Phil Johnson shares how to create a youth ministry culture centered on missional living by modeling authentic evangelism and celebrating students who live out the Great Commission in their daily lives.

• Discipleship and evangelism should be integrated, not treated as separate ministry focuses
• Creating a missional culture starts with what we celebrate in our youth ministry
• Students often focus on their unique calling while neglecting the broader mission of sharing Jesus
• What gets celebrated gets remembered, gets repeated, and gets replicated
• Personal stories of life transformation carry more weight than theoretical teaching
• The priority should be falling in love with the mission before pursuing specific assignments
• Gen Alpha seeks adults who will slow down and walk with them through their questions
• Building a missional culture takes years of consistent modeling and intentional celebration
• Ministry leaders should not only share the gospel from stage but model evangelism in daily life
• Practical elements like mission trips and campus outreach reinforce missional values

Utilize the Vitals for Youth Ministry assessment tool with 25 questions that will give you a health score on each of the five vitals.

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Check out the FREE youth ministry resource Vitals for Youth Ministry by clicking below!

https://www.leadthegeneration.com/vitals

Connect with the hosts!

Eran Holt - Director of Lead the Generation

📸 - @eranholt

Caleb Leake - Youth Pastor at Allison Park Church

📸 - @calebmleake

Joseph Kellogg shares his strategic approach to leadership development in youth ministry, focusing on how to mobilize leaders for a missional youth movement. His four-year strategy prioritizes multiplication at every level, creating systems that transform followers into commissioned leaders who can effectively reach Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

• Joseph has been in youth ministry for 24 years and recently returned to lead youth pastor role at Victory Church in Tulsa
• The key to reaching 30,000 teenagers in his area is building a robust leadership pipeline
• Added 50 new leaders in three months through "intense intentionality" in recruiting
• Created clear pathways for leadership from student leaders to adult team leads
• Leadership development meetings called "Heart and Soul" provide monthly training and connection
• Measures success by leadership multiplication metrics, not attendance numbers
• Uses Jesus' model of calling, championing, coaching, and commissioning leaders
• Recommends starting with a mindset of "refusing to do ministry alone"
• Encourages youth pastors to identify specific ministry roles and turn them into teams
• Connect people's passions to their purpose by offering various commitment levels
• Create regular leadership huddles before and after services to build team culture

Join Joseph at the Healthy Youth Ministry Conference on October 6-7 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Connect with him on Instagram @JosephKellogg for more youth ministry resources and coaching opportunities.

https://www.hymconference.com/national-conference

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We explore how gospel fluency should be at the center of youth ministry, extending beyond just the moment of salvation to transform every aspect of students' lives and propel them into mission.

• Gospel fluency is often overlooked because we assume students already understand the basics
• Students live in a works-based world where they're constantly graded on performance, which is contrary to the gospel message
• The gospel is not just about the moment of salvation but applies to the entire process of sanctification
• True gospel fluency moves students from behavior modification to heart transformation
• When students truly grasp the gospel, they become mission-focused and actively share their faith
• The goal is to help students see Jesus not just as Savior but as Lord of their lives
• Every sermon topic should connect back to the gospel and lead students to active mission
• Youth pastors should focus on giving students practical next steps rather than just measuring altar responses
• Students need to develop spiritual ownership rather than depending solely on the youth pastor's teaching

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Terry Parkman shares how youth ministry is fundamentally shifting from attractional to missional models, requiring leaders to focus on transforming students rather than merely entertaining them.

• Youth ministry is at a tipping point where effective ministries will focus on outcomes (life transformation) rather than outputs (attendance numbers)
• Today's young people aren't seeking entertainment but purpose—they want to find their people and their purpose
• Missional preaching equips students for real-world application, not just emotional altar moments
• Discipleship has been diluted to mere relationships, but true discipleship produces people who look more like Jesus
• Small groups remain valuable but must be led by deeply committed leaders who pay the price of ministry
• Raising the bar for volunteer leaders actually attracts more high-quality volunteers seeking meaningful involvement
• Leaders can maintain attractional elements (good hospitality, engaging environments) while adopting a missional model
• The primary question for youth pastors: are you building into what young people become or just getting people in the room?

Mark your calendars: Lead the Generation Conference returns April 25, 2026 featuring Terry Parkman as a main session speaker.

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Reggie Hill, Young Adults Pastor at Journey Church in Kenosha, Wisconsin, shares his expertise on leadership development in youth ministry and how to avoid becoming "the lid" to your own ministry.

• Shifting from being the superhero who does everything to a coach who develops leaders
• Creating ministry tracks that help students find their leadership lane based on passions and skills
• Using tasks to develop people rather than using people to get tasks done
• Overcoming perfectionism that prevents us from releasing ministry to others
• Looking for FAT kids—Faithful, Available, Teachable—as potential leaders
• Developing adult leaders through clear expectations and consistent pastoring
• Starting small with leadership opportunities that grow over time
• Focusing on outcomes over outputs when training leaders
• Understanding that students remember their relationships with leaders more than sermons

Remember, don't just prepare a message, prepare messengers. Jesus didn't just gather followers—He developed leaders who would carry His message forward.

Connect with Reggie!

Follow him on IG @_reggiehill or check out his website https://www.reggiehill.com/epk

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Ever notice how you can tell when someone has been with Jesus? There's something different about them—a presence, a peace, a perspective that stands out in our chaotic world. In this transformative episode of Vitals for Youth Ministry, National Youth Director for the Assemblies of God Austin Westlake reveals how consistent spiritual disciplines create the foundation for effective ministry and personal transformation during life's most challenging seasons.

Austin takes us on his remarkable journey from a third-generation minister who grew "casual to the things of God" to finding his calling at a National Youth Convention, and ultimately facing a rare male breast cancer diagnosis that would transform his relationship with God. With raw authenticity, he shares how years of established morning devotional habits carried him through chemotherapy, surgery, and the birth of his third child during treatment. "When you're walking through the deepest, darkest valley of your life and you're still just getting up and spending time with the Lord because this is part of who you are—you give the Lord a chance to speak first. Before the negativity can hit you, before the reality of your diagnosis hits you."

The conversation reveals a profound truth for youth ministers: we reproduce who we are, not what we say. Austin observed that whatever he prioritized in his own life—whether sports, fashion, or spiritual disciplines—his students naturally reflected those same priorities. For leaders struggling to establish or maintain spiritual disciplines, his practical advice includes finding accountability partners who will check on your Bible reading, writing down specific time commitments, and recognizing that seemingly "unproductive" moments with God often prepare us for ministry moments we couldn't anticipate.

Perhaps most compelling is Austin's counter-cultural perspective on ministry influence: "I am terrified of stepping onto a platform I have not been anointed for." In a world obsessed with gaining platforms and followers, this refreshing outlook encourages youth ministers to seek God's timing and preparation rather than chasing opportunities prematurely. The most impactful leaders aren't necessarily the most talented, but those with a demonstrable, authentic relationship with Jesus—something students can immediately sense.

Ready to transform your ministry by first transforming your own spiritual life? Listen now and discover practical steps to model authentic spirituality that your students will naturally want to follow.

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Micah Mac joins us to vulnerably share how a painful season of ministry—feeling inadequate, discouraged, and even depressed—became the catalyst for his most significant leadership growth. With remarkable transparency, Micah reveals the exact moment he discovered a framework for personal development that not only changed his ministry trajectory but eventually transformed his entire church staff.

The conversation dives deep into practical steps for creating your own growth plan, focusing on spiritual, physical, and mental development. Micah outlines how setting achievable goals, finding meaningful accountability, and maintaining a compelling vision can help any leader overcome comparison and discouragement. You'll learn why starting small generates the momentum needed to sustain lifelong growth.

Perhaps most powerful is Micah's assertion that "every time a leader grows, people win." This perspective shifts our understanding of personal development from self-improvement to stewardship. The tools, insights, and wisdom gained from consistent growth become a rich resource that serves you—and those you lead—for years to come.

Whether you're struggling through a difficult ministry season or simply looking to sharpen your leadership edge, this conversation offers both the inspiration and practical framework to help you become the leader God has called you to be.

Connect with Micah Mack on social media @PastorMicahMac or visit http://mac-ministries.com/to learn more about his resources, including his book "Death to Life."

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Spiritual transformation begins with teaching students to deny themselves before they can truly follow Jesus. We've often emphasized the "follow" part without properly teaching the denial that must come first.

• The importance of denying oneself as the foundation for spiritual transformation
• How youth pastors often focus on attraction rather than transformation
• Why students need to be challenged to surrender before pursuing dreams
• Signs of authentic transformation include changed thinking and different choices
• Action after encounter is a key indicator of genuine transformation
• Small groups provide vital spaces for students to articulate their faith journey
• Simple practices like highlighted Bibles and prayer guides foster transformation
• Public declarations of faith significantly impact students' spiritual development

Whether you're a full-time youth pastor or a volunteer leader, this conversation will equip you with both theological depth and practical tools to foster lasting spiritual transformation in your ministry. What happens when students truly learn to deny themselves? The Kingdom of God comes alive.

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