Hybrid Ministry

Episode 224: My [FREE] Christmas Party Order of Service

October 22nd, 2026  |  6 mins 15 secs

Ideas, Party, bingo, christmas, classy christmas, dress-up, gala, gingerbread house, movie, pco, prom, run sheet, service order, student ministry, theme, ugly sweater, white elephant gift exchange, youth group, youth ministry

Everyone has Christmas Party ideas, games & gifts, but nobody talks about the optimal flow of the service. In this episode I'll break it down, minute by minute, on how you should run your Christmas service. This is the final puzzle piece from the Mega Christmas Guide (linked in the shownotes). Join us, and plan your Best Christmas Party, yet!

Episode 223: 5 No or Low Prep Christmas Party Themes for Youth Group

October 15th, 2026  |  8 mins 10 secs

Ideas, Party, bingo, christmas, classy christmas, dress-up, gala, gingerbread house, movie, prom, student ministry, theme, ugly sweater, white elephant gift exchange, youth group, youth ministry

Your Christmas Party is a staple event in your youth ministry calendar. What theme do you choose this year? Do you go Ugly Sweater? Or more classy? In this episode I outline 5 of my favorite Low or No Prep Theme Ideas. Assets for all of them are available in my Mega Christmas Guide

Episode 222: 15 Cheap Christmas Gifts for Small Group Leaders (Under $15)

October 8th, 2026  |  7 mins 31 secs

christmas games, christmas party, fun, games for youth group christmas party, gifts for volunteers, hybrid ministry, interactive, large church, medium church, small church, small group leader gifts, student ministry, youth group, youth group christmas party, youth leader christmas ideas, youth ministry

What do you buy your youth ministry volunteer leaders around Christmas that won't break the bank? In this episode we'll answer that exact question. It's also all listed out in part 2 of our MEGA Christmas Guide (link in the shownotes!)

Episode 221: 10 Youth Group Christmas Party Games

October 1st, 2026  |  9 mins 9 secs

christmas games, christmas party, fun, games for youth group christmas party, hybrid ministry, interactive, large church, medium church, small church, student ministry, youth group, youth group christmas party, youth ministry

Your Christmas party is rapidly approaching and you've got a budget of zero dollars. Every list online is the same white elephant and wrapping-paper-mummy nonsense you ran in 2019. These ten game ideas need nothing but stuff already in your building — welcome to the best 10 Christmas games for youth group Christmas Parties!

Episode 220: The Ultimate Sidekick Pro Feature according to DYM’s Josh Boldman - FREE for Gold Members

September 24th, 2026  |  55 mins 36 secs

Feedback, dym, feature rankings, giveaway, hybrid ministry, josh boldman, ministry tools, nick clason, sidekick playlist, sidekick pro, youth group

In this week's 5th & final Sidekick Pro episode, I sit down with DYM's own, Josh Boldman! The brains behind Sidekick Pro, and first I quiz him on all things Sidekick, see how he fares, then I give him an opportunity to push back against some of my scores, he adds one more "at large" feature to the final voting options, and then crowns the ultimate sidekick pro feature.

It's an amazing interview, full of fun, but also with a ton of behind the scenes information!
Including how to access sidekick pro for FREE for a month all the way at the end of the episode!

Jump in with us!

Episode 211: This Is the Tastiest Youth Night of the Summer

July 23rd, 2026  |  1 min 58 secs

chicken wings, fun, lasagna, student ministry, summer calendar, youth group, youth group game, youth group idea, youth ministry coach

Summer is coming to an end, with a BANG!
Lasagna. Chicken Wings. What a tastier way to end summer, than with all of this food!
Let's finish summer strong, together, friends!

Episode 210: We Accidentally Made Youth Group Educational AND Fun

July 16th, 2026  |  1 min 42 secs

apple, games, large youth group game ideas, pi approximation, pie, pizza, small youth group game ideas, student ministry, theme, youth group, youth night

We got REAAAALLLLL nerdy.
But we redeemed it with pie.
Pizza, Apple Pie & Math, what would be better in the middle of July?!

Episode 184: Amazing, On-Going, Youth Group Retreat Game Pt. 2 + Lock-in Survival Tips

January 15th, 2026  |  28 mins 30 secs

assassin game, conference activities, d-now, engagement, event planning, fall retreat, fun activities, games, keywords youth ministry, on-going games, summer camp, winter retreat, youth group, youth pastors, youth retreats

In this episode I sit down and share the entire inspiration for this D-Now, Winter Retreat & Summer Camp on-going games with my friend, Andrew Jansen.
Andrew is a 10+ year youth worker, and his assassin game sparked this entire podcast mini-series.
He expains his creative (and super CHEAP) adaptation to this game.
Plus! Andrew shared his lock-in survival guide for FREE!

Episode 183: Multi-Day Youth Group Game for Winter Retreats & DNows (Rules, Setup, & Free Files)

January 8th, 2026  |  29 mins 6 secs

audience engagement, community building, disciple now, dnow, fun activities, game show, games that build, games that last multiple sessions, group games, interactive games, retreat games, student ministry, summer camp, trivia games, youth group, youth ministry, youth retreats

In this special, interview style episode, Nick Clason sits down with Jay Reynolds to discuss a game concept that Jay used for every session during a recent Winter Retreat. This video is just in time for DNow season where you can program games that build over multiple days and can last the duration of your entire winter retreat, summer camp or disciple now event!
Jay shares next level expert tips to make sure you win!

Episode 172: The Cellphone Problem in Youth Groups

October 23rd, 2025  |  11 mins 51 secs

Discipleship, Sidekick, cellphone problem, church leadership, church tech, digital notes, fall social media plan, group covenants, how to keep kids off phones, hybrid ministry, paper bibles, phones in youth group, pro presenter, 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.