Youth Ministry Sherpas

It's the inaugural episode of the Youth Ministry Sherpas *Coast to Coast* Podcast, featuring Brock Morgan, Shannon Dunn, and Steve Anderson. We call ourselves "Sherpas" because we have over 80 years combined experience leading ministries. It's "Coast to Coast" because we serve on opposite ends of the country (Steve in Maryland; Shannon and Brock in California). We love students, we love youth ministry, and we love encouraging youth workers! Vulnerable, winsome, insightful -- think of it like another road trip in a 15-passenger van with your best friends. It's "Youth Ministry with the windows down!" Thanks for coming along for the ride!We are proud members of the Download Youth Ministry Podcast Network Train your volunteer team at the National Day of Volunteer Youth Ministry Training! Find Flexible Annual Curriculum from DYM's ColeaderWatch us on YouTube! Follow us on Instagram! @youthministrysherpasEmail us at youthministrysherpas@gmail.com

PLEASE LEAVE US A ***** FIVE STAR REVIEW ***** ON I-TUNES!It’s Thanksgiving Week, and before Mathew overdoses on carbs and Steve spends 20 hours in the car, we thought it would be good to show our gratitude. I mean, who isn’t thankful for free t-shirts, Fabreeze, and youth group leftovers? But in all seriousness, we are thankful for many things, both youth ministry and personal. We are even thankful for each other. And Taylor Swift.Episode 108 is a good reminder that we get to live the best life!Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! We are thankful for YOU!ThanksSteve spent hours updating our website. Pay us a visit!https://youthministrysherpas.com/If you send us an email, we promise to respond. We might even send you stickers!youthministrysherpas@gmail.comWe are proud members of the Download Youth Ministry Podcast Network!https://podcast.downloadyouthministry.com/Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @youthministrysherpas.

PLEASE LEAVE US A ***** FIVE STAR REVIEW ***** ON I-TUNES!It’s Sunday night, and you are riding the spiritual high from all the great ministry that took place at the retreat this weekend. All your planning, effort, and prayer came together in an amazing weekend. Lives were changed. The Spirit was there! You were fulfilled. Life is great!Until Monday. The Day After.Or for some of us, Tuesday. The Day After the Day After.Because the crash is coming. It always does. Just ask Moses. Or Elijah. Or any youth worker ever.On today’s episode, Mathew puts Steve on the therapist’s couch following his big fall retreat. The emotional, physical and spiritual toll of a big weekend or week in youth ministry is no joke. Even after 30 years of doing this and even knowing it’s coming, Steve is feeling it big time. What can we do so that the crash is more of a gentle touchdown instead of a full-blown disaster.Consider this episode two old windbags serving as two life-saving air bags for your next big event letdown!Steve spent ho

PLEASE LEAVE US A ***** FIVE STAR REVIEW ***** ON I-TUNES!Kids are going to mess up. That’s a fact.Blame it on their undeveloped frontal lobe. Blame it on their non-Christian friends. Blame it on yourself. Whatever the case, teenagers are going to mess up. They are going to disappoint us, embarrass us, and leave us wishing we could send them to timeout.In fact, both of us have done that before. And we are starting to regret it.While we want the best for our students, have high expectations for them, and want them to lean into the life God has for them, what if our response when they fail to meet our expecttions actually does more harm then good?What if we raised the bar of grace as high as the bar of behavior?Just some random thoughts today as we discuss the topic of what to do when our students do not meet our youth pastor expectations.We hope it’s helpful.Steve spent hours updating our website. Pay us a visit!https://youthministrysherpas.com/If you send us an email, we promise to respond. We might even send

PLEASE LEAVE US A ***** FIVE STAR REVIEW ***** ON I-TUNES!An interview with Brad Griffin!So much of youth ministry is built on programming, hype, and fun. But under the surface of all of that great stuff lies the existential workings of the teenage mind. That’s where we need to go, and where we go in today’s episode.What are teenagers really thinking about? What are the deeper questions they are wrestling with? A new book from Fuller Youth Institute digs deeply into this subject and supplies us with a simple framework from which to have better conversations with the students we love. https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/3-big-questionsBrad Griffin, co-author of the book, is on today’s show. Brad is the Senior Director of Content for the Fuller Youth Institute, where he develops research-based training for youth workers and parents. A speaker, writer, and volunteer youth pastor, Brad is the co-author of over a dozen books, Faith in an Anxious World, Growing Young, several Sticky Faith books, Every Parent’s Guide t

PLEASE LEAVE US A ***** FIVE STAR REVIEW ***** ON I-TUNES!Youth ministry is all about the teaching, right?“You killed that message!”“That was a homerun!”“You were on fire!”Yeah, maybe. But the truth is, for most of us, teaching is a bit of a grind, a grind which is not enhanced by the pressure we put on ourselves. Sometimes we might be really good; other times not so much. We are not called to be great all the time. We are called to faithfully talk to our students about Jesus and help them grow spiritually. Nothing more, nothing less. We are called to be--in the terminology of today’s report cards--consistently satisfactory.In the second part of our series, things get real. We have some honest confessions. Steve sometimes prepares on Sunday afternoon right before his group meets. Mathew once did the same message three weeks in a row until someone noticed. But beyond that, we get into the nuts and bolts of teaching. How (and when) do we prepare? What parts of the presentation are important to us? How long shou

PLEASE LEAVE US A ***** FIVE STAR REVIEW ***** ON I-TUNES!Youth ministry is all about the teaching, right?“You killed that message!”“That was a homerun!”“You were on fire!”Yeah, maybe. But the truth is, for most of us, teaching is a bit of a grind, a grind which is not enhanced by the pressure we put on ourselves. Sometimes we might be really good; other times not so much. We are not called to be great all the time. We are called to faithfully talk to our students about Jesus and help them grow spiritually. Nothing more, nothing less. We are called to be--in the terminology of today’s report cards--consistently satisfactory.In this episode, Steve and Mathew take some of the pressure of being great in front of students. It’s easy to compare ourselves to everyone’s best as portrayed on social media, but our students benefit most from the ones who know them and love them best, even if we aren’t as good as Francis Chan (or the youth pastor down the street). So let’s go easy on ourselves when it comes to judging o

PLEASE LEAVE US A ***** FIVE STAR REVIEW ***** ON I-TUNES!As much as we love what we do as youth pastors, we’ve come to realize that there’s more to building the Kingdom of God than building our youth group. We want to impact students beyond the walls of our church. But how?Today’s conversation takes a different tone. We aren’t as interested in providing answers as we are asking the right questions. How do we fulfill our responsibilities to the church that hired us, but also think beyond it? How do we send students out but not feel like we’re losing them? How do we partner with para-church groups who might be vying for the same students we are? How do we serve the students we might never even meet? And what difference might it make if we saw ourselves as sending agencies rather than “bringing” agencies? Our goal is help our students formulate a version of the Christian faith that represents Jesus well and brings people to God instead of turning them away from him.These are the questions we wrestle through in

PLEASE LEAVE US A ***** FIVE STAR REVIEW ***** ON I-TUNES!Who doesn’t love retreats? They are part of every youth ministry, as essential as pizza and Axe body spray. But how do we go about planning a great retreat? What factors should we consider as we take students away for the weekend? In this episode, we talk about retreats in terms of “spaces.” We need space for relationships, for spiritual growth, for fun, and for disconnection. It’s hard to do all that in one weekend, but it’s possible. After 60 years in youth ministry and hundreds of weekends away, we are still learning how to do it better.Oh, and we recommend a good cell phone exorcism before you get in the van!It’s Episode 101 – Planning a Great RetreatSteve spent hours updating our website. Pay us a visit!https://youthministrysherpas.com/If you send us an email, we promise to respond. We might even send you stickers!youthministrysherpas@gmail.comWe are proud members of the Download Youth Ministry Podcast Network!https://podcast.downloadyouthministry

PLEASE LEAVE US A ***** FIVE STAR REVIEW ***** ON I-TUNES!When Steve and Mathew first got this idea, back in 2017, to create a podcast to encourage youth workers to keep going, it seemed like a fun, somewhat daunting, pie-in-the-sky concept. It also seemed like overkill. I mean, who needs another podcast? Who would listen? And who do we think we are?Until we got the most brilliant idea in the history of podcasting--use llamas in the branding. With that, the Youth Ministry Sherpas were born.Since then, it’s been all uphill. Episode #00 launched on January 16, 2018. Now, nearly four years of adventures and outtakes, we’ve made it to Episode 100, which technically is something like Episode 207, but that’s part of the story.In this episode, we celebrate our history together. The early awkwardness, the introduction of the insane idea to do 26 straight days of “Sherpa Shorts,” our trips to DYM 100 and the rental of the epic beachfront Sherpa House, the National Youth Worker’s Convention that almost got stuck on the

Holy Llama Lips, it’s the Fourth Season of Sherpa ShortsIThis June, for 22 straight days, we are choosing a memorable song and then riffing about how it relates to youth ministry. This year we decided to go decade by decade, choosing 2 songs each, starting with the 70s and progressing to 2021. What’s the best decade for music? Steve says it’s the 80s. I mean, it’s hard to top Springsteen, the Police, Tom Petty, REO Speedwagon, and Michael Jackson, right? Mathew says the 80s has too much keyboard and polyester. He says it’s the 90s. Whatever – young people have so much to learn.Anyway, we are going for 22 straight days of wisdom, laughs and surprises, creating an iconic playlist for youth workers everywhere. Sounds like podcast perfection.Enjoy SHERPA SHORTS SEASON 4!Follow our Spotify playlist as it unfolds here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6nt7bw8xB91soH0qX2WBRg?si=708f65ed8f4b4bc2Don’t forget to register for the National Day of Youth Ministry Volunteer Training. It’s the best deal since a 4-hour Spring

Holy Llama Lips, it’s the Fourth Season of Sherpa ShortsIThis June, for 22 straight days, we are choosing a memorable song and then riffing about how it relates to youth ministry. This year we decided to go decade by decade, choosing 2 songs each, starting with the 70s and progressing to 2021. What’s the best decade for music? Steve says it’s the 80s. I mean, it’s hard to top Springsteen, the Police, Tom Petty, REO Speedwagon, and Michael Jackson, right? Mathew says the 80s has too much keyboard and polyester. He says it’s the 90s. Whatever – young people have so much to learn.Anyway, we are going for 22 straight days of wisdom, laughs and surprises, creating an iconic playlist for youth workers everywhere. Sounds like podcast perfection.Enjoy SHERPA SHORTS SEASON 4!Follow our Spotify playlist as it unfolds here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6nt7bw8xB91soH0qX2WBRg?si=708f65ed8f4b4bc2Don’t forget to register for the National Day of Youth Ministry Volunteer Training. It’s the best deal since a 4-hour Spring

Holy Llama Lips, it’s the Fourth Season of Sherpa ShortsIThis June, for 22 straight days, we are choosing a memorable song and then riffing about how it relates to youth ministry. This year we decided to go decade by decade, choosing 2 songs each, starting with the 70s and progressing to 2021. What’s the best decade for music? Steve says it’s the 80s. I mean, it’s hard to top Springsteen, the Police, Tom Petty, REO Speedwagon, and Michael Jackson, right? Mathew says the 80s has too much keyboard and polyester. He says it’s the 90s. Whatever – young people have so much to learn.Anyway, we are going for 22 straight days of wisdom, laughs and surprises, creating an iconic playlist for youth workers everywhere. Sounds like podcast perfection.Enjoy SHERPA SHORTS SEASON 4!Follow our Spotify playlist as it unfolds here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6nt7bw8xB91soH0qX2WBRg?si=708f65ed8f4b4bc2Don’t forget to register for the National Day of Youth Ministry Volunteer Training. It’s the best deal since a 4-hour Spring

Holy Llama Lips, it’s the Fourth Season of Sherpa ShortsIThis June, for 22 straight days, we are choosing a memorable song and then riffing about how it relates to youth ministry. This year we decided to go decade by decade, choosing 2 songs each, starting with the 70s and progressing to 2021. What’s the best decade for music? Steve says it’s the 80s. I mean, it’s hard to top Springsteen, the Police, Tom Petty, REO Speedwagon, and Michael Jackson, right? Mathew says the 80s has too much keyboard and polyester. He says it’s the 90s. Whatever – young people have so much to learn.Anyway, we are going for 22 straight days of wisdom, laughs and surprises, creating an iconic playlist for youth workers everywhere. Sounds like podcast perfection.Enjoy SHERPA SHORTS SEASON 4!Follow our Spotify playlist as it unfolds here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6nt7bw8xB91soH0qX2WBRg?si=708f65ed8f4b4bc2Don’t forget to register for the National Day of Youth Ministry Volunteer Training. It’s the best deal since a 4-hour Spring

Holy Llama Lips, it’s the Fourth Season of Sherpa ShortsIThis June, for 22 straight days, we are choosing a memorable song and then riffing about how it relates to youth ministry. This year we decided to go decade by decade, choosing 2 songs each, starting with the 70s and progressing to 2021. What’s the best decade for music? Steve says it’s the 80s. I mean, it’s hard to top Springsteen, the Police, Tom Petty, REO Speedwagon, and Michael Jackson, right? Mathew says the 80s has too much keyboard and polyester. He says it’s the 90s. Whatever – young people have so much to learn.Anyway, we are going for 22 straight days of wisdom, laughs and surprises, creating an iconic playlist for youth workers everywhere. Sounds like podcast perfection.Enjoy SHERPA SHORTS SEASON 4!Follow our Spotify playlist as it unfolds here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6nt7bw8xB91soH0qX2WBRg?si=708f65ed8f4b4bc2Don’t forget to register for the National Day of Youth Ministry Volunteer Training. It’s the best deal since a 4-hour Spring

Holy Llama Lips, it’s the Fourth Season of Sherpa ShortsIThis June, for 22 straight days, we are choosing a memorable song and then riffing about how it relates to youth ministry. This year we decided to go decade by decade, choosing 2 songs each, starting with the 70s and progressing to 2021. What’s the best decade for music? Steve says it’s the 80s. I mean, it’s hard to top Springsteen, the Police, Tom Petty, REO Speedwagon, and Michael Jackson, right? Mathew says the 80s has too much keyboard and polyester. He says it’s the 90s. Whatever – young people have so much to learn.Anyway, we are going for 22 straight days of wisdom, laughs and surprises, creating an iconic playlist for youth workers everywhere. Sounds like podcast perfection.Enjoy SHERPA SHORTS SEASON 4!Follow our Spotify playlist as it unfolds here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6nt7bw8xB91soH0qX2WBRg?si=708f65ed8f4b4bc2Don’t forget to register for the National Day of Youth Ministry Volunteer Training. It’s the best deal since a 4-hour Spring

Holy Llama Lips, it’s the Fourth Season of Sherpa ShortsIThis June, for 22 straight days, we are choosing a memorable song and then riffing about how it relates to youth ministry. This year we decided to go decade by decade, choosing 2 songs each, starting with the 70s and progressing to 2021. What’s the best decade for music? Steve says it’s the 80s. I mean, it’s hard to top Springsteen, the Police, Tom Petty, REO Speedwagon, and Michael Jackson, right? Mathew says the 80s has too much keyboard and polyester. He says it’s the 90s. Whatever – young people have so much to learn.Anyway, we are going for 22 straight days of wisdom, laughs and surprises, creating an iconic playlist for youth workers everywhere. Sounds like podcast perfection.Enjoy SHERPA SHORTS SEASON 4!Follow our Spotify playlist as it unfolds here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6nt7bw8xB91soH0qX2WBRg?si=708f65ed8f4b4bc2Don’t forget to register for the National Day of Youth Ministry Volunteer Training. It’s the best deal since a 4-hour Spring

Holy Llama Lips, it’s the Fourth Season of Sherpa ShortsIThis June, for 22 straight days, we are choosing a memorable song and then riffing about how it relates to youth ministry. This year we decided to go decade by decade, choosing 2 songs each, starting with the 70s and progressing to 2021. What’s the best decade for music? Steve says it’s the 80s. I mean, it’s hard to top Springsteen, the Police, Tom Petty, REO Speedwagon, and Michael Jackson, right? Mathew says the 80s has too much keyboard and polyester. He says it’s the 90s. Whatever – young people have so much to learn.Anyway, we are going for 22 straight days of wisdom, laughs and surprises, creating an iconic playlist for youth workers everywhere. Sounds like podcast perfection.Enjoy SHERPA SHORTS SEASON 4!Follow our Spotify playlist as it unfolds here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6nt7bw8xB91soH0qX2WBRg?si=708f65ed8f4b4bc2Don’t forget to register for the National Day of Youth Ministry Volunteer Training. It’s the best deal since a 4-hour Spring

Holy Llama Lips, it’s the Fourth Season of Sherpa ShortsIThis June, for 22 straight days, we are choosing a memorable song and then riffing about how it relates to youth ministry. This year we decided to go decade by decade, choosing 2 songs each, starting with the 70s and progressing to 2021. What’s the best decade for music? Steve says it’s the 80s. I mean, it’s hard to top Springsteen, the Police, Tom Petty, REO Speedwagon, and Michael Jackson, right? Mathew says the 80s has too much keyboard and polyester. He says it’s the 90s. Whatever – young people have so much to learn.Anyway, we are going for 22 straight days of wisdom, laughs and surprises, creating an iconic playlist for youth workers everywhere. Sounds like podcast perfection.Enjoy SHERPA SHORTS SEASON 4!Follow our Spotify playlist as it unfolds here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6nt7bw8xB91soH0qX2WBRg?si=708f65ed8f4b4bc2Don’t forget to register for the National Day of Youth Ministry Volunteer Training. It’s the best deal since a 4-hour Spring

Holy Llama Lips, it’s the Fourth Season of Sherpa ShortsIThis June, for 22 straight days, we are choosing a memorable song and then riffing about how it relates to youth ministry. This year we decided to go decade by decade, choosing 2 songs each, starting with the 70s and progressing to 2021. What’s the best decade for music? Steve says it’s the 80s. I mean, it’s hard to top Springsteen, the Police, Tom Petty, REO Speedwagon, and Michael Jackson, right? Mathew says the 80s has too much keyboard and polyester. He says it’s the 90s. Whatever – young people have so much to learn.Anyway, we are going for 22 straight days of wisdom, laughs and surprises, creating an iconic playlist for youth workers everywhere. Sounds like podcast perfection.Enjoy SHERPA SHORTS SEASON 4!Follow our Spotify playlist as it unfolds here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6nt7bw8xB91soH0qX2WBRg?si=708f65ed8f4b4bc2Don’t forget to register for the National Day of Youth Ministry Volunteer Training. It’s the best deal since a 4-hour Spring