Shane Pruitt, Paul Worcester, Lacey Villasenor and Evan Vela tackle the sensitive and crucial topic of navigating purity culture in modern Christian ministry. They delve into the complexities surrounding purity culture’s impact on millennials, Gen X and older generations, questioning its benefits and pitfalls. The team offers biblical insights and personal experiences to redefine purity in a gospel-centered manner, emphasizing the importance of understanding and teaching Scripture’s stance on purity and love. Also in this episode: Debunking common misconceptions about purity culture Strategies for addressing sexual purity from a gospel perspective The impact of pornography on relationships and individual spiritual growth Encouraging honest, open discussions about sexual sin and redemption Helpful Resources: TheFreedomFight.org Loveology by John Mark Comer Covenant Eyes Shareable Quotes: “The biggest lie that I hear, by far, is this sin is affecting me and me alone; it’s something I do by myself. It doesn’t affect anyone.” – Evan Vela “The only thing that will bring life change of a deep addiction, a breaking of a stronghold, will be running to the foot of the cross. And that sounds super spiritual, but I truly mean that because of what happened in my life.” – Shane Pruitt “I’ve found Scripture memory as a habit and a tool can really help a new believer or someone that’s stuck in these things renew their mind over time.” – Paul Worcester

In Episode 3 of The GenSend Podcast, Evan Vela joins Shane Pruitt, Paul Worcester, and Lacey Villasenor to dive into the challenges and strategies for maximizing time effectively as a Next Gen Leader. They discuss the importance of prioritizing ministry and personal life, ensuring that both are aligned with God’s calling. They dive into practical tips for managing responsibilities, the significance of delegation, and the necessity of setting healthy boundaries for both personal and ministry life. Also, in this episode: Practical strategies for time management in ministry The importance of setting boundaries and prioritizing personal relationships Tips for delegating tasks and empowering others within ministry Encouragement for single and married ministry leaders to maintain healthy rhythms Helpful Resources: Do More With Less Time Article by Paul Worcester Creating Your Collegiate Leadership Pipeline by Paul Worcester and Wes Smith Shareable Quotes: “Every time you say yes to an event, every time you say yes to a speaking engagement, every time you say yes to doing something in ministry, you’re always saying no to your family. You’re always saying no to relationships you’re trying to build.” – Shane Pruitt “If my intimacy with the Lord gets out, so does my intimacy with others.” – Evan Vela “Suffering and hardship in ministry can pull you apart, but actually if you’re doing it right, it can pull you together where you can be more united. And that’s what we see in the Bible. And then as you read missionary biographies, you see that these families, they have this deep love and respect for one another.” – Paul Worcester

In this episode of The GenSend Podcast, Shane Pruitt, Paul Worcester, Lacey Villasenor and special guest Evan Vela delve into the essentials of attracting, developing and retaining next-generation staff for Christian ministry. They explore the significance of being genuinely called to ministry, the impact of personal testimony and living out one’s faith and practical strategies for fostering a healthy, disciple-making ministry environment. This episode is a treasure trove of wisdom for those passionate about investing in future leaders and creating a culture that celebrates and sustains long-term commitment to ministry. Also, in this episode: Understanding God’s calling for individuals in ministry Strategies for engaging and retaining next-gen ministry leaders The importance of authenticity, trust and vulnerability in leadership Practical advice for pastors on prioritizing disciple-making and mentoring within their teams Helpful Resources: Youth Leader Coaching Network Collegiate Coaching Network Article: Why there is a shortage of student ministers and what can be done about it Shareable Quotes: “What you celebrate is what you’re going to cultivate.” – Evan Vela “If you have a staff member that you’re overseeing, the most important person you can be discipling is that person.” – Paul Worcester “Healthy leaders are more apt to lead healthy ministries.” – Shane Pruitt Find more resources to lead the next generation on mission at GenSend.org. Subscribe to “The GenSend Podcast” on your favorite podcast platform!

In this episode of The GenSend Podcast, Shane Pruitt and Paul Worcester, along with Lacey Villasenor, discuss effective ways to engage with and mobilize the next generation in Christian ministry. They cover various topics, including the importance of giving a gospel invitation with integrity, the role of follow-up in ministry and how to create a compelling and clear message. The episode is filled with practical advice to empower leaders to reach out and disciple young people in their faith journeys. Also, in this episode: How to prepare your invitation Giving other invitations (call to ministry, etc.) How to follow up well How often to give invitations Helpful Resources: Youth Leader Coaching Network Life Essentials: New Believers Guide for Students How to share Jesus using gospel appointments Shareable Quotes: “I think what we’ve defaulted to in the past is preparing our messages really well and just winging the invitation. And we don’t want to wing the invitation.” – Shane Pruitt “There’s an urgency to what we’re doing. There’s no such thing as just another sermon. If you’re talking to souls, eternal souls, there’s no such thing as just another message that I’m giving to the youth. Like this is life or death. And so, the gospel is the power of God for salvation.” – Paul Worcester “I think our goal is always the glory of the Lord and clarity because God is not a God of confusion. And yes, God can work in spite of us. Listen, God can speak through a donkey, so we all have hope.” – Shane Pruitt Find more resources to lead the next generation on mission at GenSend.org. Subscribe to “The GenSend Podcast” on your favorite podcast platform!

Dive into GenSend’s energetic Fall 2023 webinar, Every Student Sent! It’s all about igniting youth leadership in evangelism and discipleship. Prepare for dynamic prayer sessions, hands-on evangelism training and powerful discipleship strategies. Join the movement to shape students for Christ in an effective ministry. In This Episode, You’ll Discover:  Emphasizing Discipleship: Disciple-making precedes evangelistic momentum, with a focus on daily walks with Jesus, Scripture memorization and life-on-life discipleship Prayer as a Foundation: A student-driven prayer movement, including dedicated prayer rooms and scheduled prayer times, underscores the importance of praying for the lost Vision for the Great Commission: Regular reinforcement of the vision to reach and disciple students for Christ, reminding them of their role as ambassadors and ministers of reconciliation Practical Evangelism Training: Training sessions paired with actual evangelism outings, focusing on sharing the gospel effectively and overcoming fear Ongoing Training and Encouragement: Continuous training on gospel presentation, strategies for sharing faith and follow-up plans Celebrating Stories of Obedience: Building a culture of evangelism through sharing stories of obedience, even if they don’t result in immediate conversions Subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Sharable Quotes: “The best kind of evangelism is the kind you do” – Paul Worcester “We should never talk to people about God until we talk to God about people.” – Shane Pruitt “Evangelism is the lifeblood of the church. We can either evangelize or fossilize.” – Gary Stidham “There is such an urgency to reach this generation for Christ.” – Paul Worcester Additional Resources: Liberty Article: Life as a Pastor’s Kid

When a student tells you they’ve lost a parent, or they’re being bullied at school or abused at home, what do you say? When a young person experiences trauma, what does effective ministry look like? Shane Pruitt’s wife, Kasi, joins hosts Paul, Shane and Lacey to talk about the Pruitt family’s recent traumatic experience and what pastors, ministry leaders and parents can do to show young people how God is good even when times are bad. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: Why now, more than ever, it’s important for Next Gen ministry leaders to be trauma-informed. Insights on how to talk to young people who are experiencing trauma. Strategies for partnering with trained, local Christian therapists. How to balance fun activities with a ministry that points young people to the hope that can only be found in God’s Word. Steps to take so you can be ready when trauma-induced ministry needs arise. Helpful Resources: Next Gen leader: It’s time for mental health to be a part of student ministry article by Shane Pruitt America Has Reached Peak Therapy. Why Is Our Mental Health Getting Worse? TIME article Ministry Safe Online Training Library Find more resources to lead the next generation on mission at Gensend.org. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Sharable Quotes: Sometimes we can have certain demographics in our youth group that we think, “Oh, we’re good. Our kids are on the cheerleading squad and head football dude and doing these things or doing that.” But it’s just not the case. So many of them are experiencing things at home that they’re hiding.  – Kasi Pruitt It’s not a silver bullet that fixes everything. But the ministries that have a really good equipping ministry of helping students get their eyes off of themselves and onto the cause of advancing the gospel, they tend to end up with healthier students. –  @PaulWorcester The ministry of presence can be so powerful because every person is going to go through something traumatic, whether that’s with a Big “T” or a little “T”. That’s why I love what Jesus says in John 16. He says, “In this world you’ll have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world.” – @laceyeloisa Sometimes we wait until something happens and someone needs help and then we’re scrambling trying to figure out what we’re going to do when that person really needs our immediate response. So I would say having a plan ahead of time is always going to be better. Don’t just go, “Hey, I’m here if you need me.” Be proactive. – @shane_pruitt78 Some of us, we want to just fix everything, when really the best approach in a lot of these situations is to slow down. If you don’t know the next step, take the humble approach and don’t seek to fix people. Love people. – @PaulWorcester

Whether you’re a pastor or other ministry leader, how do you equip your family to thrive in ministry long-term? How do you balance family life and ministry? Anna Gage joins hosts Paul, Shane and Lacey to discuss what ministry leaders and parents can do to balance their commitment to God’s work and their family’s well-being. In This Episode, You’ll Discover:   The importance of integrity and authenticity in ministry and at home. Strategies for maintaining harmony between ministry commitments and family life. How to foster a nurturing environment for children within the context of ministry, emphasizing the importance of love, encouragement and trust in their growth and spiritual journeys. Insights on how to raise godly children without the pressure of perfection. Leading by example and entrusting God’s plan for your children’s lives is significant. Helpful Resources: Next Gen leader: It’s time for mental health to be a part of student ministry article by Shane Pruitt America Has Reached Peak Therapy. Why Is Our Mental Health Getting Worse? TIME article Ministry Safe Online Training Library One Big Happy Home Find more resources to lead the next generation on mission at GenSend.org. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Sharable Quotes: “Sometimes you have to protect your kids that are considered PK or ministry kids from unrealistic expectations that even people in the church have of them. I think sometimes they think because we’re in ministry that our kids are going to be perfect and not do four-year-old things that four-year-old kids do.” – @shane_pruitt78 “There’s almost like this identity attached with being a preacher’s kid—and they think you’re on one end of the spectrum or the other end of the spectrum, so they’re perfect and tidy and wonderful, or they’re super rebellious and crazy and you can’t tame them. – Anna Gage “I just want to encourage those that are listening that are parents, to have the freedom of trusting the Lord’s sovereignty … yes, point to the gospel, pray for their little hearts, get them in Christian community. Let them be around the teaching of the Word and you living out the Word but trusting the Lord’s work there. I think sometimes, as Christian leader parents, we feel the pressure on our kids to make a decision at an early age. – @shane_pruitt78 “At the end of the day and I think so much, especially as Christian leaders, as pastors, ministers of the gospel, we put so much pressure on ourselves when it comes to raising up godly kids. And so, I would just say, hey, at the end of the day, your kids don’t need you to be perfect. They just need you to follow a perfect Savior and to trust him.” – @shane_pruitt78 “I think there’s beauty in that release, and there’s freedom in that, of knowing that God has a plan for my life, for my sister’s life, for my brother-in-law’s life. Just knowing that He has ordained that before the beginning of time and just trusting and believing that His plan and His will for our lives is good. And so, enjoy the freedom in that. Continue to be faithful in prayer and trust that the perfect Savior that we believe in knows your kids better than you do. And so, I think there’s beauty in that.” – Anna Gage “We want to live on the edge of faith. And so, God may call us to make sacrifices and to serve as ministry leaders and families, but that is something that God is going to honor, and our kids are a part of that blessing that God will give. So, I’m not saying… This is not a prosperity gospel thing I’m saying, but it is, the Lord will honor our sacrifice and our commitment to Him.” – @PaulWorcester

According to Lifeway Research, many young adults drop out of church attendance between 18 and 22. Paul, Shane and Lacey discuss the critical gaps in student ministry and share insights on how church leaders and parents can actively participate in helping students navigate these transitions successfully. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: The four gaps for students between middle and high school. How to encourage students during life’s toughest challenges. Addressing the gaps proactively. Extending care for students beyond graduation Sunday. Balancing seeker-sensitive approaches with deep discipleship. Helpful Resources: Addressing the four major gaps in student ministry by Shane Pruitt Article Next Gen leader: It’s time for mental health to be a part of student ministry by Shane Pruitt Article America Has Reached Peak Therapy. Why Is Our Mental Health Getting Worse? TIME Article MinistrySafe One Big Happy Home Falls Creek Next Chapter The Oaks Retreat We want to hear how you’re addressing the GAPs in your ministry. Email us at evangelism@namb.net. Find more resources to lead the next generation on mission at GenSend.org. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Shareable Quotes: “I don’t know if I love the term seeker sensitive because of how it’s been used in the past. But I do think it’s good to have a fun, welcoming, excellent environment or environments that new non-Christian students can come and attend. The gospel makes sense to them. They’re welcome. It’s fun, exciting. I’m a big fan of all that stuff.” @PaulWorcester “If you remove one of them [seeker-sensitive and deep discipleship], in a sense, the train falls off the track. So, there’s got to be a come and see, go and tell.”  @shane_pruitt78 “We need to be as teachers and communicators and worship leaders filled with the spirit ourselves and able to respond to that—but also fostering an environment where, hey, if you’re coming, if you’re checking out this event, get ready to encounter God. And that comes with teaching God’s Word in a clear, authoritative and even bold way.” @PaulWorcester “If you’re in a crowd, and it doesn’t matter if the crowd is 12 or 1200, you’re typically going to have four types of people in that crowd. And I think as communicators, as leaders, we always have to be aware of all four. And maybe even ask ourselves, how am I addressing all four of these people?” @shane_pruitt78

Is it possible for collegiate and youth leaders to create a thriving culture of committed volunteers? Hosts Paul, Shane and Lacey discuss the significance of building and maintaining strong volunteer leadership teams, emphasizing the importance of casting a compelling vision, training leaders for a lifetime of ministry and creating a culture of commitment and care. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: How casting a vision of evangelism, discipleship and meaningful service can inspire students and volunteers. Viewing training opportunities differently to help raise a generation of influential disciple makers and missionaries. Strategic accountability and how it fosters a sense of purpose among volunteers. How prayer encourages leaders in raising laborers that yield impactful results. Ways in which gratitude can lead to organic growth as existing leaders become advocates for ministry. Helpful Resources: “CP Stage: Shepherding the Revival Generation” “Practical Ideas for Leading Your Core Team” “Qualities for Ministry Leadership” Find more resources to lead the next generation on mission at GenSend.org.  Subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Sharable Quotes: “One thing we’ve got to realize as leaders is Generation Z—young adults, college students, teenagers—they want more out of church than just going to potluck dinners. You know what I mean? They want more out of church than even just listening to us preach.” @shane_pruitt78 “When you want to build a student leadership team, lead with vision, not just with expectations…” @PaulWorcester “Don’t make people feel guilty if they don’t want to step into leadership, but make it available to the ones with potential.” – @PaulWorcester “Ask the Lord of the harvest to call out and raise up laborers for the harvest because it’s His harvest; it’s His laborers; it’s His message; it’s His mission field; it’s His bride. So, we need to go to Him first.” – @shane_pruitt78 “Take really good care of the ones you have, and then they’ll spread the word as well.” – @shane_pruitt78 “You can’t use people. You have to love people, invest in people.” – @PaulWorcester “It’s about people that are going to be impacted. It starts with the leaders. It starts with us investing in leaders.” – @PaulWorcester

How do you lead women called to serve in ministry? Hosts Paul, Shane and Lacey talk to Catherine Renfro about the challenges and opportunities faced by women responding to the call of ministry and how they can be effectively led and nurtured in their journey. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: How to recognize and affirm a calling. The significance of investing time and effort into personal discipleship for aspiring female ministry leaders. The internal struggles often faced by women called to ministry and how to encourage them. How to empower women in ministry and how to foster growth and confidence. What steps to take and how to navigate the journey toward working in ministry. Helpful Resources: Shane Pruitt and Scott Pace’s book: Calling Out the Called Interested in learning more? Check out our GenSend Webinar: Calling Out the Called. Are you ready to discover more about Understanding a Calling to Ministry? SBCCalled has information, resources and training for high school and college students called to ministry. Find more resources to lead the next generation on mission at GenSend.org. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Sharable Quotes: “God put so many leaders in my life that just believed in me and saw something in me before I even saw it in myself. And I think some of the most helpful things those leaders did was invest time in me.” – @CatherineRenfro “There’s a whole bunch of young women in the ministry that want to be discipled, need help and need a solid leader. And the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few. And there’s a lot of ministries I could place if I had 100 women that wanted to join college ministry staffs, I could go place them all right now.” @PaulWorcester “We truly believe God never stopped calling people to ministry leadership. For the most part, us as leaders stopped asking a whole generation to consider if God’s calling them the ministry leadership. So, I think now that we’re asking again, people are saying, ‘Yes, I believe that’s what God’s calling me to do.’”  @shane_pruitt78 “I think I know the way the Lord is calling me. I think I know what he wants me to do, but I trust that no matter what, He’s just going to direct my steps, and He is going to open the doors along the way. And all I knew is serve where I could in the church.” @CatherineRenfro “There’re opportunities out there that you can just take and explore those options. So, I encourage people to take a more of a broader faith-based risk—take a risk for the kingdom and step out in faith and see what opportunities the Lord provides.” @PaulWorcester “What we need to do is to help them have very real, very deep spiritual disciplines because we’re going to be at our best when we serve and lead and teach out of the overflow of our own with Jesus.”  @shane_pruitt78