
Talking Youth Ministry - A Youthscape Podcast
Join Martin, Lucy and Rachel for a weekly dive into all things youth ministry. Inspiring, fun and plenty of practical advice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes

Jun 12, 2023 • 49min
Why does God appear to be inconsistent in the Bible? | Alanzo Paul | Tough Questions in Youth Ministry | Episode 249
This week's guest is Alanzo Paul, part of the team at The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. Martin sits down with him as they discuss how Alanzo came to faith, how to inspire young people to love the whole Bible as well as tackling the 'tough question' for this week, what do you do when parts of the Bible that reveal God's character appear to us to be inconsistent?Meanwhile back at Youthscape HQ, Rachel also tells her latest woes in a minibus debacle... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 5, 2023 • 49min
Can you still champion youth ministry if you become a vicar? | Alan Gault | Tough Questions in Youth Ministry | Episode 248
Rachel sits down with Reverend Alan Gault, youth-worker-turned-vicar in Blackburn as they pick apart Alan's journey to ordination and what it looks like to help prioritise youth work even when you're not the youth worker. Meanwhile Martin and Rachel discuss cold showers and the time Martin got a letter from the Dean of a theological college... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 23, 2023 • 51min
How do you carry on when life throws you the unexpected? | John Reynolds | Tough Questions in Youth Ministry | Episode 247
Rachel sits down with John Reynolds, content creator and current volunteer youth worker. John chats about his life, and some of the challenges he's faced and how he's adjusted to them while understanding where God has placed him. Meanwhile, Martin and Rachel dig into the wider narratives about young people today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 15, 2023 • 34min
How do you make youth ministry a priority when other needs are pressing? | Alice Smith | Tough Questions for Youth Ministry | Episode 246
Rachel sits down with Youthscape's newest member of the team, Alice Smith. Alice has just joined from the team at Christians Against Poverty and discusses where youth ministry fits amongst the pressing needs of poverty in a community. Meanwhile, Martin and Rachel confess the parts of youth ministry that they're not very good at... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 8, 2023 • 46min
If God is for all young people, how come my youth group is full of middle class kids? | John Wheatley | Tough Questions in Youth Ministry | Episode 245
Today's guest is John Wheatley from the Frontier Youth Trust and Martin sat down with him to discuss an often hidden question of the socio-economic makeup of youth groups. Rachel and Martin also resurrect 'Dog Talk' and discuss youth groups that look like them... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 1, 2023 • 53min
"Isn't the Bible a tool of oppression?" | Clare Williams | Tough Questions in Youth Ministry | Episode 244
This week, Martin sits down with Clare Williams from GET REAL and the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. They take a deep dive into the difficulties that the arise when people have used the Bible for their own agendas and whether this causes any problems. Meanwhile Rachel and Martin talk about some of the trouble they have had trying to hire youth workers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 24, 2023 • 53min
Are youth and children's work in conflict? | Charles Merritt | Tough Questions for Youth Ministry | Episode 243
Martin chats to a familiar voice of the podcast for dedicated listeners - Charles Merritt. Together they look at the different disciplines of youth work and children's work and grapple with the similarities as well as the challenges of co-existing. Meanwhile, among the intros that will remain in the archive, Martin and Rachel talk about night-hikes, cheese easter eggs and the impact teachers have on us even as adults. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 18, 2023 • 53min
What does unity look like when your theology differs? | Linda Geevanathan | Tough Questions for Youth Ministry | Episode 242
Martin sits down with the wonderful Linda Geevanathan, a long-time friend of Youthscape and local youth worker in Luton, as they chat about unity in the context of differing beliefs. Meanwhile, Rachel and Martin talk about April fools and times when pranks don't always go to plan... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 3, 2023 • 50min
How do you pastor young people in an age of toxic misogyny? | Katie Madanat | Tough Questions in Youth Ministry | Episode 241
Rachel sits down with Katie Madanat as they discuss what expectations youth leaders should expect around modesty and what their response should be in those difficult scenarios. Meanwhile, Martin and Rachel figure out the books that they wish they had written and we hear from another unsung hero of youth work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 20, 2023 • 60min
How do we not make summer events idols? | Robbie Thomson | Tough Questions in Youth Ministry | Episode 240
Martin sits down with Robbie Thomson, Events Director for Satellites, to discuss the importance of making sure summer events have the right weighting in our youth ministry calendars, and how they fit into a wider understanding of discipleship. Rachel and Martin also talk about the newest purchase at Rachel's church, a flappy man... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.