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Suicide is not easy to talk about in your youth ministry, but it is necessary as it is the second-leading cause of death among people ages 10-24. Megan Miessler, LCSW, joins us to talk about how we can approach this topic well and care for young people who may experience crisis around suicide. Find the Columbia Protocol App at apps.apple.com/us/app/columbia-protocol/id1450966911 and Mental Health First Aid at mentalhealthfirstaid.org. If you or someone you know is in crisis or mental distress, help is available. Call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat online at 988lifeline.org. Bio: Megan Miessler is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Megan began working with children and youth as a DCE in the Lutheran Church. She received her MSW from University of Central Florida and her DCE from Concordia St. Paul. Megan works with children and families and focuses on play therapy, depression, Anxiety, Crisis Intervention, School Counseling and Marriage Therapy. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

Deaconess Emma Heinz and Deaconess Dr. Tiffany Manor join Mark and Julianna to talk about how we approach life issues in youth ministry and teach a full theology of life in all things to our youth. Find LCMS Life Ministry resources at lcmslife.org and life resources on the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com/life. Bio: Deaconess Emma Heinz lives in St. Louis and is married to Seminarian Ben Heinz. She has served as a Deaconess intern in the Office of National Mission, including helping with the LCMS Gathering registration. She currently serves as registrar for Higher Things and in her spare time likes to read and write.   Deaconess Dr. Tiffany Manor serves as director of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s Life Ministry.  After a first career in marketing, she received an M.A. from Concordia Theological Seminary and earned a doctorate from Bethel University. She is married to Rev. Jonathan Manor, and they have five children and two grandchildren.

Mark and Julianna continue the series on challenging issues you might face in youth ministry. Rev. Brian Earl joins them to talk about ministering in the face of drug and substance use and addiction.     Bio: Rev. Brian Earl is a board-certified chaplain currently serving in mental health populations at the Raymond G Murphy Medical Center in Albuquerque, NM since 2019. Before that Brian completed a VA Interprofessional Advanced Fellowship in Addiction Treatment at the West Haven, CT VA. Brian is an ordained LCMS Pastor and before being called to chaplaincy in 2015, Brian served as a parish pastor in Nebraska. He and his wife Christa have three children and two cats.    Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

Our next study in the 40 End Goals series helps us to think about how we navigate difficult times with humble confidence and teach youth to do the same. Pastor Brandon Metcalf joins us to talk about his study and how we can support teens regardless of what challenges they face. Bio: Rev. Brandon Metcalf serves as Associate Pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Bethalto, Illinois. Brandon has a degree from Concordia University Nebraska and served as a Director of Christian Education in Missouri before entering the Seminary. Brandon loves any chance to work with God’s people to help them hold onto the promises of God. Along with “Connected for Life: Essential Guide to Youth Ministry” and youthesource.com, he is a contributing author to “Word of Strength and Promise: Devotions for Youth” and has spoken at district and national youth gatherings. He enjoys Frisbee, volleyball, and board games but his greatest joys come from being a husband and father. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

LCMS Servant Events have supported youth and adults in learning that serving others can make a difference because of Jesus Christ for more than 35 years. In this episode, our Servant Event Committee joins us to talk about how these servant events across the country.  Guests in this episode: Rev. Barry Akers — Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI Shelly Carlson — Lord of the Lakes Lutheran Church, Forest Lake, MN Joe Palinkas — Zion Lutheran Church, Painesville, OH Randy Ronning, DCE — Trinity Lutheran Church, Richmond, VA Leah Sallach — Holy Ghost Lutheran Church, Buffalo, NY Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com and LCMS Youth Ministry at lcms.org/youth.

As we continue to highlight the studies around the 40 End Goals, Mark and Julianna talk to DCE Bekah Freed about her study and devotions on Sabbath and rest. Bio: Bekah Freed is Kansas-grown girl who now lives in cornfields of Nebraska (with a 9-year stop in Buffalo, NY). She currently serves the students of Concordia University, Nebraska as the Director in the Student Life Office and loves helping youth and young adults know how much Jesus loves them. (Hint: It’s a lot!) She is a Director of Christian Education (DCE) and has a master's degree in Discipleship in the context of Trauma and Crisis Response. She enjoys kayaking, conversations about things that matter, fresh-baked cookies, traveling, a fuzzy blanket on a cold winter day, hugs from her nieces, hiking, and celebrating the everyday blessings in life. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

Mark and Julianna celebrate 100 episodes of End Goals Podcast by letting the listeners turn the tables and answering their questions. We are so thankful for your support these last three years. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

Bullying is not anything new, and youth ministries have had to deal with it many times over and in various ways. Today, much of the bullying happens not face to face but online. Kari Smith joins us to talk about how to prevent and approach this issue. Bio: Kari Smith has been a teacher, youth leader, and now works with Lutheran Family Service as Congregational Services and Adoption Case Work. She graduated from Concordia Nebraska. She lives in Iowa with her husband of 22 years and is a mom of four.  Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

We all have roles, responsibilities, and relationships where God uses us to serve others and share the Gospel. Pastor Andrew Jones joins Mark and Julianna to talk about the importance to teaching about vocation.  Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com. Bio: Andrew R. Jones lives in the Bay Area of California where he enjoys writing, hiking, and adventures with his wife, Stephanie. He has served the church on three continents in varying roles including campus ministry, international mission work, professor of preaching, and parish pastor. His writings speak to the importance of spiritual disciplines in the midst of a hectic world.

This Fall we are taking on some important, but difficult topics for teens that might be tough for youth leaders to approach. In this episode, we talk with Jayme Nichols about how we can prepare to care and support youth who are impacted by depression and anxiety. Bio: DCE Jayme Nichols is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate in the Austin, TX area. Before becoming a counselor, she served in youth ministry for 18 years. Jayme and her husband, Kobi, grew up in Saginaw, MI and met at Valley Lutheran High School. They have been married 13 years and have three children: Isaac (10), Carrington (9), and Jeremiah (5). In their down time, the Nichols’ enjoy watching Michigan football, Tigers baseball, and Red Wing hockey.  Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

Both the 7 Practices and the 40 End Goals use the term “Humble Confidence” but what does that mean? Join Mark and Julianna in a discussion with Rev. Trevor Sutton about his study on Humble Confidence available on YouthESource right now. Bio: Rev. Trevor Sutton is a senior pastor at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Lansing, Michigan. He is also a PhD candidate at Concordia Seminary and teaches in the digital humanities graduate program at Concordia Ann Arbor. His most recent books include Redeeming Technology and Clearly Christian: Following Jesus in This Age of Confusion. Sutton’s writing on technology has appeared in The Washington Post, Religion News Service, The Lutheran Witness, The Christian Century and elsewhere. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

Our 40 Teaching End Goals are a part of our 7 Practices of Healthy Youth Ministry and our Bible studies on the YouthESource for the next year will explore those End Goals. In this episode we look at the first of those Bible studies and devotions by talking about Christian Community with author Cassie Schermbeck. Bio: Cassie Schermbeck is a DCE in Centennial, CO, and has served in youth ministry for more than twenty years. She went to Concordia University Nebraska and received her MA in Youth and Family Ministry from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. She and her husband Tim have two kids in elementary school. Cassie loves teenagers, speaking, listening, the Spurs, the Cubs, reading, swimming, triathlons and worshiping Jesus.  Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

Join us for a special crossover episode with Friends for Life! Host Stephanie Neugebauer talked with us about the importance of intergenerational relationships, particularly with older generations honoring and serving the younger generation. As we think about the life of the church, how we care for pre-teens, teens, and young adults is a part of how we engage and value God’s people in every aspect of life. Find the Friends for Life Podcast at kfuo.org/friendsforlife. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com. About Friends for Life: We believe that God is the author and sustainer of all life. We also know it can be hard to speak about the intrinsic value of that life when it feels like the world is trying to drown us out. We’re right here beside you. In this podcast of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s Life Ministry, we’re coming alongside one another as a community of Christ’s redeemed people, ones who are speaking up for and living out the sanctity of human life. Together we’ll explore life issues in a way that honors our heavenly Father’s value of human life, serves our neighbor, and connects us to others who are doing the same. Join us, so that together we can be friends for life. Learn about LCMS Life Ministry at lcms.org/life, and email us at friendsforlife@lcms.org.

Even though you may still be sharing your 2022 Gathering experience, our team is already well at work on the 2025 LCMS Youth Gathering in New Orleans. Hear a little bit about what happens between Gatherings and ways you can stay connected to us. Find all things Gathering at lcmsgathering.com. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

Now that we have experienced the LCMS Youth Gathering, we checked in with the staff of LCMS Youth Ministry to hear their reflections on the event. The staff works hard for years to make the Gathering possible and have a unique perspective of where God was at work in Houston. Find all things Gathering at lcmsgathering.com. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

LCMS Youth Gathering participants can be noticeable with their matching shirts and backpacks. More than just being seen, God can use Gathering participants to leave an impact on the city and those residents they come into contact with. Find all things Gathering at lcmsgathering.com. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

Mark and Julianna talk about how the Gathering can help your youth ministry beyond the five days of the event. We pray it can help spur ministry for the next three years and beyond. Find all things Gathering at lcmsgathering.com. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

We know you are exhausted and just looking for a little rest. But in the first in our Gathering Finishing Pack series, we will talk about how you might think about sharing your group’s experience at the 2022 Youth Gathering back home. This also has a special segment for pastors on the theme: In All Things! Find all things Gathering at lcmsgathering.com. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

We have finally made it to Houston for the 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering. Join Mark and Julianna on the Interactive Floor as they talk about their experiences and give thanks for what is happening at the Gathering. Find all things Gathering at lcmsgathering.com. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.

While we hope that every part of your LCMS Youth Gathering experience goes perfectly, we know that you want to plan for all the contingencies. This podcast will cover some of the big “What if” questions so you can hear about some of the plans and supports we have in place for you. Find all things Gathering at lcmsgathering.com. Find the LCMS Youth Ministry resource website at youthesource.com.