youngadults.today

Season 2, Episode 16 | Jerrid Sebesta | Finance & Career Expert

Jerrid Sebesta spent 12 years as a TV Meteorologist at KARE11, a long-time powerhouse station in Minneapolis, MN.

In 2014, after much contemplation and prayer, Jerrid left his thriving, high-profile career. It was a move that came as a surprise to many people, including some of his family. But, it was apparent to Jerrid that God was leading him in an entirely different direction; out of TV and the big-city, into a much simpler, quieter lifestyle.

With a tentative plan to head back to where it all started in Sioux Falls, Jerrid instead found himself jobless and on the brink of an identity crisis. Through a chance phone call from his soon-to-be future boss, Ben Taatjes, Jerrid began the process of finding his true identity and purpose, which has lead to his amazing testimony which he now uses to inspire thousands of people to begin “Livin’ the Dream.”

He is the host of Repurposed Podcast on Faith Radio!

 

Jerrid has been a friend, mentor, and valuable voice in my life over the past few years.

Season 2, Episode 15 | Ken Coleman | Proximity Principle

We’re joined by special guest Ken Coleman! As an AUTHOR, RADIO HOST, SPEAKER, Ken is the bestselling author of The Proximity Principle and national radio host of The Ken Coleman Show. Pulling from his own personal struggles, missed opportunities and career successes, Coleman helps people discover what they were born to do and provides practical steps to make their dream job a reality. The Ken Coleman Show is a caller-driven career show that helps listeners who are stuck in a job they hate or searching for something more out of their career.

On a personal note, Ken is one of my absolute favorite authors and speakers. Micah and I actually met Ken in 2017 – not sure if he remembers but Ken is one of the Ramsey Personalities for Ramsey Solutions and he spoke at an event where we all met and that night we actually won $250 of Dave Ramsey’s money.

 

Season 2, Episode 14 | Griffin Harrel | Sandals YA

Today, we’re joined by special guest, Griffin Harrell.

Griffin serves as the young adult supervisor at Sandals Church in Riverside, California!

Where he helps create spaces for young adults to be real. His role entails planning events as well as investing into the leaders who lead groups for college students and young adults!

Season 2, Episode 13 | Alan Pastian | The New Young Christian

Alan Pastian has had the privilege of being a next generation leader working with youth and young adults exclusively for over 20 years and has absolutely loved it. He discovered a faith in Jesus Christ while in the university setting while attending St Cloud State University and obtaining my degree in Communications/Public Relations.  He pursued his second degree from North Central University where I graduated and began my journey pastoring youth and young adults in the local church.  

He has an incredible journey in ministry from serving with Pastor Rob Ketterling and the incredible team at River Valley Church overseeing our multi-site youth ministry for many years developing and strategizing next gen leadership. He also spent time working with Mark Batterson at National Community Church as part of the campus pastor team and continue to value their mentorship and inspiration in my life. Currently I am leading one of our campus locations at River Valley Church, developing more leadership content and inspiring those in our church community to make a difference and live life to the full.  

 

coronavirus conversation #2 with aussie dave

Dave Adamson or “Aussie Dave” is a social media pastor at North Point Community Church, also a youtuber, speaker, photographer, and author! I looked back online and realized our paths crossed when I began following you back in 2016.

You’re the first person I’ve ever seen who was an “online pastor” or “social media pastor” although there are now several others.

And in light of what’s happening in our world literally this month with COVID-19 (coronavirus), churches are rapidly making shifts to double down on online strategies.

https://www.daveadamson.tv | @aussiedave 

Season 2, Episode 12 | Matt Brown | Truth + Love & Think Eternity

Matt Brown is an evangelist, author of Truth Plus Love, and founder of
Think Eternity — a ministry dedicated to amplifying the gospel every day
through podcasts, devotionals, videos, live events and more.

Matt and his wife Michelle and their three children live near Minneapolis,
Minnesota.

You can follow Matt at @evangelistmatt and thinke.org.

coronavirus conversation #1 with brent silkey

This episode is designed to help young adult ministry leaders navigate through the challenge of covid-19! 

We visit with Brent Silkey and have a conversation about coronavirus and connecting with students, our communities, our ministries, and our congregations! 

Eliza's post (Brent's wife) that we mentioned in the podcast. 

Please reach out to us at www.youngadults.today with any ideas or questions as to how to effectively minister to young adults during this time! 

Season 2, Episode 11 | Mike Myz | Hip Hop, College, and International Student Ministry

Mike is one of the Chi Alpha pastors at University of North Dakota.
Many of you know him as MIKE MYZ – the hip hop artist who let us
use the rights to his music for the intro to this podcast!

So he’salready a huge part of this whole youngadults.today squad! Whether
you’ve heard of him yet or not, you have heard his music just by
listening to this podcast.

Recently he released the EP called Desert.

Pastor. Recording artist. Here with us in the studio today in a different
way – this time for a conversation, Myz welcome!

Season 2, Episode 10 | Randy Jumper | 20 Years In YA

Pastor Randy Jumper serves as the young adult pastor at First Assembly in
North Little Rock, Arkansas! NXT YA/UNITE is a place where young adults inNorth Little Rock come together for a weekly service and grow in Christ
together. He has over 20 years of experience in young adult ministry. 

Here's an article Pastor Randy wrote to help those who are new to young adult ministry or might be starting something new: 

I'm excited that you are going to be helping reach young adults!  You'll

find it to be an exciting time of ministry and fun!  I know I love it.

 

A couple resources to start with.  Check out these websites:

 

Youngadults.ag.org  go down to the resources pages.  There are several

articles we've written to help start and grow a young adult ministry

 

Facebook - become a young adult facebook member.  Find the links on the

youngadults website. On the Resources page, under leadership, click

Building the Ministry.  It’s a great resource for information!

 

Books you might want to consider reading:

 

1. College Ministry from Scratch by Chuck Bomar and College ministry 101

by

the same author.

 

2. Practical Young adult Ministry from Group Publishing.

 

3. Lost and Found by Ed Stetzer

 

4. Sustainable Young Adult Ministry by Mark DeVries and Scott Pontier

 

Where do you start?  Most people will tell you relationships, discussion

based teaching, and other basic info.  All that is true and important

parts, but if you are like me, you want something to "do."  

 

I know I need

to be open to young adults, pray for the Holy Spirit to work in young

adults, build meaningful relationships with young adults, etc...but what

do I "do" to do that?  If I were you, I start with two simple steps:

 

Step One:  Make 5 lists.

 

Yep, get a piece of paper and a pen out and make some lists (OK, turn your

laptop since nobody uses pens and paper anymore).  I regularly make some

lists when starting a new area of ministry with young adults.  They are

simple:

 

List 1:  Who are our young adults?

Write down the names of all the young adults currently in your church

and/or influence.  Your pastor may need to help you.  The size of your

church will impact this list.  If you have a database system your church

uses to record attendance, get help from it.  Because of our church size,

we narrow it to young adults 17 - 30 and who have attended at least 2

times in the last year.  We annually go through this list.  But it started

with a piece of paper and a pen writing down the names of real people we

want to minister to and with.

 

List 2:  What is our church doing with young adults now?

Don't write "nothing"!  You might be surprised. Start asking questions

about what is going on in your church. Look at List 1 and see where YA's

are now! I promise you they are there and already active in some place.

Are young adults from list one Sunday school teachers for kids? Youth

sponsors?  In the choir? Is there a small group for them?  Maybe a class?

Do the YA's go out to eat every Sunday after church - do they sit together

in the sanctuary? Are they on the Sunday worship team?  My guess is that

at least 1 young adult is doing something, somewhere at your church.  This

will help you better leverage them and others for future involvement and

understand who is involved and who is a leader.  You might have an organic

group of YA's already together, you just need to connect with them and

mobilize them.

 

List 3:  What do you and your pastor want to see developed?

What is your assignment?  Is it growing the church?  Evangelizing young

adults in the community? Keeping your current young adults?  Providing fun

activities only?  Discipleship only? Starting a Sunday school class?

Starting a special service?

If the answer to all those questions is a yes!  Then then narrow it down

for what you want to accomplish in the first 3 months, first 6 months and

then the first year.  Set an agenda for what you both are wanting to do

for the kingdom.  When you know your assignment, you'll know the direction

to take to fulfill that assignment.  Make sure you and the church leaders

are on the same page.  There is nothing worse than achieving your goal -

only to find out it was the wrong goal.

 

List 4:  Who is on your team?

You'll need several people, especially some young adults from list 1, to

join you in launching this ministry.  Young adults need ministered WITH,

not necessarily ministered TO.  Get buy in and recruit some young adults

and other people to help you do this and do this well.  I'd say get as

many as possible on this team.  If possible I like the number 5 (notice

the 5 lists!).  Five people is a good size team to manage and lead.  What

if we only have 5 young adults to start with....no problem, use the 5 of

them as leaders to start your group.

 

List 5: What is going to happen for the next 6 months

 

Take all this and build a game plan.  The President of the United States

maps the first 100 days.  Most NFL football teams script the first quarter

and even first half of football plays they are going to run. You do the

same.  Script what you'll do for the next 6 months at least, and then work

your way backwards with planning, recruitment and involvement. Script what

is going to happen with young adults every week for the next 6 months.

Some weeks you'll have more than others, maybe even no scheduled events or

activities, but do something every week to minister to young adults (maybe

all you do that week is Facebook every young adult in your church and tell

them they matter to you!)

 

If you want to send me any of this to look through and offer my

suggestions - not sure they'll be any good, but I'll try.

 

 

BONUS:  Change the Way You Eat

 

This isn't diet advice, its ministry advice.  Never eat alone if at all

possible.  Every Sunday possible have a young adult over to your house for

lunch or dinner.  Go out to eat with a young adult.  Go get coffee with

them on campus.  I can't think of the last time a week went by and I was

not eating with a young adult.

Season 2, Episode 9 | Brad Lewis | Small Group University

Brad has been a college ministry pastor for over 30 years! He is the
director of a multi-staff campus ministry called Chi Alpha in North Dakota
at NDSU and MSU Moorhead. Their movement sees over 700 students
each year with over 140 small groups!

Brad is the author of the best books on groups we’ve read “Small Group
University”. He and his wife Kay Lewis are friends of ours – we really
admire them a great deal.