Jeremy sits down (in person!!) with Andrew and Chris from Open Doors Canada to explore what persecution really means and why understanding it matters for all of us youth workers as we pass faith onto the next generation. Drawing from their work and research of Christians all around the world, Andrew and Chris help clarify the difference between persecution and everyday disagreement, grounding the discussion in a definition centered on identification with Christ. More than statistics, this conversation highlights powerful stories from the global church and invites youth workers to lift their eyes beyond their own context. You’ll be challenged to consider how learning from persecuted believers can deepen faith, shape discipleship, and form a more resilient, outward-looking Christianity among your students.

Check out opendoorscanada.org and their great resources, like the World Watch List and Arise Africa Campaign.

Have a question or want to dig deeper? You can email jeremy@youthworker.community

In this episode, Jeremy is joined by Dr. Rob Chartrand, professor and program coordinator of Christian Ministry at Briercrest, to explore what many are beginning to notice across Canada: a growing spiritual curiosity among Gen Z. Drawing on recent research, cultural trends, and his experience forming future ministry leaders, Rob reflects on why young people are searching for meaning in a culture shaped by anxiety, nihilism, and fragmentation. He’ll talk about how youth workers might need to shift from trying to convince students that faith matters to helping them discover the depth and beauty of the Christian story. Offering a more robust gospel that acknowledges the challenges of life and helps students live a better story centered on Jesus.

Learn more about Briercrest at briercrest.ca or Rob’s podcast at churchinthenorth.ca

You can read more about the news report that Rob mentions at CTV News

Have a question or want to dig deeper? You can email jeremy@youthworker.community

In part two of this extended conversation, Jeremy continues his discussion with Dr. Ken Castor as they work through more real questions from volunteer youth workers. This episode focuses especially on students who don’t fit the typical youth ministry mold (think quiet students, highly scheduled students, and those who show up for reasons other than spiritual growth). Ken challenges the assumption that youth ministry is designed primarily for extroverts and invites leaders to rethink how leadership development, discipleship, and program structures can serve every student. From redefining success beyond attendance to building ministry around real relationships, this conversation offers you some thoughtful guidance on helping students follow Jesus, no matter their personality, pace, or level of engagement.

Ken has written a number of books including the Make a Difference Bible and the Make a Difference Devotional.

Have a question or want to dig deeper? You can email jeremy@youthworker.community

Jeremy is joined by Dr. Ken Castor to continue the conversation on student leadership that began at the YWC Conference in Moncton. Drawing from decades of research and hands-on ministry experience, Ken responds to real questions from volunteer youth workers about discipling students beyond weekly programs. Over the next two episodes you’ll hear about how leadership development often happens “along the way” through everyday life, why youth ministry must move beyond event-based models, and how leaders can empower students of all personalities (not just the loud or outgoing ones). From setting healthy boundaries to partnering with parents and rethinking what success looks like in youth ministry, this conversation offers thoughtful, practical wisdom for anyone investing in the next generation of leaders.

Ken has written a number of books including the Make a Difference Bible and the Make a Difference Devotional.

See Ken at the YWC Conferences or Today's Teens Conference in early 2026.

Here are the questions Ken answers in this episode:

1. When the group grows and the pastor can’t do this for everyone, how do you empower and encourage volunteer youth leaders to go beyond the event and do this type of discipleship with their key students?
2. How do I set realistic expectations if youth ministry is not my only responsibility?
3. As a young student leader myself, how do I develop leader attributes in other students my age, but still being relatable and being someone they can still feel encouraged to reach regardless of my stand and theirs!
4. How would you handle a student that becomes too attached to you and starts to try and monopolize your time, taking you away from other students?
5. How do we maintain healthy boundaries — plan to protect of course but also healthy emotional boundaries with students when we are trying to get in proximity with our students?

Have a question or want to dig deeper? You can email jeremy@youthworker.community

Happy New Year!!!

Ministry in 2026 won’t be about having all the answers or running perfect programs. It will be about presence. Faithfulness. Listening well. Creating safe spaces where students can encounter Jesus and discover who they are in Him. And in all of it, remember this truth: you are making an eternal difference.

Some of the fruit you’ll see this year. Much of it you won’t. But none of it is wasted in God’s hands. He is at work in and through you... shaping lives, building faith, and advancing His kingdom in ways that will last far beyond this year.

We’re cheering you on as you head into 2026. May God give you wisdom, courage, joy, and endurance for the road ahead. Thank you for saying yes again this year.

Merry Christmas from all of us at the Volunteer Youth Worker Podcast! 🎄

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus we want to pause and say thank you. Week in and week out, you show up for teenagers, often behind the scenes and rarely in the spotlight. Your faithfulness, prayers, late nights, early mornings, and willingness to listen matter more than you know.

In a season that can feel busy and overwhelming, we pray you’re reminded that God sees you, delights in you, and is at work through you. Even on the days when it feels unnoticed or exhausting, you are making an eternal difference in the lives of young people.

Merry Christmas!

In this episode, Jeremy is joined by Pia Ocenar, a Catholic youth minister with experience serving students across Canada, to talk about teaching faith with clarity, care, and depth. Pia shares her own journey back to faith and offers insight into how the Catholic tradition approaches catechesis: intentionally teaching what Christians believe, how faith is practiced, and how students are invited into a personal encounter with Jesus. Together, they explore why youth workers can feel nervous about teaching theology, how to discern trustworthy resources, and why students today are often hungry for something richer than surface-level faith. As you listen, we hope you’ll reflect on how you communicate belief, practice, and experience in your ministry, and how creating space for honest questions can lead to deeper discipleship.

Pia mentioned netcanada.ca, youcat.org, realtrue.org, and Hallow.

Have a question or want to dig deeper? You can email jeremy@youthworker.community

Jeremy and Sid talk about one of the most polarizing parts of youth ministry: games. Why do we play them? Do they actually matter? And how can they go so wrong so quickly? Together, you’ll hear how games can be a powerful tool for building community, creating belonging, and developing trust between leaders and students… when they’re done with intention. From thinking about games as a means to an end (and sometimes an end in themselves) to practical principles like inclusivity, age-appropriateness, timing, and clear explanation, this conversation will help you rethink game time. Whether you love games or dread them, this episode will help you see how play can support deeper ministry and healthier group culture.

You can check out our training series that talks about Play as a core responsibility of youth workers here: 4 Core Responsibilities

Have a question or want to dig deeper? You can email jeremy@youthworker.community