I love listening to podcasts. I listen to everything from The Pour Over to Crime Junkies to The Holy Post. My taste is fairly eclectic and I’m always looking to add more podcasts to my playlist. I also really love to listen to ones that challenge me and help me to grow as leader, person, and Christ-follower.
Recently, I came across The FYI on Youth Ministry podcast that is currently hosted by Kara Powell. This is a podcast from the Fuller Youth Institute that brings together insights, research, advice, and stories and experiences from people who serve in the trenches of ministry. It is a conversational podcast that truly helps to inform, equip, and challenge those who serve in student ministry or oversee staff who do.
I must confess, that I’ve only recently started listening to this podcast but in that short amount of time, I’ve binged multiple episodes buecasue of how solid and beneficial the content is. FYI is an amazing organization and I regularly get their emails and search their website for helpful content. Kara Powell is a researcher, author, and speaker who is well known in youth ministry circles. When you pair those two things together with a variety of insightful guests and experts in their fields on the show, this is a podcast that every youth worker should be listening to.
It is easy to listen to and very practical in the information that is shared. Much of the information will not just be helpful to paid youth workers but also to anyone who serves with students. In fact, I will be utilizing various episodes for my volunteers at upcoming training to help generate ideas, facilitate conversation, and provide insights to help all of us succeed in ministering to students.
As you look at the podcast, you’ll notice it is not updated super regularly, but that makes new episodes all the more exciting because it’s almost like a surprise party when they drop. In prior episodes, you’ll find a variety of other hosts from FYI and a range of topics including areas of self-care which is so important but often neglected in ministry circles. You’ll also find helpful topics that we should be engaging our students with and tips and resources for how to do so effectively and biblically.
Overall, this is a great podcast and one I would highly recommend to any youth worker. Whether you’re fresh out of college or a thirty-year veteran in student ministry, this podcast will be a great resource for you. Take a listen, and let us know in the comments what you think about the podcast.
