Hybrid Ministry

Episode 196: Lock-Ins: Ministry Gold or Total Disaster?

April 9th, 2026  |  20 mins 8 secs

christian leadership, church community, church culture, church events, church events planning, church growth, church innovation, church leadership, church programming, church safety, discipleship, faith conversations, here are ~500 characters of strong, high school ministry, lock-in debate, middle school ministry, ministry burnout, ministry risks, ministry strategy, outreach ideas, searchable tags tailored to your episode + transcript: youth ministry, student engagement, student leadership, student ministry, volunteer leadership, youth events, youth group games, youth group ideas, youth ministry podcast, youth outreach, youth pastor

Lock-ins... is there a more polarizing youth ministry topic?
Should you do them?
Are they valuable?
Or are they the worst idea ever?

In this episode, two youth pastors go head to head, and you get to decide!

Episode 193: The Student Ministry Leadership Mistakes I Made My First 6 Months

March 19th, 2026  |  13 mins 32 secs

christian leadership, church leadership, church staff leadership, church team leadership, faith based leadership, hybrid ministry, leadership development, leadership mistakes, leadership transition, leading in church, leading volunteers, ministry growth, ministry management, ministry meetings, ministry mindset, new supervisor lessons, nick clason, pastor promotion, student ministry leadership, time management for pastors, youth ministry leadership, youth pastor advice, youth pastor leadership lessons

I just started in a new role at my job 6 months ago.
It's been much harder than I anticipated, and I wanted to share with you the leadership mistakes I made, so that you can avoid them for yourself!

Episode 176: Youth Leader Resource Room | 5 Components to a Great one!

November 20th, 2025  |  7 mins 25 secs

church coffee bar, church leadership, church resource room, church setup, church volunteers, hybrid ministry, hybrid ministry show, leader encouragement, leader space tour, leader training, ministry hacks, ministry organization, ministry supplies, ministry systems, ministry tips, small group tools, student ministry, volunteer check-in, volunteer onboarding, volunteer room ideas, youth group ideas, youth leader resources, youth ministry, youth ministry podcast, youth pastor

Ever wondered what’s inside a great youth ministry volunteer room? In this episode, Nick walks through his own space—showing you everything from the snack and coffee setup to the leader resource area, check-in station, and supply closet. You’ll leave with practical ideas (and links!) to create a welcoming, well-equipped hub that keeps your leaders fueled, prepped, and connected every week.

Episode 175: The Calendar that Rules Them All! [Most Skip Step 1!]

November 13th, 2025  |  10 mins 56 secs

church communications, church content creation, church event planning, church growth, church leadership, church marketing, church media, church website design, digital ministry, discipleship tools, free ministry resources, hybrid church, hybrid ministry, ministry calendar, ministry planning, ministry systems, next gen ministry, qr code calendar, social media for churches, student ministry, youth group events, youth group ideas, youth ministry, youth pastor, youth pastor training

Struggling with youth ministry planning, church communications, or ministry calendars? In this episode of the Hybrid Ministry Podcast, learn the 5 levels to create the ultimate Youth Ministry Calendar that rules them all! Most skip Level 1—but stick around for the one strategy that fixes all your communication issues and grabs parents’ attention with tips, visuals, and free downloadable designs.

Episode 172: The Cellphone Problem in Youth Groups

October 23rd, 2025  |  11 mins 51 secs

cellphone problem, church leadership, church tech, digital notes, discipleship, fall social media plan, group covenants, how to keep kids off phones, hybrid ministry, paper bibles, phones in youth group, pro presenter, sidekick, student engagement, student ministry, youth group, youth group discipleship, youth group games, youth group ideas, youth group teaching, youth leaders, youth ministry, youth ministry growth, youth ministry strategy, youth ministry tips, youth pastor, youth pastor training

In this episode of the Hybrid Ministry Show, we tackle the cellphone problem in youth groups and reveal a 3-step phone prevention strategy for youth ministry that actually works. Instead of fighting students for their phones, you’ll learn how youth pastors can use a variety of tools to their benefit, including how to turn phones from a distraction to an actual asset. If you’re looking for practical youth ministry tips, phone management strategies, and digital discipleship tools to keep students engaged, this episode is for you.

Episode 171: Grow Your Youth Group: EXPLOSIVE Attendance Secrets

October 16th, 2025  |  17 mins 39 secs

church growth, church leadership, confidence in ministry, delegation in ministry, discipleship strategies, grow your youth group, how to lead volunteers, humility in leadership, hybrid ministry, leadership development, ministry growth tips, ministry lessons, ministry mistakes, next gen ministry, small group leaders, student ministry leadership, volunteer leader tips, volunteer recruiting, youth group chaos, youth group recruiting, youth group strategy, youth ministry, youth pastor training

These 5 Shifts in my approach to volunteers revolutionized by youth ministry.
These aren’t quick hacks — they’re the foundational principles that changed my thinking but they led to real, measurable growth.

The best news of all, not for me in the moment, but you is that each of these shifts were like levels in a video game that come with the big bad boss of a failure story that I had to defeat, from one of my 15 years in youth ministry, each boss becoming more and more epic, the final one left me questioning not only my job, but my career in ministry.

Episode 163: Event Evaluation that WORKS! How to Actually Improve Your Youth Ministry

August 21st, 2025  |  10 mins 23 secs

church event planning, church leadership, digital ministry, event debrief questions, event evaluation, fall ministry planning, hybrid ministry, ministry checklist, ministry evaluation form, ministry improvement, next gen ministry, post-event debrief, student ministry, volunteer training, what worked what broke what was missing, youth event feedback, youth group events, youth group planning, youth ministry, youth ministry ideas, youth ministry resources, youth ministry strategy, youth pastor tools

In this episode of the Hybrid Ministry Show, we’re unpacking a proven event evaluation strategy for youth ministry that will help you actually improve your events instead of just surviving them. Learn how to run a productive post-event debrief using a 3-question framework that works for digital and in-person debrief meetings alike. Plus, get access to a sample evaluation form, hear a big announcement, and upgrade your fall youth ministry strategy with intentional feedback tools.

Episode 149: Youth Ministry in the Summer? Should You Shut It Down or Show Up Strong?

May 15th, 2025  |  13 mins 59 secs

100 youth ministry ideas, church leadership, church summer programming, derry sabbatical card, free youth ministry resources, how to lead youth ministry, hybrid ministry, nick clason, patreon hybrid ministry, should youth group meet in summer, social media for youth pastors, student ministry, student ministry strategy, summer sabbatical, summer youth group ideas, summer youth series, youth group calendar, youth group content ideas, youth leader tips, youth ministry, youth pastor summer break

Summer is coming, and youth pastors everywhere are asking—do we keep programming or hit pause? In this video, we’ll break down the pros and cons of both options and help you decide what’s right for your ministry this summer. Stick around till the end for a FREE resource: 100 social media ideas to keep students engaged—even if you hit pause.
Plus 3 tips for summer ministry, regardless of the direction you choose

Episode 141: How I Plan Events with Kaylen Adams

March 20th, 2025  |  31 mins 35 secs

church communication, church event planning, church growth, church leadership, church marketing, church media, church social media, church strategy, church tech, digital ministry, discipleship, event coordination, hybrid ministry, ministry leadership, ministry podcast, sermon planning, student ministry, volunteer management, youth group ideas, youth ministry, youth ministry training, youth pastor

This episode of the Hybrid Ministry Show kicks off the "How I..." playlist with a deep dive into event planning with guest Kaylen Adams, an expert in coordination and logistics. Kaylen shares her step-by-step approach to organizing youth ministry events, covering everything from volunteer recruitment and communication to detailed schedules and contingency planning. Whether you're a youth pastor who struggles with organization or looking to refine your event strategy, this conversation is packed with practical insights to help you run seamless, high-impact events.