tight budget or just looking for ways to save, today’s episode is packed with practical tips to help you stretch your resources and still have an impact. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we dive into 15 tips on how you can maximize your student mini…

1
141: Budgeting and Fundraising 22:14

8M ago22:14

22:14

Are you struggling to stretch your budget for student ministry or wondering how to fund that next big event? In this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve shares some practical tips to overcome budgeting challenges and offers advice on establishing, managing, and requesting a budget, along with strategies for effective fundraising. Emphasiz…

1
140: Single, Dating, Friendships, and Romance with Heather Flies and Tony Myles 42:32

8M ago42:32

42:32

How can we go beyond just teaching about singleness, dating, friendships, and romance at youth group? What if there was a resource that walked students through all of those topics in just 4 weeks, addressing many of the answers they already have, and offering solid interactive questions that were rooted in Scripture? Thankfully, our guests just wro…

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139: Using AI in Student Ministry with Tom Pounder 42:54

8M ago42:54

42:54

Have you wondered how artificial intelligence could change the way you connect with your students? Maybe you’re curious about how AI can help you create more engaging content, streamline communication, or even better connect with your students. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Tom Pounder joins Steve to discuss some practical ways to…

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138: Help Parents Have Better Conversations with their Teenagers 7:19

9M ago7:19

7:19

A student gets home from youth group, camp, or a mission trip, and the parent asks how it was and all they hear is “good.” How can we help parents have better conversations with their teenagers? On this quick episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve shares 5 ways we can help parents to have good conversations with their kids. Sponsor for this …

1
137: How to Evaluate and Change Your Ministry 17:55

9M ago17:55

17:55

How do you know when it's time to change or quit doing a program? When is it time to change up the way you do youth group, camp, mission trips, or even VBS? On this quick-hit episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve shares how to evaluate ministry programs and some ways to go about modifying or letting them go when it's time to change it up. S…

1
136: Staying Connected to the Vine with Candice Wynn 39:19

10M ago39:19

39:19

Why is it sometimes so easy for us to forget Jesus in the middle of ministry? We get caught up in the doing of ministry and don’t spend much time with Jesus himself, the vine (John 15). On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Candice Wynn joins us to talk about staying connected to Jesus and also about her brand new ministry, BOON. Sponsor …

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135: Keeping a Kingdom Mindset with Steve White 38:15

10M ago38:15

38:15

How do we respond when someone decides to leave your church or ministry? Do we have a castle mindset or a kingdom mindset, seeing the bigger picture of the entire church? Steve White joins us this week discuss what it’s like to have a kingdom mindset and keep it. Sponsor for this episode of podcast: G Shades - https://gshades.org (Use code CONNECTI…

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134: GLS NextGen with Jenna Istvanik and Mariana Rubinec 20:17

11M ago20:17

20:17

How can we train up the next generation of leaders? The Global Leadership Summit has been thinking about that very question and they're ready to answer. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we talk with Jenna Istvanik and Mariana Rubinec, two young leaders from GLS NextGen about what we can expect from this year's event, why you should …

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133: Captivating Students' Attention When Teaching with Mike Haynes 39:03

11M ago39:03

39:03

We've all been there... You're teaching a group of teenagers, but one or more of them aren't paying attention. Frustrating, right? So how do we teach in a way that draws teenagers in and encourages them to engage rather than being distracted by their friends' phones or more. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve is joined by Mike Ha…

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132: Raising Up the Next Generation of Leaders 18:13

12M ago18:13

18:13

How did you get started in student ministry? And what are you doing to raise up the next generation of leaders? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve talks about how he got started and also provides some resources that we think will really help us in raising the next generation of leaders that will come after us. Links referenced in…

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131: Here for It - Orange Conference 2024 Recap 16:11

1y ago16:11

16:11

Are you here for it? This question was posed at The Orange Conference 2024, and throughout the event, we had main stage and workshop speakers helping us understand how God is here for it and how we can be here for it in order to reach this next generation for Christ. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve is joined by several confere…

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130: Seamlessly Transition Kids into Student Ministry with Jay Reynolds 58:12

1y ago58:12

58:12

How do we transition students well from kids ministry to student ministry? How do we walk with parents during this time? And how do we come alongside families during this time of high anxiety? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Jay Reynolds joins Steve to share how he and his church have created a seamless transition in their ministry …

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129: Recovering After Being Fired with Kyle Isabelli 47:52

1y ago47:52

47:52

Have you ever been fired or maybe in a ministry that just wasn’t working? And then wondered how you can bounce back from that? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Kyle Isabelli, pastor and author of Refined by the Fire(d), shares about his experience with getting fired and how God refined him through it and eventually began redeeming it…

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128: Celebrating High School Graduates 13:59

1y ago13:59

13:59

How do you celebrate your high school graduates? This question pops up a lot in youth ministry circles, especially in late winter and early spring. So on this quick-hit episode of Student Ministry Connection, we’re getting really practical. Steve shares what he's done over the last several years in hopes that it might help you as you think about yo…

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127: A Non-Anxious Life with Alan Fadling 40:27

1y ago40:27

40:27

While we know anxiety is runny rampant in the teenagers we serve, many of us have probably not stopped long enough to realize it has affected many of us as well. Alan Fadling joins Steve to talk about his Unhurried Living ministry and his brand new book, A Non-Anxious Life. Even if you feel pretty healthy right now, it’s important to think about th…

1
126: Empowering Students to Change the World with Billy McMahan 45:53

1y ago45:53

45:53

Are we going about student ministry the right way? Are we giving this next generation all they need to become the world-changers that God has created them to be? How do we remove the obstacles and set them up for God-defined success? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Billy McMahan joins Steve for a candid conversation about what stude…

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125: Youth Pastor Compensation Update 2024 with Dan Navarra 1:00:59

1y ago1:00:59

1:00:59

How much should the average youth pastor make? How can we'd set ourselves up to get a raise? And how much does your church size, ministry size, tenure, and education factor into your pay? If you have questions about youth pastor compensation, this is the episode for you! On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Dan Navarra joins us to unpack…

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124: Networking Crossover with Free Refills Podcast 35:44

1+ y ago35:44

35:44

Are you connected with other youth leaders around you? In this Student Ministry Connection and Free Refills crossover episode, Wayne Morgan, Travis Deans, and Steve talk about why it's important to find a network, how they've been blessed by ministry networks, and how they originally got connected with National Network of Youth Ministries. Links re…

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123: The Importance of Rest 20:46

1+ y ago20:46

20:46

What does it mean to rest? And how can we rest when there is so much to do? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve takes a moment to share some of what he's learned over the past several years on the topic of rest, especially as it pertains to us in student ministry. If we are going to do well in this ministry, we need to find fulfil…

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122: Multiplied Impact on Students with Bill Freund 41:02

1+ y ago41:02

41:02

How can we multiply the amount of teenagers we’re reaching in our community? Many of us might think it has to do with bigger events and more programs, but our guest, "Mr. Bill" Freund, who has been a very successful youth pastor for a long time, says it’s more about focusing on the right things. What are those right things? Get ready to take some n…

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121: How to Help Teens Not Graduate from Their Faith 13:00

1+ y ago13:00

13:00

Each year, high school seniors are excited to finish their education and graduate. Many churches, however, are not too excited, because they fear these students will also graduate from their faith in God. Many of us are all too familiar with teenagers who walk away from the church and their faith when they leave youth group. So in this episode, Ste…

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120: Equipping Parents to be Spiritual Leaders with Sam McDowell 43:38

1+ y ago43:38

43:38

What does it look like to not only share Jesus with the next generation but to also equip parents as the spiritual leaders in their homes? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we’ll talk with Sam McDowell, author of Parent Equip, about what all of that means and share some practical steps on how youth leaders can take equip parents in wh…

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119: Reasons to Take Holiday Breaks 8:36

1+ y ago8:36

8:36

Should we take a break from our student ministry over the holidays, canceling our programs that week. This is a common question among youth leaders. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we share five reasons of why it's important to take a break over the holidays. Links referenced in this episode: Read about 5 Youth Ministry fixtures th…

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118: What Parents Want Youth Pastors to Know with Michelle Greger 26:27

1+ y ago26:27

26:27

While we often talk about the importance of partnering with parents, what does that actually look like? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we brought on a parent to ask her directly what she has appreciated and what she believes all youth pastors should know. Links referenced in this episode: Email Michelle at [email protected] Lear…

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117: Cobra Kai Youth Ministry with Travis Deans 34:41

1+ y ago34:41

34:41

How can we take a Cobra Kai approach to our ministry? I don’t necessarily mean how can we strike first and strike hard and show no mercy, but how can we take some of the principles we see in that show and apply them to our ministry with teenagers. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Travis Deans joins us to discuss what we can learn fro…

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116: Bivocational Student Ministry with Caleb Julin 52:23

1+ y ago52:23

52:23

Are you a bivocational youth leader, or are you curious what it’s like to be bivocational, where your ministry is not your only source of income? Maybe you’re wondering how you can even do that. While it’s not for everyone, Caleb Julin joins us to talk about how he’s balancing everything and also writing a huge Bible study series that he’s giving a…

1
115: Empowering and Multiplying a Student Ministry Team 18:29

1+ y ago18:29

18:29

Once we have our student ministry team, and we’ve begun to train them, what do we do with them? Where exactly can they serve in the ministry, and how do we set them up for success now and in the future? This is part 3 of Student Ministry Connection’s mini-series on teams, and today we’re talking about sending that team through empowerment and multi…

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114: Training and Discipling a Student Ministry Team 17:40

1+ y ago17:40

17:40

How do we help our leaders become better leaders, setting them up to succeed? And how can we continue to develop them with the skills and abilities they need, as well as help them grow as a follow of Jesus? This is part 2 of Student Ministry Connection’s mini-series on teams. On this episode, we talk about equipping and discipling them. Links refer…

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113: Forming and Onboarding a Student Ministry Team 15:30

1+ y ago15:30

15:30

Whether you’re a full-time youth pastor or a very part-time volunteer, along the way, we've all realized we can only do so much our own. On top of that, we need to build something that doesn’t rely solely on us. So welcome to Student Ministry Connection’s 3-part mini-series of podcast episodes focused on student ministry teams. This episode is all …

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112: Mental Health and Teenagers with Dr. Chinwé Williams 33:18

1+ y ago33:18

33:18

It’s no secret that teenagers all over are dealing with anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and all kinds of mental health struggles. So how do we support them? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, we are joined by Dr. Chinwé Williams to talk about mental health and teenagers. Among many things, Dr. Williams is a licensed and board-c…

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111: Thriving During Camp 16:47

2y ago16:47

16:47

Camps, mission trips, and retreats are great for those times when we can get away and spend longer uninterrupted time with a group of leaders and students. But how do we make it through those times without feeling incredibly tired and burned out? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve offers 3 tips that can help you not only survive …

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110: Successful Camp Ministry with Jeff Harding 39:37

2y ago39:37

39:37

How do we prepare for camp, what do we do during camp, and what is our process for following up and evaluating after camp? It's important to have dedicated experiences within student ministry like camps, mission trips, retreats, and more. On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Jeff Harding, of the Youth Ministry Maverick podcast, shares so…

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109: Starting or Rebuilding a Student Ministry 15:21

2y ago15:21

15:21

How do I start a youth group? How do I re-build a student ministry? How do I go from being a volunteer to the paid youth pastor? What should I focus on when starting a youth ministry? How do I go from ministering at one church to another one? On this episode of Student Ministry Connection, Steve gives 5 tips addressing these questions. Links refere…

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108: Adapting for Context with Brooklyn Lindsey 35:24

2y ago35:24

35:24

Picture this… You’ve gone to a conference, or you’ve read this amazing book, you found a great curriculum, or you heard about this awesome event from another youth pastor, or even from a podcast. And you’re so excited to put it into practice, but then it fails. What happened? More than likely, you didn’t contextualize the idea for your ministry. On…

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Steve Cullum Podcasts

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