Mountain Students Team Podcast: Recent Episodes
Mountain Students
A podcast for the Students Team at Mountain that looks to help strengthen disciple-makers by providing practical and timely conversations that help us all be better disciples. This helps us to go make more and better disciples of middle and high school students by connecting them with someone who loves God and loves them to help them develop an authentic faith.
May 10, 2024
Leveraging Summer
Season 2, Episode 5
In this episode, Students Pastors (Kristen, Charlie, Greg, and Zach) dive into how to make the most out of the summer with your group. As temperatures rise and schedules change, they explore the delicate balance between activity and rest, emphasizing the importance of taking time to recharge amidst the busyness of ministry. From summer camps to movie nights and dips in the pool, they share some pro tips for bringing your crew together and crafting unforgettable moments. Plus, don’t miss their insider tips on how to make this year at summer camp your best year yet.
Whether you’re a seasoned group leader or just starting, this episode offers invaluable wisdom and inspiration for leveraging the summer months to cultivate deeper connections, spiritual growth, and lasting memories within your group.
MARKERS
Intro [0:00]
Tips for Summer Camps [9:56]
The Value of Taking Time to Recharge [16:42]
Best Practices for Getting Your Group Together [22:27]
But Isn’t Summer My Break?? [33:02]
Filling Your Bucket [35:02]
I’m Too Busy To Rest [41:05]
Outro [46:23]
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Summer Group Gatherings Guide for Group Leaders
Looking for more? Check out the Students Team Website for more resources and the upcoming series at Students Groups.
April 11, 2024
Memorable Moments from a Graduate
Season 2, Episode 4
In this episode, Allysha Deleonibus joins the show to talk about some memorable moments from her experience in Mountain Students and provides some guidance and encouragement to Group Leaders about what students remember after they graduate.
MARKERS
Intro [0:00]
Introduce Topic [6:57]
Memory 1 [9:15]
Memory 2 [17:30]
Memory 3 [25:45]
More Than Students Groups [34:47]
That’s Cool and All, But I’m Not A Bible Scholar [38:34]
Is What I’m Doing Even Helping? [39:56]
Outro [51:01]
RESOURCES MENTIONED
It’s Personal by Reggie Joiner, Kristen Ivy, and Virginia Ward
Looking for more? Check out the Students Team Website for more resources and the upcoming series at Students Groups.
Current and former Students Groups leaders join Chase we we have a conversation on what it is like to answer the difficult questions students have. There are lots of encouraging moments as well as a great challenge for each of us to pursue our own faith further as we lead students.
MARKERS (Bullet points of key topics + chapter markers)
Intro [0:00]
What’s the big deal about difficult questions? [6:50]
Does authenticity really matter? [12:30]
The importance of going on the journey [15:45]
My students are asking difficult questions…help! [19:00]
My my my poker face my my poker face [25:40]
So what happens if I just don’t know? [28:30]
What about THEIR journey? [34:00]
Giving hard truths [38:06]
Final thoughts [46:06]
Outro [49:12]
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman
Resource #2
Resource #3
Looking for more? Check out the Students Team Website for more resources and the upcoming series at Students Groups.
November 1, 2023
The Bible In 10 Frames
Season 2, Episode 2
In this episode, Luke Erickson joins the podcast to talk more about the overarching biblical story and introduces a tool called The Bible in 10 Frames. This tool is like a map to the biblical story that helps us put the Bible into the right context and also helps us help our students to find where they are at when studying the BIble.
MARKERS
Intro [0:00]
What is it? [5:11]
The Bible In 10 Frames [15:55]
Frame 1 [17:03]
Frame 2 [19:02]
Frame 3 [21:12]
Frame 4 [22:32]
Frame 5 [24:38]
Frame 6 [29:26]
Frame 7 [35:15]
Frame 8 [39:36]
Frame 9 [43:25]
Frame 10 [46:19]
Application - How can we use this in Students Groups and beyond? [50:45]
Outro [1:03:46]
RESOURCES MENTIONED
The Bible in 10 Frames Booklet
The Bible Guide
S2 E1 of Students Team Podcast
The Bible In 10 Frames Bookmark - See your Students Pastor!
Looking for more? Check out the Students Team Website for more resources and the upcoming series at Students Groups.
October 2, 2023
Strategy Around Students Groups Content
Season 2, Episode 1
In this episode, Chase Boyer discusses how content plays a key role in guiding conversations and emphasizes the importance of producing engaging content that speaks to the hearts of students. He shares insights into the content creation process at Mountain Students and highlights the significance of prayer and the Holy Spirit's leading in providing the best content. Chase also talks about the annual strategic planning process for content and mentions how important it is for group leaders to provide feedback to shape the material. He challenges group leaders to actively engage with the content provided and emphasizes the importance of preparation and engagement in fostering fruitful conversations with students.
MARKERS
1:45 - Shift to Two-Phase Content
5:30 - Conversations as Seed Planting
8:16 - Why Two-Phase Content?
10:38 - Content Creation Workflow
19:40 - Groups Guide Differences
22:15 - It Takes a Team
27:45 - Annual Content Planning Process (How Series Are Chosen)
30:38 - RESOURCE: Students Preaching Lectionary
32:56 - RESOURCE: Big Rocks for 2023-2024 School Year
36:24 - Feedback from Group Leaders (We want to hear from you!)
38:10 - CHALLENGE: Prep for Students Groups Conversations
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Students Preaching Lectionary
2023-2024 Big Rocks
- Authentic Relationships
- Fundamentals of the Faith
- The Body as a Temple
- Racial Reconciliation Conversations
- Unstoppable Good (Giving Generously)
Looking for more? Check out the Students Team Website for more resources and the upcoming series at Students Groups.
June 11, 2023
BONUS: Grounding Meditation
Season 1, Episode 7
As Season 1 of the podcast wraps up, here’s a bonus episode of just the grounding meditation to use when you need to ground yourself to the present moment and become aware of what’s going on around and inside of us.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Evolve Wellness Website
Looking for more? Check out the Students Team Website for more resources and the upcoming series at Students Groups.
June 11, 2023
Conversation with Evolve Wellness
Season 1, Episode 6
In this episode, Chase and Sean talk with Evolve Wellness, a evidence-based holistic health practice centered around realtionship, connection, and adaptability. Tyler, Joseph, and Charles share about how to practice self-care and our connection between the mind and body before leading us through a grounding meditation that we can use to help ground ourselves into the present moment and become aware of what’s going on around us.
MARKERS
9:05 - Why do we rest?
14:41 - Validating ourselves
21:53 - The benefits of community
26:40 - Carving out time for self-care
28:44 - Connection between the body and the mind
39:28 - Connection to our spiritual life
44:18 - So how do I do it?
51:12 - Battling perfectionism in self-care
54:06 - Introducing grounding meditation
58:29 - Grounding meditation
1:07:35 - Outro
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Evolve Wellness Website
Mark 6
Luke 10:38-42 - Story of Mary and Martha
Looking for more? Check out the Students Team Website for more resources and the upcoming series at Students Groups.
In this episode, Chase and the team sits down with Alpha USA leader Jordan Biere to discuss the state of discipleship in students across the country. In a recent coordinated study with thousands of students across the nation, Jordan and his team reveals what the data says about how teenagers are longing to see authenticity in our groups. Be careful: this conversation will spur you forward in your calling to disciple students here at Mountain.
Manual Car Illustration:
Gear 1: Casual Conversations
Gear 2: Meaningful Conversations
Gear 3: Spiritual Conversations
Gear 4: Choose Jesus
Gear 5: Maturing in Christ
Gear 6: Entering Leadership
April 3, 2023
Talking About Baptism
Season 1, Episode 4
In this episode, Sean and Kristen talk about baptism and how to have conversations around baptism with students. They provide some common language that our Mountain Students Team can use along with talking through some common scenarios and providing key next steps for following up well when a decision to be baptized is made.
MARKERS
1:27 - Baptism Stories
5:45 - What Is Baptism?
9:25 - Baptism + Trust
11:05 - Jesus as Lord & Savior
14:25 - Our Role as Leaders
19:40 - Common Language
39:23 - Roleplay with Practical Situations
55:40 - Next Steps
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Romans 6:4-11
Disciple Making Essentials Document
Disciple Making Essentials Video Playlist
Taking a Next Step | Leader Guide
Looking for more? Check out the Students Team Website for more resources and the upcoming series at Students Groups.
March 2, 2023
Finding God’s Voice in the Plurality of Culture
Season 1, Episode 3
It is easy to throw in the towel about today’s culture, and it might even sometimes feel righteous to want to get our students away from that culture. But the truth is: this culture is ours now, too! Instead of trying to erase today’s culture, let’s spend some time embracing it, allowing it to guide us to the best strategies to help our students discover the story God has been writing for all of time, the Truth in a sea of truths, and a legitimacy to our heritage as a people. In this conversation, we sat down with our Young Adults Pastor Gil and started scratching the surface of why our culture exists today, the historical significance of the shift to postmodern culture, and ways we can show students the way of Jesus in a plurality of truths.
MARKERS
5:00 - Postmodernism Introduction
7:00 - Culture in the last 100 years
13:00 - What does that mean for our students today?
16:00 - Christianity vs Culture
21:00 - Leading students in a postmodern culture
32:00 - Fostering a healthy faith in your few
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Christianity Surprise - renewing a sense of Christian hope today
Media Theory of Postmodernism - gives a good overview of postmodernism from a media perspective.
If you want to dive deeper, here are some philosophers you could take a dive into:
Jean-François Lyotard
Jean Baudrillard
Gilles Deleuze
Jacques Derrida
Looking for more? Check out the Students Team Website for more resources and the upcoming series at Students Groups.
March 2, 2023
Finding God’s Voice in the Plurality of Culture
Season 1, Episode 3
It is easy to throw in the towel about today’s culture, and it might even sometimes feel righteous to want to get our students away from that culture. But the truth is: this culture is ours now, too! Instead of trying to erase today’s culture, let’s spend some time embracing it, allowing it to guide us to the best strategies to help our students discover the story God has been writing for all of time, the Truth in a sea of truths, and a legitimacy to our heritage as a people. In this conversation, we sat down with our Young Adults Pastor Gil and started scratching the surface of why our culture exists today, the historical significance of the shift to postmodern culture, and ways we can show students the way of Jesus in a plurality of truths.
MARKERS
5:00 - Postmodernism Introduction
7:00 - Culture in the last 100 years
13:00 - What does that mean for our students today?
16:00 - Christianity vs Culture
21:00 - Leading students in a postmodern culture
32:00 - Fostering a healthy faith in your few
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Christianity Surprise - renewing a sense of Christian hope today
Media Theory of Postmodernism - gives a good overview of postmodernism from a media perspective.
If you want to dive deeper, here are some philosophers you could take a dive into:
Jean-François Lyotard
Jean Baudrillard
Gilles Deleuze
Jacques Derrida
Looking for more? Check out the Students Team Website for more resources and the upcoming series at Students Groups.
March 2, 2023
Finding God’s Voice in the Plurality of Culture
Season 1, Episode 3
It is easy to throw in the towel about today’s culture, and it might even sometimes feel righteous to want to get our students away from that culture. But the truth is: this culture is ours now, too! Instead of trying to erase today’s culture, let’s spend some time embracing it, allowing it to guide us to the best strategies to help our students discover the story God has been writing for all of time, the Truth in a sea of truths, and a legitimacy to our heritage as a people. In this conversation, we sat down with our Young Adults Pastor Gil and started scratching the surface of why our culture exists today, the historical significance of the shift to postmodern culture, and ways we can show students the way of Jesus in a plurality of truths.
MARKERS
5:00 - Postmodernism Introduction
7:00 - Culture in the last 100 years
13:00 - What does that mean for our students today?
16:00 - Christianity vs Culture
21:00 - Leading students in a postmodern culture
32:00 - Fostering a healthy faith in your few
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Christianity Surprise - renewing a sense of Christian hope today
Media Theory of Postmodernism - gives a good overview of postmodernism from a media perspective.
If you want to dive deeper, here are some philosophers you could take a dive into:
- Jean-François Lyotard
- Jean Baudrillard
- Gilles Deleuze
- Jacques Derrida
Looking for more? Check out the Students Team Website for more resources and the upcoming series at Students Groups.
January 31, 2023
Conversations Around Sexual Integrity
Season 1, Episode 2
In this episode, Chase and Sean talk with Luke Erickson about having conversations around sexual integrity with our students.
MARKERS
5:32 - How do we think about our sexuality?
13:36 - The Church and Conversations Around Sex
17:17 - Why sexual integrity?
22:32 - What does it look like to help guide people towards God’s standard, what God wants for us?
31:23 - What are some practical ways to walk with students? - Student wrestling with same-sex attraction
41:54 - What are some practical ways to walk with students? - Student who has parents not pursuing sexual integrity
43:30 - What are some practical ways to walk with students? - Student wrestling with gender identity
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Sexual Integrity Resources for Students Team
Guiding Values for Sexual Integrity Conversations
Sexual Integrity Resources for Parents
The Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender
Christian View of Marriage: Part 1 (Theology in the Raw with Preston Sprinkle)
Christian View of Marriage: Part 2 (Theology in the Raw with Preston Sprinkle)
"The way you respond personally to the moment when they come out is the way that they will describe the way the church responded to them for the rest of their life." - Tom Shefchunas
Looking for more? Check out the Students Team Website for more resources and the upcoming series at Students Groups.
January 31, 2023
Leading GOOD Conversations
Season 1, Episode 1
In this episode, Sean talks with Chase Boyer about how to have good conversations with students through anticipating what you can anticipate, asking good questions, and listening.
MARKERS
04:15 - Strategies to Lead Better Conversations
07:00 - Anticipating What You Can Anticipate
11:00 - Asking Good Questions (Different Types of Question Hats)
29:27 - Creating Space for Your Group Conversations
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Asking Good Questions | Question Hats
Looking for more? Check out the Students Team Website for more resources and the upcoming series at Students Groups.
A podcast for the Students Team at Mountain that looks to help strengthen disciple-makers by providing practical and timely conversations that help us all be better disciples, so we can go make more and better disciples of middle and high school students by connecting them with someone who loves God and loves them to help them develop an authentic faith.