Hybrid Ministry

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 169: Don't Try These... Until you Hear My Mistakes!

October 2nd, 2025  |  14 mins 56 secs

back to school events, best youth ministry events, christmas party ideas for teenagers, download youth ministry, easy youth group events, fall youth ministry events, hybrid ministry, nick clason, student ministry theme nights, youth group super bowl party, youth ministry ideas

Youth ministry theme nights are some of the BEST ways to get students inviting friends and to build momentum in your group.
But here’s the thing nobody tells you—every single one of my theme nights has come with a mistake. Sometimes it was funny, sometimes it was painful… and one time I thought I was getting fired…

Before you try these for yourself, let me give you my five best theme nights from 15 years in youth ministry—and the one mistake I made in each, so you don’t have to learn the hard way.

🚨BIG ANNOUNCEMENT🚨 - The Future of Hybrid Ministry!

September 24th, 2025  |  8 mins 4 secs

darren sutton, deep dive, derry prenkert, digital ministry, hybrid ministry, nick clason, student ministry, ymlc cohort, youth ministry leader cohort

Hop into this EMERGENCY POD! Big News on the horizon!

I've got a special guest here, my former boss, and more importantly, friend, Darren Sutton, to explain all there is about the future of the Hybrid Ministry Show!

Episode 167: Top 5 Youth Ministry Books Every New Youth Pastor Must Read

September 18th, 2025  |  17 mins 56 secs

4 chair discipling, best youth ministry books, communicating for a change, discipleship books, family ministry training, hybrid ministry, knowing him study, lead small, new youth pastor tips, nick clason, purpose driven youth ministry, sticky church, student ministry resources, top books for youth pastors, youth leader resources, youth ministry books, youth ministry discipleship, youth ministry preaching tips, youth ministry programming, youth ministry training, youth pastor resources

Welcome to Nick Clason Theological Seminary—or as my new resident called it, NCTS. I’m not actually starting a seminary, but if you’re brand new to youth ministry and wondering, "What books should I read?" You’re in the right place. Today I’m breaking down 5 must-read youth ministry books and 3 video courses that will give you a solid foundation for preaching, programming, and discipling students in today’s world.

Episode 166: How Our Youth Group Doubled in 3 Years

September 11th, 2025  |  15 mins 13 secs

church growth strategies, disciple making in youth ministry, grow your church youth ministry, how to double your youth group, how to grow your youth group, hybrid ministry, small church youth group ideas, student ministry growth, student ministry ideas, youth group attendance tips, youth group leader tips, youth group volunteer ideas, youth ministry growth, youth ministry leadership, youth ministry outreach, youth ministry tips, youth pastor advice, youth pastor training

In this episode of the Hybrid Ministry Podcast, I share how our youth group doubled in just 3 years using simple hybrid ministry strategies that any youth pastor can apply. You’ll learn practical tips for increasing youth group attendance, retaining volunteers, engaging parents, and building a student ministry that makes more and better disciples of Jesus. Whether you’re leading a small church youth group or looking for big youth ministry ideas on a budget, these proven hybrid ministry strategies for youth pastors will help your ministry grow.

Episode 165: How to Build a Youth Social Media Team That You Don’t Have to Run

September 4th, 2025  |  21 mins 56 secs

canva for churches, church marketing, church social media strategy, church social media tips, digital discipleship, fall social media pack, gen z social media, how to build a church social team, hybrid ministry, patreon for youth pastors, social media content plan, social media for youth groups, social media volunteers, student leadership, student social media team, student-led ministry, youth group instagram, youth ministry content, youth ministry social media, youth pastor tools

Struggling to keep up with your youth group’s social media? In this episode, I’ll show you how to build a student-led social media team for your youth ministry—from recruiting Gen Z content creators to assigning creative roles like studio recruiter, sermon recap editors, and “man on the street” interviewers. Plus, I’ll show you how my Fall Social Media Pack (available on Patreon) gives you 3 months of done-for-you content your students can run without you lifting a finger.

Episode 164: 🚀 Fall Social Media Pack: Stop Guessing. Start Posting.

August 28th, 2025  |  10 mins 56 secs

church growth, church marketing, church social media, church social pack, coleader curriculum, content calendar, copy paste post, digital discipleship, done for you content, fall calendar, fall ministry, fall social media, guest strategy, hybrid ministry, instagram for youth group, ministry resources, social media for churches, social media plan, student ministry, tiktok for youth ministry, welcome box, youth group ideas, youth ministry, youth pastor tools, youtube shorts church

Struggling to keep up with youth ministry social media this fall? In this episode of the Hybrid Ministry Show, Nick Clason unveils the Fall Social Media Pack—a done-for-you, but also fully customizable content calendar built to align with your fall kickoff event, guest strategy, YouTube channel, and in-person ministry, saving you hours every week. Learn how to post your way to better engagement on Instagram, TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts, while bridging the gap between digital discipleship and real-life impact in your church!

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 162: 10 Free Time Stations for Youth Ministry - Fun, Easy & FREE!

August 14th, 2025  |  13 mins 31 secs

9 square, church games, church outreach, donut game, download youth ministry, engaging students, fall youth ministry, free time stations, gaga ball, hybrid ministry, low prep games, nick clason, passport game, social media strategy, student ministry, teen ministry, youth event ideas, youth group connection, youth group fun, youth group games, youth group planning, youth group strategy, youth ministry, youth ministry podcast, youth pastor resources, youth pastor tips

Looking for fun, easy, and totally free youth ministry ideas that actually engage students? In this episode of The Hybrid Ministry Show, Nick Clason shares 10 high-energy, low-prep free time station ideas—from donut decorating to Mario Kart tournaments, 9 Square, Gaga Ball, social challenges, and more—all designed to boost student engagement and connection. If you're a youth pastor craving creative youth group games, fall event strategy, or hybrid ministry tips that work, this episode is packed with stealable ideas and a bonus resource you don’t want to miss!

Episode 161: How to Welcome New Students in Youth Ministry Without Overwhelming Them

August 7th, 2025  |  6 mins 33 secs

church guest process, church welcome box, first time guest, first time visitor ideas, guest experience, hybrid ministry, new students, student guest plan, student ministry, teen ministry, welcoming students, youth group follow up, youth group retention, youth group strategy, youth group systems, youth group welcome ideas, youth leader tools, youth ministry, youth ministry calendar, youth ministry growth, youth pastor tips, youth pastor training

Welcoming new students to your youth ministry shouldn’t feel like a firehose of information—this episode unpacks how to create an intentional, low-pressure first-time guest follow-up system. We’ll explore the psychology behind making guests feel valued, how to use a youth group welcome box, and why timing your church guest process matters. Plus, get a walkthrough of our youth ministry calendar, a peek at our welcome video strategy, and how to keep student connections alive on social media all fall long!