Beyond the Event: A Youth Ministry Podcast
Bringing together influential voices from the CIY community to walk alongside you in your journey to maintain momentum between the mountaintop experiences of youth ministry.
Beyond the Event: A Youth Ministry Podcast
BTE5.01 Topical vs. Exegetical: Part 1 with DJ Rodeffer and Lane Moss
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What approach should you take when teaching in a post-Christian context? DJ Rodeffer, Youth Director at Collective Church in Frederick, Maryland, makes a compelling case for topical teaching in this thought-provoking conversation.
Speaking from his experience in one of America's most unchurched regions, DJ explains why topical teaching creates powerful entry points for students who've been burned by the church or have no religious background whatsoever. Rather than feeling like a compromise, his approach strategically addresses real-life issues while remaining firmly anchored in Scripture.
"We feel as if we're able to engage what's specifically going on in our kids' lives," DJ shares, describing how his team crafts series on everything from digital hygiene to mental health based on relationships with their students. This contextual sensitivity allows them to meet young people exactly where they are.
While DJ clearly leans topical, he emphasizes there's no ministry without a balance of both approaches. The conversation offers valuable perspective for any youth worker wondering how to effectively communicate timeless truth to a generation hungry for relevance and authenticity. Whether you're team topical, team exegetical, or somewhere in between, you'll find practical wisdom for your ministry context.
Hi, I'm Brad Warren. This is Beyond the Event, a youth ministry podcast presented by Christ in Youth, where we help you maintain momentum between the mountaintops. Our guest today is DJ Rotifer. He's the youth director at Collective Church in Fredding Maryland. Dj and I are starting off our conversation about topical versus exegetical teaching today and we're going to talk about the topical side. But first, before we do that, lane Moss is here. Lane Brad, welcome. Thank you so much. It's a new dawn here at Christ in Youth, a new day, season five of the podcast. Wouldn't want to start it with anybody else. How you doing today, lane? Awesome, good, super good.
Speaker 3:Real hot outside, it's just so hot, but air conditioned in here A little. I mean a little.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a little air conditioned Lane. How was your summer? It was really really good. I knew you were going to say that yeah, why? How do you know that? Because it's always good.
Speaker 3:It is always good.
Speaker 1:Summer's the best.
Speaker 3:Not without bumps and hurdles to jump, and and and hurdles to jump. But uh, but boy, we jump them with joy, you know, and we just and it was really, really great Move.
Speaker 1:Theme 2026, jump jumping with joy, jumping with joy.
Speaker 3:It was awesome, actually. Uh, it was a really, really great summer. There are a few things that um, as you know, know that make me more excited and fill me with more energy than being able to hang out with, uh, with young people and with youth workers, um, and just like being a part of what they've been doing all year long.
Speaker 1:Getting to jump in on that for a week is just a total joy yeah, rocks, it is you and caleb both, and I know you do this a little bit, but you and caleb both have allowed me to like go back to the same events over and over again and like see the same people and it just feels like a giant family reunion and it's the best thing in the world. I just love it so much. It's pretty cool and we're able to do that. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:You go to Oregon every year. How was Oregon Unbelievable Did? You get your clam chowder Uh so I didn't get clam chowder.
Speaker 3:Uh, so I didn't get clam chowder, but I did go to the same like I go to the same seafood place every year that I'm out there out in newport. It's called local ocean, yeah, and I got grilled. I got tilapia with grilled peaches and it was to die for that sounds.
Speaker 1:It was amazing, really good actually. It sounds pretty freaking awesome, yeah, producer.
Speaker 3:Michael was with me. Wait what?
Speaker 4:I didn't even know that. Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1:Guys, don't say that I have FOMO in reverse.
Speaker 4:Well, we had a terrible time. Please don't say any. That's what we'll say to you.
Speaker 1:No, inside jokes on the podcast okay, all right, this one time.
Speaker 2:No no way past midnight.
Speaker 3:I can't, I can't, yeah, we stayed up way past midnight because a sprinkler went off in a dorm.
Speaker 1:If you're up way past midnight. A move. It's not for a good reason, not typically. No, it's not Um. What is your? The, the standout alternative act that you saw this summer.
Speaker 3:Oh sheesh. You know I didn't actually see much alternative this summer. Yeah, I know, I saw very little alternative.
Speaker 1:We don't even have anything to talk about.
Speaker 3:What was the standout act? You saw.
Speaker 1:The standout act I saw was a kid who he came out on stage and they were doing this thing.
Speaker 1:They were doing like uh, like break dancing moves, but obviously badly. They were doing them badly. And this kid and there's like a track going in, the whole thing and it's a whole thing and the kid like he, when I say he had me, he had me he went to like do a move and he fell down and I thought he was hurt and I was like, oh no, we're gonna have to call an ambulance because this kid can't break dance. And then he got me and he threw it back a little bit.
Speaker 1:Yeah and that was crazy and I was like, oh no, it was like I mean I went from, you know, because I went from like total fear that like a child is hurt on my watch, to like fear that we all just witnessed something that we didn't want to see. Well, and listen.
Speaker 3:If the olympics have taught us anything, it's that who knows what's good break dancing you know he could be a gold medal honestly break dancing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we don't know we don't know who knows who's so that's probably the one that, like, stands out the most, for sure, um, there was also a group of girls that, um, one of them is a faithful listener to this podcast uh, a group of of girls that wrote a rap, sure, and did it.
Speaker 1:A group of white women who wrote a rap and did it on stage b, about their small group leader whose name is lauren yeah, that's so they just wrote a rap like hyping her up it was very cringy and very good and hilarious, and awesome, good, so that wasn't during the alternative, but that was just a funny thing but it is an alternative act yeah no, when I saw it I was like I wish there was a two minute timer on this, but guess what there wasn't. Yeah, and so they blew right past that benchmark. Well, do you have any funny stories you can share? If not, from the alternative, anything awesome happen.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Tons of stuff. Boy, you put me on the spot here.
Speaker 1:I didn't what did you think we were going to talk about?
Speaker 3:The stuff you told me we were going to talk about.
Speaker 1:We'll get to that. You're good on your feet. You'll be fine, we'll get to that. Okay, you're good on your feet.
Speaker 3:You'll be fine. I need to think of. I mean, several of the things that like jump to mind immediately are like are not pot appropriate, you know. So that's fair. Yeah, you know, I don't know, I have to think about it. Oh, we'll circle back. You think about it, we'll circle back, it'll be good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, it was a good year move. Thanks for letting me be a part of it. It was wonderful. I had fun, you had fun, Michael had fun. Yeah, it's great. Um, producer Lauren off. Mike, here's the deal. I want to tell you about something. Here's what we're doing. We are we're breaking news right now. Ok, yeah, we're killing the mailbag. Ok, the mailbag is dead.
Speaker 4:Dead. It's a serious. Apologies, by the way, to Michelle Cruz and Tyler Strickland. Yeah, we just submitted nine questions or something Michelle did. Michelle had like one. Oh About like.
Speaker 1:Here's the deal. It's getting really hard to pull questions out of people and they're forcing it a little bit. You can tell you know we're forcing it a little bit. It served a good purpose. It's dead.
Speaker 1:In its place I wanted to introduce a few new like segments of the podcast that are going to be fun, introduce a few new like segments of the podcast that are going to be fun. Um, so we'll do one. I want to tell everyone that we're going to do one like right after the interview, before the credits, so the part of the podcast that you normally skip, don't skip it, okay, yeah, at least not until we get through a fun segment that we're going to do with lane, that's, we're also going to do a segment. Maybe this is a maybe called story time, which is, I would love to hear, like Lane here Can't come up with a single story from the whole summer.
Speaker 3:So many, they're all All right.
Speaker 1:Okay, then just tell the amalgamation of all of them. So if if a great story happened at Move or Mix or Superstart, I want you to type it up in an email to podcastcyycom. Send it to us, we will read it on the air as written. A very Ron Burgundy thing about me is that if it's on the prompter, I'm going to say it.
Speaker 1:If you send something to podcastcyycom a good story, a funny story, something that you think would be either entertaining or edifying for our listeners please send it to me. If you do, we'll read it on air and that'll be a segment as well. Right now, it's time for a segment that I'm very excited about.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I have a story whenever you want one.
Speaker 1:Oh okay, let's do that first. Oh yeah, you want to do that first.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, so this is weird because I wasn't actually at this event, um, but it did, uh weirdly involve my, uh, my son, yeah, uh, so, yeah, ledger, actually ledger.
Speaker 3:so canon and ledger were both at move nebraska with our church, with colchites and um, and ledger was selected to be the lucky charms kid so if you know what that, is they were given a lucky charms, told they had typically 24 hours, but ne, but Nebraska, being an early end, had less than 24 hours to raise as much money as possible. Like, really truthfully, not a lot of time. Yeah, right, oh, yeah, very, very little, very little. And so, uh, ledger, I was at home, I happened to be at home, um, that that week, in that Thursday night that he was given Lucky Charms box. So he called me at about 10, 30, 10, 45.
Speaker 3:Kelly, my wife, was asleep. Ledger called me and said, hey, um, is it okay if I tell everybody that if I raise $3,000, um, then I can shave my eyebrows. And I said, yeah, that's a great story. I was like, yeah, of course you can do that, sure man. I was like, yeah, let's rock. And so he was like, okay, and so then, uh, and then I, and then I completely forgot about it. Well, um, I guess he had other people from the, from our youth group, jump in and be like, yeah, and if we raise this much, I'll do it too. And like the you know, as you know, everybody gets a little camp drunk and starts you know you make bad choices, yeah.
Speaker 3:And so on, the like the parents thread group me of. Like the parents whose kids are at move from college, like the parents said another mom that the following morning another mom said please no shaving eyebrows which Kelly read. And I was sitting on the couch and Kelly was at our kitchen table and she said why do you think just like table? And she said why do you think just like read it out. And said why do you think she said that? And I was like oh yeah, forgot to tell you.
Speaker 3:I told Ledger that he could shave his eyebrows if he right, and Kelly said Kelly ever the level headed one in our home said no, veto, we're not doing that. He has. He has a job. Apparently, they take like a year to grow back. I was like we'll be done with this in two weeks, yeah, but they make pencils, yeah, sure, sure. She said. She said no, uh, but he can shave his head. And so, uh, and so ledger got up I think that you know that next morning and just said so I was going to shave my eyebrows. My mom vetoed that, but I'll shave my head instead, and sure enough, and they raised the cash and he shaved his head. And then.
Speaker 3:The cool thing about that, though, is that a couple weeks later, we got to go to Ireland, to move in Ireland, and that first adult leader meeting and move in Ireland. I was praying with a couple there. Kelly and I were praying with a couple, a guy named Tiago from Brazil and his wife, and we were praying for them, and we didn't realize at the time, but once we, when we finished praying, one of our, helen, who works for CY Europe, said oh hey, have you met Tiago yet? And we said yeah, and she said Tiago project y placement. Oh, and we were like oh crazy, we had no idea. And so ledger got to meet tiago and got pictures with him and stuff ledger with his shaved head and this is not good radio, but can you show me a picture of that really?
Speaker 1:yeah, totally absolutely, yeah, totally can. Uh, um, that is incredible. Uh, it's a really good story. I love ledger. I'm glad he raised the money. I had no doubt. Oh my gosh, yeah, ledger isn't that awesome. He looks like cannon. Yeah, I don't know why, but he looks like so much more like cannon with the shaved head. That's crazy.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Thank you for sharing that story. It's beautiful. So story time is a segment that we'll do. If you send stories, we're going to do another segment at the end before the credits. Don't skip that. The segment we're going to do right now is called Mic'd Up with Mike Mic'd.
Speaker 4:Up with Mike, mic'd Up with Mike. Here's what the-. My first time hearing that. Yeah, I can't wait for the jingle.
Speaker 1:Can you write a jingle?
Speaker 4:Maybe I have done it before.
Speaker 1:For a segment featuring yourself. Here's the impetus for this. Michael valiantly facilitated the mailbag for many years and we're killing the mailbag and I think that Michael is hilarious and funny and insightful. So basically what I told Michael was hey, you, before we do our interview, get to talk about anything that you want, you choose. I have no idea what's coming right now. It could be a pop culture reference from the Internet, it could be a very meaningful story that he has to share that we're going to talk about, but basically Michael gets to decide what we're going to talk about for a few minutes before we go over to our conversation with DJ. So, for the first ever iteration of mic'd up, I'm going to hand it over to Mike, which I never call you that, but you could.
Speaker 4:I could, if you want to. Um, okay, I thought for a while about, uh, what I wanted to talk about after Brad told me this was going to happen and I said don't put me on the spot like that.
Speaker 1:He literally said I don't want to do this.
Speaker 3:And I said too bad, yeah, boy man, and here we are, runs a harsh ship.
Speaker 4:You know, I've thought this for a few years and maybe, brad, you've even heard me say this before. I'm of the opinion that Oceans deserves a comeback. Yep, oceans, the hillsong. United track from oh, what you're like not the bodies of water.
Speaker 1:12 yeah, I think oceans are doing fine.
Speaker 4:Yeah, there's a little plastic, but like sure, or you know, if not a comeback, at least some respect. Gosh darn darn it yeah.
Speaker 1:So as we reflect on oceans, we reflect with fondness and not with disdain.
Speaker 4:And occasionally, and occasionally when appropriate, consider using it in a worship set.
Speaker 1:Here's my concern.
Speaker 4:Yeah, tell me.
Speaker 1:I'm going to tell you my concern. So you have somebody, they're an alcoholic, right, they drink way too much, okay, and then they stop drinking, and then you're like, okay, you can have a sip, okay, that could be fine how are you comparing these things that? Could go, that could go fine, or they could end up just like way into it in a way that you don't want them to be into it, and I fear that that's what worship leaders are going to do with oceans. No, and if we let them play it?
Speaker 4:once. What kind of poll.
Speaker 1:Do you think I have they're?
Speaker 4:going to play it every.
Speaker 3:Sunday there were ocean holics. There were For a time.
Speaker 4:Here's this is the thing that I'm asking people to consider. Ok, okay, oceans. To my knowledge, okay was really the first song that kind of entered into this like space of like. Oh, we've been singing this song like every week for a while. Can we like please take a break from this song? After that, there have been so many more. I can tell you two songs that I, if I'm still saved to be able to say this, build my Life. No, not that one. Oh, okay, I'm so tired of listening to Reckless Love and Waymaker.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I feel like we don't like okay.
Speaker 4:Those like those songs, like years after Oceans had the same treatment that Oceans was given. Yeah, but none of the, none of the disrespect that oceans received and I'm not saying those songs deserve disrespect. I'm saying oceans doesn't deserve the disrespect that they got. It's just that oceans was the first song that really kind of gave us like worship song fatigue you know, sometimes, sometimes things get fatigued because they were such a good thing. Well, yeah, yeah, you know what I mean, yeah.
Speaker 3:So it's like you know I think one of you know here's one of the things that didn't really help with oceans a whole lot is that you know the alternative didn't help with oceans a lot. No, it didn't. We ended up with a lot of oceans in the alternative. Yep.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's like please stand and worship with me while I play oceans on the ukulele.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 3:Well, listen, I, I, yeah, no, I I get it, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:I can get on board. Yeah, so you're going to sing it for us right now?
Speaker 4:No, you're not going to take us deeper.
Speaker 3:Listen honestly, there may have been enough time past that. If somebody pulled out Oceans Sunday morning, I'd be like I'm here for it.
Speaker 1:I think it would give me trauma. I think it would give me PTSD. That is quite the reaction.
Speaker 4:Here's some of the things that I think Well, yeah, some of the things that I think need to be considered here. You know, the two other songs that I mentioned are extremely flexible songs. You know, like when you have a sermon series with some like pretty specific themes, like it's pretty easy to just be like oh, we don't have that many songs that are like super specific to what this is about, but Reckless Love and Waymaker are easy to just throw in. That's understandable.
Speaker 4:Oceans does not have that kind of flexibility, at least thematically speaking. Oceans is really kind of about a pretty specific thing. Now. I graduated high school and I went to my sister's graduation in the same year when she graduated from Ozark Christian College. I had just gotten accepted, I received the email and everything that said I was accepted into Ozark and all of my stuff was basically in order. The day that I was driving out there to the graduation I went to the baccalaureate service that they had the night before I think the night before the actual like graduation ceremony, and, um, there was a time of worship during the baccalaureate and they sang oceans. I, when I had first pulled onto Ozarks campus, was like I don't know if this is really what I want to do, Like, is this really where I want to spend the next like four years?
Speaker 2:of my life.
Speaker 4:I spent the next six, but at the baccalaureate.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 4:At the baccalaureate when they sang Oceans, I was like. I was like you know what, like this feels like an actual, like step of faith. Like I don't know what is really down the road for the next several years, but like I can. I think I can take the step and trust that the Lord is going to like lead me and carry me. And like Oceans was a song that like, appropriately, was applied in that moment to help give me a little bit of certainty in a moment of uncertainty. That's the thematic use for Oceans, yeah.
Speaker 3:So it's like the baccalaureate song.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like the baccalaureate anthem from Bible colleges everywhere.
Speaker 1:It deserves a comeback at baccalaureate. Yeah, that's fair.
Speaker 4:For those of you programming baccalaureates out there what I'm saying is, you know, not every song needs to be used in every circumstance. And I'm not saying that Oceans deserves to be used all the time. I'm saying where appropriate, it's a good song and it doesn't deserve the disrespect that it has still maintained over the years. I would agree with that the problem.
Speaker 1:I think I might agree with you, but practically speaking I don't know if it can actually make a comeback, because it became a meme Because of the video of the drummer going crazy. Dreamoceans.
Speaker 4:You know what I mean. Are you going to put that on him?
Speaker 1:That poor guy, the weight of the legacy of this entire song rests on the shoulders of this one guy just worshiping with joy, speaking of the flexing in the streets being the flexibility, I will become even more undignified than this.
Speaker 3:Yeah, uh, which? That's a song that could use a comeback. Yeah, no joke, the speaking of the flexibility of reckless love, to your point, it wasn't. Did I? Did I dream that Bieber did Reckless Love at Coachella?
Speaker 4:It sounds like something that happened. Let me take on my producer responsibilities and look.
Speaker 3:That might be just like a weird. If it's true, then it's also true.
Speaker 1:Or if it's not true, then it is true that I had a dream about Justin Bieber true, or if it's not true, then it is true that I had a dream about justin bieber. So um what? The other song that did this was the. I can't even think of what it is. Now I feel like an idiot. The sloppy white kiss thing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's well. Yeah, that's what everybody's thinking about right now what's the?
Speaker 1:what is the song, though? Yeah, uh, how he loves how he loves. Yeah, yes, was another one that it's just like. This is a pretty good song that we just beat into oblivion.
Speaker 3:Somebody did it at Move this summer, I think, and it was great Really. Yeah, it was great and it landed See.
Speaker 1:I'm kind of in the boat that you're in with Oceans, where it's like if I heard that song now, I think I would be like, okay, I can vibe with this yeah yeah. Yeah, all right, did Bieber do it at Coachella.
Speaker 4:I'm not sure if he did it at Coachella. I think he did sing it. Unfortunately, when I searched Justin Bieber Oceans Coachella, what I get is Justin Bieber publicly praised Frank Ocean's controversial Coachella.
Speaker 3:Maybe that's what I'm thinking of. Maybe I just misread a headline.
Speaker 4:I read praise Justin Bieber publicly praises with ocean.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I read Justin Bieber praises oceans Coachella and I was like oh, I know this story?
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely Amazing stuff.
Speaker 3:Um I'm 90%.
Speaker 1:Sure that he did, though, yeah. I am ready to declare our first iteration of mic'd up a raging success, yeah. Yeah, and I am just thrilled for whatever is going to come next. No, you're welcome, is the proper response. You gave us that gift and I'm deeply, deeply grateful.
Speaker 4:I don't think I'll come out swinging every time.
Speaker 1:That's fine. I love Hot Takes with Pikewell. I also love an endearing story. I love you know. This is a recipe that I cooked for the first time and I loved it. You should try. Whatever you wait, it's your time. It's your time, we're along for the ride. Um, that was great. Now I think we should go and talk to DJ about topical teaching. Lane you ready to do this? Oh, so ready, DJ. Welcome back. So glad to have you here. I love you so much. I love you, Brad, how you doing man, Doing good man.
Speaker 2:We're catching you. Good to be back.
Speaker 1:Catching you like. The second week of August you went to move and mix this summer. What's your favorite move and or mix memory from this summer.
Speaker 2:Oof, oof man move and or mix memory from this summer. Ooh, ooh, man, like you can go so many ways with that, because there's the obvious like balls in your court, man Okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, dude, okay. So I would say, move. I'll go sentimental and move. I feel like it earns it.
Speaker 2:Um, uh, when it comes to the, the night with the batons, I honestly had no real expectations for maybe one or two of our students to like, you know, like, hey, I'm interested in hearing more information. But we had five students come forth that night and just the conversations that have been able to follow out of that Dude, unreal. And I think it was one of those nights like I found myself like by myself in tears a lot that week because it was more than like I ever expected it would be. But that night specifically, it's just like, wow, right, like and it's not to negate any of the other big time decisions right, like kids making first time decisions short of Jesus, because they're all equal, they're all great, but to step up and like, follow a calling, like and like, hear that and be like you know what, no, I need to do this Like at, I mean like, just thinking about where I was, like Brad knew me when I was like 16, 17 years old, and it's just like to put like, think where I was at 16, 17 years old and to hear what these kids have to say, and the reasoning behind it, it's, it's, it's, overwhelming, um.
Speaker 2:So honestly, I would say that as a whole, from move, uh, because it definitely wasn't tubing in the river, I wanted to drive the van off the road that day, um. And then from mix, you know, we went. We went at a wild 24 hours. We went. A kid puking in the middle of the night all over the bathroom floor at Juniata at 4. Am that I had to clean up, a stepped up and took one for the team.
Speaker 2:Yeah, man, you got to have a good puke story, got to, but went through probably another. Those those times where you're dealing with middle schoolers you're like, oh my gosh, why do we come to mix? Um, and it just had one of those afternoons through lunch going into dinner. I'm like man, this is a day. And that night we had five baptism conversations with uh seventh to eighth graders, and those I mean those kids specifically like it's been unmatched. The work they put back uh this summer. So uh, overall, I don't know how it keeps topping year after year, but I mean this is, this is why you guys do what you do. So I appreciate it. Like we're, we're not I mean I'm a CY kids. So like if, if they don't like it or not, we're going back next year anyway, it is what it is Makes your job a little bit easier, though, right, oh?
Speaker 2:yeah, just pick a week. Hey, pay me, let's go and rock yeah.
Speaker 1:I heard the baton thing from so many churches this summer where it's like we just didn't get enough or like whatever, coming back and doing more that kind of thing. I'm glad to hear that.
Speaker 2:That was a huge plus. We're still navigating it a little bit but one of my students he doesn't know what side of ministry he wants to go into, but we are. I've talked with, I just had a meeting with our head pastor and like the two of us are going to sit down, meet with him and just like kind of answer any question he has here coming up soon. So it's been at least like just getting their gears, like going towards this, like right, like I mean the whole point of the app is like we, we make these big time decisions at these trips.
Speaker 2:I think one year I was like I'm going to go into missions and then immediately next week is like what was I thinking? I'm not going to do that, but it just it makes it more like can hold more practical, more accountable for these kids, Like you know, because the number one thing I want them to know is like, yeah, dude, it's a life, it's a mountaintop experience, but also coming back right Like it's rough. You get back into the flow of things. Like I don't want them to think like there's ever a point where like hey, I'm disappointed in you or anyone's disappointed you if you're not following through on these things, but also, at the same time, like, hey, do remember, these are things that you said you wanted to do. Do you still want to do this? So it's been. It's been strike some really good conversations in the month month and a half since we've been to.
Speaker 1:So it's awesome. Love it, love it. Incredible stuff, dude. All right, well, uh, that was all free, that was all bonus. What we brought you here to talk about today, dj, is topical teaching, um here to talk about today.
Speaker 2:DJ is topical, teaching A lot of youth pastors.
Speaker 1:Let's get topical. I'm sorry. Okay, I'm here for it. So let's get topical. Let's get topical.
Speaker 2:Let's get topical, topical as opposed to exegetical teaching.
Speaker 1:Are those actually inverses of each other? That's an argument to be had by smarter people than I am, but a lot of people feel like they have to make that choice. Am I going to lean topical? Am I going to lean exegetical, exegetical, whatever.
Speaker 2:I don't know. You made me think I was saying it wrong when you said it that way.
Speaker 1:What did?
Speaker 3:I say let's debate this Is it exegetical or exegetical. I mean exegetical or exegetical. I mean exegetical, exegetical. That's what I thought topical versus exegetical.
Speaker 1:Okay, thank you, I just had a moment.
Speaker 2:I just had a moment, it's fine yeah, um, I, I just you stressed me out, I didn't know if I was right, so okay.
Speaker 1:so, uh, just give me gut reaction really quick, like what is it what? Like if I asked you topical versus exegetical, you're going to say topical back to me why is that your answer? And then we're just going to run from there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, dude, let's run it. I think, first and foremost, right, I think, like you already hit it, like it's an argument of its own, like, when it comes to it, I think there's truly like I lean more topical. But there's no real method without a balance of both. Like just before we go into anything like I think that's true this day, I would say I lean more topical. We probably lean more topical as a church for the specific reasons of we. We feel as if we're able to right, we're able to engage what's going on specifically in our kids' lives. Like we know we're in relationship, our leaders are in relationship with these students, we know what's kind of going on. So we kind of have an idea of like, hey, topical gives us the opportunity to be in the phase of life they're in right now or what they're struggling with right now. It gives us the opportunity to do that and then, being topical, we're able to then take everything we possibly can on that topic and then have five weeks, four weeks, six weeks or whatever. So we lean that.
Speaker 2:But I would also say, or we like to think of the first time guests, like all the time, and a lot of times it feels less overwhelming and it feels more like this isn't what I thought church was to. First time guests or first time students, when they come in and they're like it's very topical. You're like, yes, we're talking Jesus, yes, we're talking gospel. That doesn't leave. But it's more practical to be like if I'm on the fence about Jesus, I'm open to coming back and learning more because this is very practical to what I'm going through in life right now. So I would say that is personally why I lean topical, but I would say at the same time, there's no right or wrong right Like I would say at the same time that there's no right or wrong right Like, at the end of the day, I'm not trying to like oh, that's the puck, that's it, we're done, done, done.
Speaker 2:Way to tie a bow on it. So.
Speaker 3:I assume you're. I don't know what your summer calendar looks like and everything else. Have you all started regular programming back yet?
Speaker 2:We start in two weeks. We start back in two weeks.
Speaker 3:So what is it? So what is it? What is your topical approach? Look like for this, like first month of, like jumping back in.
Speaker 2:What, like, what types of topics are you addressing it within, like, specifically within your youth ministry? Yeah, no worries. So we're hopping right back in. We're starting off with a series we kind of did as a church during the summer to build hype, and we try our best to be in a line. We take some of our teachings and make it more direct to students, but we try to be on the same level of what's going on in our auditorium on Sundays as well, because we want what our students' parents are going through and talking about to be kind of on the same level different but same topics and same subjects that their students are getting during the week. So that's something that I talk with our head pastor quite a bit on and we're on the same page of what things go forward.
Speaker 2:So, as we're heading in, we're doing a this is what we do series, which it kind of just leans into our values as a church, like experiencing God, finding community and doing something that matters. From then we're going to actually be in an apologetic series for a little bit, like helping them understand why they believe what they believe or why why we're even here, right, and then from there we're going to do some mental health. We usually always kind of circle back to some mental health stuff. It's just very relevant. We don't want kids to feel like captured or hold by that, but we want to be able to give them the practical tools to move forward from that. So we're doing a series called cages, essentially about being like caged in from all these feelings and emotions. So I we're still working on the spring, on the back half as we go into the winter spring, but earlier this year we kind of went really hard. We went hard. It was specifically like digital hygiene, like a whole technology series right into a sex series. So it was awesome, it was phenomenal.
Speaker 2:And the series was called. This is a Series About Sex. It was just right there. They love the bumper video. Nothing better than an awkward room of middle schoolers as you get ready for that.
Speaker 3:Awkward but remarkably well attended. Oh no, I don't want to talk about this.
Speaker 1:I'll check it out, locked in. So I was listening to you say everything you just said as like a guy sitting in Joplin, missouri, knowing like the type of high school students and junior high students that come to my church, christ Church of Oronogo, that go to Lane's Church, college Heights, christian Church, and I tried to like kind of take myself out of that context a little bit and imagine that I was in a different space and I think what you're saying hits differently depending on, like what the context of your ministry is. Can you just talk a little bit about like where you are and what it is that your church is trying to do A hundred percent?
Speaker 2:man you are and what it is that your church is trying to do. A hundred percent man. So Collective Church Frederick, maryland we planted eight years ago, next month, so eighth birthday coming up Excited the Ocho. Here we go, frederick, maryland, and honestly, this area in the Northeast, as we're heading in to the Northeast because we're kind of just like Atlantic, but it's one of the most unchurched areas in our country and it's got a very post-Christian, post-christianity vibe, like all around Very hardcore Catholic roots.
Speaker 2:No, shame to the Catholic Church, but they did a number on every single one of my students' parents one time or another and it's a lot of people that have just been burned by the church, don't have a good taste in their mouth at a church. It's very much leaning with like the church doesn't accept anybody, the church is judgmental, we don't want anything to do with it or people that just have no understanding of what religion is at all in the area that we're in. I mean like as you guys know, brad knows, like we grew up in florida. Like in florida, like is it a south state, I don't know, whatever it is, where?
Speaker 4:we live.
Speaker 2:It was yeah, uh, there's churches everywhere. Uh, right, like, um, I was, I went to a church and there was another church on that street and there was another church on the street over, and that could not be further from the opposite when it comes to this area. So a lot of the students were getting, though they would look back at their life when they're like our age, like, be like, yeah, I grew up in the church, but like their parents did not, and they're all like as a whole trying to figure this thing out, did not, and they're all like as a whole trying to figure this thing out. Um, it's pretty crazy uh to think about, because, I mean, it's, it's not what, it's not what different regions would be used to like, or the bible belt, right, that's nothing. Anywhere in eastern tennessee or indiana would be like, really like, are you like that? That's the thing is like, yeah, dude, it's a total thing.
Speaker 2:Uh, I've made the joke to colin, um, when we were at move, uh, shout out to colin. Uh, when we got move, uh, this summer, and he was talking about he's like yeah, I met some of your kids. I was like, our kids joke around really harshly with each other and they said they've been getting judged by these indiana kids and I was like, and I'd sell them. I was like, hey guys, don't take anything by it. You're just like you got some m, some Maryland edge to you and they're just not used. They're not, they're not going to be used to what. How you guys are. You're from a different planet.
Speaker 3:The Ravens and Colts are two different, two different squads. Oh yeah, they hate each other A hundred percent.
Speaker 2:So it's just a. So a part of our approach and why we lean topical is we are reaching a different demographic of people all together. So yeah, if that answers your question, brad, it does. I want to kind of no, it definitely does I just want to like dig in on the last sentence that you said.
Speaker 1:So, like you've kind of talked about. Okay, here's our approach as a church. We want to be able to talk to people about things that they see as relevant. We're sitting in this culture that is like post-Christian. A lot of kids are happy coming to church. Their parents maybe not, you know, first generation Christians. Um, those types of things like how, as a church, I know you guys have experienced success over the last eight years. Like how do you feel like this approach has helped you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, man, um, honestly, like it's helped in a way where, uh right, in order to have any sort of like success in any area, right, leaders have to go first. We, we can't. We can't be in an area where we are saying we're going to talk about these topics and just be vague about it. I would say a big part of that is my team, our team as a church as a whole. It starts from the top down. We go all in. If we're going to talk about sex, if we're going to talk about this topic, we have to go. We have to go there. We have to go there for ourselves. We have to be real about what we struggle with. We have to be real about what that time was for us and in that we we see we're getting great response through our vulnerability and our leaders vulnerability. Our students are naturally feeling like this is a safe place for them to come right, because the goal isn't for them. Well, share your deepest, darkest secrets so we can shame you Like it's not any of that kind of thing. We don't want any of that. What we want is we understand what they're going through. We understand how brutal the world can be. We understand how temptation can be. We understand what it's like to be trapped in your own thoughts and feel like you are carrying all of these things on your own. So, through our vulnerability and us stepping up and going first, it's given them the opportunity to really open up on our small groups because, though we have the teachings, we'll do activities from here to there.
Speaker 2:I think I talked about this the last time I was on podcast with you. When it comes to small groups, we really lean into the topic and we really like step up to the challenge of it. And right, some kids will share, some kids won't. But at the at the core of that is like we will step up and make sure we are always the ones like being vulnerable first to make them know like hey, you're seeing, you're heard, like I've been there too. We want to make sure it's a safe place. That they know like, hey, this isn't going to be a place where, like I'm coming in with barely anything you have to share and then we're going to like we're all going to dissect your life, kind of a deal which, to a degree, I feel like part of that comes with the edge of some of our staff members that we grew up in that kind of environment. So we're trying to do everything that we didn't like. We're trying to do the opposite. We're trying to pendulum swing there we didn't like. We're trying to do the opposite. We're trying to pendulum swing there, but also, at the same time, we're trying to create.
Speaker 2:I mean I say this to my team quite a bit I want you to sit in the space and, like yourself as a teenager, and think of all the things that you wish you had and wish you didn't. Be that for these kids, be who like. And I think when we talk about topics, specific topics, it gives us opportunity to, yes, take in scripture and what God says about these topics, like take in all what Jesus says as well, and take in what Paul says Like right, if we're talking about sex, let's jump into Corinthians, let's talk about the culture of the Corinthians and talk about all of that as well. In regards to also like what Jesus and God has to say about marriage in general. In regards to also like what Jesus, god, has to say about marriage in general. But also let's let us have an opportunity to tell you, like what that felt like for us at that time period and like we have the opportunity to tell them and place words like on them that like we wish we could have heard at that time too.
Speaker 1:That's good, it's good stuff, cool. So I just I kind of thought lane was going to jump in there. I had a feeling, but my lane senses are off. Sorry because we've been apart also no, I'm gonna do? You don't have to do. Yeah, I'm gonna go um. So, uh, I just didn't want to interrupt you if you were going to say something you know, yeah, yeah, so polite gosh, this guy I'm I throw I. I'm when I think of myself, I always think of polite.
Speaker 3:Definitely First. Thing.
Speaker 1:And humble, yeah, yeah and humble, Okay. So I feel like people who lean exegetical would say like that topical teaching. You're kind of like opening yourself up to the temptation to kind of like cherry pick things to talk about the things that you really want to talk about and leave other things on the table that you know you maybe should talk about, but you're you're giving yourself the freedom not to kind of, so to speak. I'm not accusing you of that, I don't think that you do that, but I am You're saying I'm dodging stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm saying yeah.
Speaker 1:It sounds like you're really really doing the milk and not the solid food, man.
Speaker 2:I don't know.
Speaker 1:But I am just curious if you're like, when you're picking, like, what am I going to talk about Like? Are you conscious of that? Going to talk about Like? Are you conscious of that? Are you like, how do you arrive at the place where you say, like I don't remember exactly what you said, all you're exactly going to be talking about this fall, but I know you said you're doing apologetics. Um, you mentioned another series that you're doing. Like, how did you get there? Is, I guess, the question.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I think it's a great question. I think or not. I think what we do is, um, we get together, um, me and head pastor here, along with like like, and we kind of set the topics and he sets mostly the topics we're talking about and like, right within, taking input on some of the staff and some trusted leaders, where we we kind of sit and like we are able to look back at past years and know what we've hit on, what's been a while since we've hit on um, to kind of know what's next in turn, what, where, where things start to fall, um, so sometimes it's driven by like time period on which we've talked on a topic, um, but sometimes it's just driven by like no, right now, like this, this is needed and we have these things planned out. But we're going to take this series, we're actually going to push this to this time period because this is really what's relevant right now.
Speaker 2:So a lot of it is through conversations, through groups, through meetings and then us, like as a staff, getting together and knowing, like really feeling out the needs of our church at the time and the needs of our people, because sometimes it, sometimes it's it really comes down to right, like we, we don't want to hit a topic if there's no, if it's not feeling like it's something that needs to be heard at that time. And I think like right, I think you're right, like there's a feeling or a sense of cherry picking in that essence, because you know, at the end of the day, like we can just pick whatever topics we want to if we go that way. But also, at the same time, I feel like with the other other things that we bring, I won't say other things you bring to the table, but I would say we, we don't dodge things, we will just maneuver things in order of what need we feel needs to be hit at that time, if that makes sense, that is, that is that it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it does make sense.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, I well, I, I think that you know, I I think the key thing that you said right that, right off the rip, was was in relationship, was was in relationship, use the, you know, use the phrase in relationship right at the beginning, you know, and answering at the very beginning of the question. That is, I think that is the key is, you know, you also mentioned being cognizant of first time guests and things like that. But when it comes to, like, pastoring a certain group of people, um, consistently, you know, consistent group of people, it it seems, you know, that it seems like spending time with those people, being in relationship with those people, understanding the needs of those people, what's going on in their lives, what's going on, you know, in their, in their worlds, and everything it. It allows you to have a more laser focus when it comes to picking topics and probably, I would think too, maybe it doesn't allow you to cherry pick quite as much. If you're willing to be honest about.
Speaker 3:This is what we really see as a true need here right now. It's what needs to happen. It might be less comfortable, it might feel less inviting to a newcomer or something like that, but if we are truly in relationship with the people that have been entrusted to us. Then here we go. Do you have like a? Do your series? Do they vary in length or are you like we're going to do four weeks on this? Four weeks on this.
Speaker 2:They vary in length, I would say nothing's more than six. Okay, like we don't want to beat something to death, like right, we don't want to be repetitive, like on a couple of weeks. Yeah, cool, lane. I would say three to six on usual.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:DJ, I'm so grateful that you're here. I'm going to ask Lane a question really quick.
Speaker 4:Okay.
Speaker 2:If that's quick, okay, that's okay.
Speaker 1:Do you view what happens at move as topical teaching?
Speaker 3:I'm kidding, I really don't know what you're going to say. It's a great question it does. It does vary a little bit, um. You know it varies a little bit year to year, theme to theme, um, but there's a, there's a. I feel like oftentimes it's a little bit of a hybrid because we are going to be working through. I mean, this next year is going to be a really good example of um. Well, I'll say this two years last year, rest of your life, um, we had some more exegetical kind of teaching in the morning as we walked through Psalm 23,. Just start to finish up the course of the mornings. Kind of teaching in the morning as we walked through Psalm 23,. Just start to finish up the course of the mornings. And then in the evenings was a little bit more topical because our you know, our whole theme centered around, you know, two verses, basically in Matthew, and then we spun off.
Speaker 3:And then we spun off of those to address some different themes. This next year, as we look at Ephesians, it will be a little bit more of a hybrid where we will walk through Ephesians, but we have decided to hone in on some specific themes within Ephesians that we're going to talk about each day, um and so. So maybe a little bit of a hybrid in that in that sense. Um, yeah, you know, so it is. It is kind of to get like this holistic idea of this, of the book of Hebrew or, excuse me, it's just this year of Ephesians, but um, but there's a sense of arts where, like, okay, high schoolers suck at resting.
Speaker 1:We need to talk about this, no doubt. Galatians two 20 says this and we're going to kind of like go in some different directions here, which?
Speaker 1:is like a similar philosophy, at least for that theme, as what you know DJ is kind of talking about, which I think is really cool. So, yeah, is there like do you ever I'm curious about this come to a theme that you're like we want to talk about this and then ultimately end up doing something a little bit more exegetical where it's like, hey, we need to talk about joy, so we're just going to go through Philippians? Like, does that kind of thing ever happen?
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I would say a hundred percent. I like and I I really appreciate you late, like I cause, when it comes to CIY, like in that, like like I cause, I was thinking through this and like topical and like we definitely lean topical and I was like I was thinking yesterday, I was right now. I was like what's ciy even do? I was like they're definitely exegetical but like it is topical within, as exegetical through and through it is. It is a heavy, good, balanced dose of the two of them. Um, but I'd say yeah, definitely.
Speaker 2:I I'd say when we do more exegetical um, we did a series, I want to say a year and a half, two years ago, I can't remember exactly when, but it was. It was um, I can't remember the name of it, but it was specifically honed in on the oh, my goodness, I'm below my mind right now. It was honed in on the prodigal son. So it was honed in on that. So, exegetically speaking, we went through the same scripture, actually four weeks in a row, but it was topically different across the board because we went through the shoes of every single person in that story.
Speaker 3:So, right, first, one we're playing the yeah christmas series.
Speaker 2:It was a christmas series on the prodigal son don't mind what a sad thing to bring up song doesn't deserve the disrespect that's the headspace that lane is in right now.
Speaker 1:It's it's a great song.
Speaker 2:It's so sad, but yeah, uh, we went through the father's shoes, the son's shoes, the brother's shoes and then also, like the you know the community. How the community reacted as well.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, it's cool, I like it. So I'm about to ask, like kind of a wrap up question Do you have anything else you want to hit on? Lane's like taking notes over here. I'm a bad host, lane is.
Speaker 3:No, I'm just. I just want to write down stuff, that stuff that just like stands out to me. You know what I mean. I should do that too.
Speaker 1:That's what I'm saying Well, you kind of, you kind of. All I have over here is a little picture of my fox drinking a cup of coffee.
Speaker 2:Well, you can just go back and listen to it. I guess Brad.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true, since you didn't want to be attentive in the moment. No, I am being attentive, I'm just not as I'm forever living in the shadow of Lane Moss. If I'm being honest, Get out of here.
Speaker 3:So I one you kind of answered this, but I but I'm curious. So what, what typically? What does a you know what is a typical topical uh uh series, or I'm going to zero on message? So, like you know, on a, on a on a Wednesday night or a Sunday night or whenever you're doing your stuff, you know what? What does that mean for the use of scripture? So I hope that doesn't at all sound loaded Like I'm just saying for those people that do prefer to teach topically but also have, as I know you do, a high regard for scripture. You know, and so is it. Do you typically go okay, we're going to talk about you know this topic, so let's find a scripture that we think speaks to that topic really well, or is that like we're going to kind of just going to take the heart of what scripture says overall about this topic and we're going to try to teach from that? What's your approach? I don't know if there's a right or wrong.
Speaker 2:No, that's an awesome question because I think it brings clarity to the whole thing Is right, I think. I think a lot of times like the goal right and this is right. I think a lot of times like the goal right, and the goal in everything is that Scripture drives everything right. The goal is that God's Word is the thing that is driving us. And right, we take the relationships we have with these people plus God's Word and when he lays on our hearts to put together anything.
Speaker 2:I would say it varies sometimes right, like we did a series earlier this year called Battle Ready, right, um, though it's topical about being in storms, being in the battle, and we're able to. You know, we're able to pull, we're able to pull from the old Testament and overcoming Right. And like one of our biggest uh, uh things from first or second Kings can't remember off the top of my head right now Like we always talk about digging ditches, digging the ditches, doing the hard work, so God will provide. So we we referenced things like that all the time but meanwhile, like it was a series through and through, through James like being battle ready through everything. So I would say sometimes like right, like we're saying our, our, our church needs a series about men stepping up, right, and you know what? Well, we'll talk a little bit about that in youth and bring that, bring some essence of that as well, right? Then we're going to say, okay, we'll take this specific thing. Now let's kind of hone in on everything that's calling men to step up.
Speaker 2:I think sex would be another one where it's like okay, we know what that is, we know that's a hot topic as well. Let's take everything and care for each scripture as well on that. But then I would say very specifically, if we're going to talk about burdens or the weight that we carry, we already know we're going to be in Matthew, we already know which parables we're going to pull through and what we're going to kind of lean on when it comes to that. Totally, yeah, it's good. I think that's a great question, yeah.
Speaker 1:It's good stuff. Holy spirit is is kind of the one who's in charge, obviously, when it comes to like what direction are we heading, but that you're giving scripture kind of. Once you land on something, it's like okay, we need to be really, really attentive to the authority that scripture has on this issue, and not because I mean the tim like.
Speaker 1:We've all heard bad topical sermons before, we've all heard bad exegetical sermons before, but the bad topical chapel at a bible college but the bad topical sermons come when somebody is like I think this is the thing that I really want to say, and here are 15 like one verse passages of scripture that I can kind of like use in order to say the thing that I want to say, and from an approach standpoint like you.
Speaker 2:You and collective church as a whole, it sounds like are way more Keyed in on like making sure that scripture has a final authority, which I think you have, I mean sometimes, like right, like majority of time, we only have one shot with a person and we we cannot blow that by misinterpreting scripture or giving any sort of ground for Satan to overtake something in someone's head when they come into that space, because they could very well leave. And you know very well like people don't like truth all the time, so like people are not going to like what we have to say all the time, we, we are understanding that. But the last thing we will let happen is the fact that someone comes and say we've misinterpreted scripture, we're not, we're not, we're not in the game for that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, so it requires care. Um, absolutely Exegetical requires care, but this I'm glad we hit on like what they kind of unique temptations and type of care that are needed are here. So here's kind of the question that I want to end on I hope this gives you a chance to kind of put a bow on things and wrap this conversation up a little bit is just, let's say, your senior pastor. This isn't happening. I don't think, based on what you've said, your senior pastor comes to you and is like hey, I know we've this has kind of been where we've lived and we've done this topical thing for a while. But I want to spend two years and I want to go through like the gospel of Luke, verse by verse, for a hundred weeks. You know which, uh, my church has done and it was great, it was wonderful. But I'm curious what you feel like you would lose the ability to do if that were like the, the path you decided to go.
Speaker 2:I mean, that's a lot, that's a lot. Verse by verse in Luke Um, specifically, are you asking like that's what lot? That's a lot, that's a good. Verse by verse in Luke, specifically, are you asking, like that's what we're doing as a church, a whole, like in everything, week to week, for two years? Yeah, I'm going to make sure I get every hypothetical out of this. Yeah, yeah, no that's not hypothetical. We've done that, you know.
Speaker 1:It's a thing that's happened. Um, but yeah, I'm just curious, like obviously you're not going to be like oh dang, I have to preach about Luke. This sucks Sure. Like I'm curious what tools you would feel like might be taken out of your tool belt If that was what you were doing for two years.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I feel like it would take. It would take out our ability be able to to write, mix and match and play with what we want to play with, based off of the needs we feel. A lot of times because we'd be, we'd be just trucking along on this plan. I, I do feel like there's definitely areas where, like right, gospels are in a line with each other. So I mean, just because we're in Luke doesn't mean we have to stay in Luke. It does give us the opportunity to jump around Um. So, within that like, we still have some flexibility to be topical depending on where we're at, but also for the main, the main part, like it. It gives a little bit more of like this is a plan and we're to it and it's not.
Speaker 2:Again, it takes away that ability to be able to shift and be like no. These are the needs we're at Um and this is something we're really feeling we need to touch on um, because we were already, according to, like, sticking true on this plan. So I feel like that's what it would take away is the freedom to, uh, just kind of jump in and be like no. This is something we need to do right now. We're we feel this need right now. I definitely would think it would take that away. That would be my rebuttal to it at a hundred percent, but not to say there's not like there's, there's a pro con to everything.
Speaker 1:But yeah, oh yeah, a hundred percent. I'm not saying one's right and one's wrong, I'm just curious, like I know that if that if? You're, if you're a senior pastor said that to you, you'd be like cool, let's run with it. I'm just curious. I was curious like, okay, what do we feel like we lose? And it sounds like there's like an of the moment-ness, like a flexibility that you have. It's a flexibility. I feel.
Speaker 2:I feel like we lose an intentionality, if you like, down the road that we are missing. I feel like, if we commit to something there, we like, right. If we commit to doing something for two years, we don't know what six months looks like, let alone two years from there. That point, so I feel like it is us making plans for an area we like though we need to be good stewards and know, like and plan things 100% but we are not giving us the ability to know, like, if, if something needs to change or if, like, there is a felt need that we need to hit, yeah, well, and it goes back to, so you're going back to the in relationship aspect of it yeah, based on the relationships that we have.
Speaker 3:We would give freedom to be able to be a little bit more limber with regards to what we're teaching and what we're walking people through.
Speaker 1:But like I also was brought back to the context thing too, where it's like when I walk into church and Mark Christian says good morning church, open your Bibles to John, chapter 15. This is where we're at, you know. It's like I've been there every week, you know and I know where we're at.
Speaker 1:Like I have a context for this but like the number of people that you see one time, or you see them one time and then six weeks later you see them one more time, and it's like within your context, that might just make less sense at times, um than just saying like we live in this place in this culture in this time and if we're gonna have one shot in this culture in this time, and if we're going to have one shot at saying something to somebody, this is what we want them to hear.
Speaker 1:It's just a different approach and I appreciate you kind of helping me think about it a little bit.
Speaker 3:So, because I think there's occasionally something to be said for, sorry, I think you're trying to land this plane, and I keep, and I keep pulling back on this.
Speaker 1:Listen, I'm down with touch and goes.
Speaker 3:Good, good, good, good, good, good good. Touch and go that's a great series title for a topic.
Speaker 2:About what that will be very well attended by middle schoolers.
Speaker 3:Oh, oh, oh God, okay, no Bad Sorry.
Speaker 1:I've never had to put an explicit tag on this podcast. Let's not start now.
Speaker 3:So one thing that I'm curious I think that actually might have a little bit of a to some degree. I've heard an argument made that for new people coming into a church it might be easier to walk into, open your Bibles to, you know, to John, you know, 13,. Because that's where we are right now, because it alleviates the question mark in people's minds of why does this church that I don't know think that I need to hear this thing they're talking about today? It can like it can. It can alleviate that just a little bit, um, and instead just kind of go listen. We're talking about this thing because we think this book is important, and this is the next thing that we were in 12 last week, we're in 13 this week because it's next. I've heard that it can alleviate. So I'm just so, I think it's interesting, just cause I think it can kind of go both ways there, right, Like.
Speaker 2:I can.
Speaker 3:I can see, I can totally see. You know you can walk. On the other hand, you can walk in and go like 13. Okay, well, what did I?
Speaker 1:what have it's like if Endgame was the first Marvel movie that you saw?
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah. What are we?
Speaker 1:doing here, Dude?
Speaker 2:actually funny story. You brought that up to sidetrack it. I saw the seventh part one Harry Potter movie without seeing five or six, without reading the books. No idea Dumbledore is dead. It's exactly like that Spoiler alert.
Speaker 1:I was like he's dead. Spoiler alert. Spoiler alert for the 20-year-old series Harry Potter. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:On that note, yeah, no, that's good. Well, I'm sorry, that's good, because I would say too, like, just like that, like we with the topical, not to. I know we're trying to wrap things up.
Speaker 1:Listen, I'm fine. I want to be respectful of your time, your time, hey dude, you're nothing but respectful of my time.
Speaker 2:I love you. Um, I just just to get to spend time with you, that's all Um. When it comes to topical, when, when we like, we'll usually like right, like, start off like sermons or teachings with, like a story or something funny or something like something to gain people's attention, nine times out of 10, right, and after that we're in this series and we list off all the things we've already talked about, like, and if you've missed it, like always refer if you've like. If Always refer if you've like. If this is your first Sunday here or you missed Sunday, go back on the podcast, go back to YouTube, go back to Spotify, listen to it. Like, if this intrigues you, go back and listen.
Speaker 3:Yeah, totally.
Speaker 2:It's great 100%.
Speaker 1:It's good stuff. I think that topical is right and exegetical is wrong.
Speaker 2:now yeah, that's what we learned today, right? No, no. All scripture is right. No, no, all scripture. It's God breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking correcting and training and righteousness.
Speaker 1:You got it Training and righteous. Thanks, dave Peters. Dave Peters would be so proud. All right, hey, dj, thanks for being here. Man, I love you.
Speaker 2:I love you too, man. Thank you guys.
Speaker 1:See you soon. Thanks, DJ Uh conversation. Thanks for letting me be a part of it. It was a lot of fun. It actually went a different way than I kind of thought it was going to go, but it was great.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think it was awesome.
Speaker 1:Um, all right, we are. We killed the mailbag. We're also killing the blessing, Sorry folks. Um, here's what we're going to do instead we're going to have one youth worker be a proxy for all of you and we are going to spend some time hyping up that youth worker. They will get to go On this board that you cannot see. If you were listening.
Speaker 3:On the board. Oh it's just a cork board.
Speaker 1:It's just a cork board. What are the?
Speaker 3:dimensions of this cork board Not big enough.
Speaker 1:13 by I don't know, okay, so Not big enough. 13 by I don't know, okay, so 28. I need Lane. I asked Chad GPT to help, but I need your help naming this segment. Okay, okay, here we go. Can't wait. Here are some options that Chad GPT gave me. The hype board yeah, simple and literal, that's the description. Hype board Pin the praise Got a very jumping with joy. Push pin props.
Speaker 3:I think producer Michael likes that one that got a reaction.
Speaker 1:The praise board. Yeah, tackling the best. I don't know what that means, what I don't know.
Speaker 4:Wait. Who said that?
Speaker 1:The hall of hype Chat, gpt. He sucks Pinspiration Encouragement, that's one that he gave me. Snapshot of a saint, any of these resonating with you? Yet no, hype shots. It says life. Saint, any of these resonating with you yet no, okay, hype Shots, it says life. I know, but a good theme song.
Speaker 4:Why don't we ask listeners for suggestions?
Speaker 1:Okay, someone tell us what to name this segment, but I am going to give Lane a chance to go very first. So we have a blank cork board. And Lane can pin whomever he would like to the corkboard and tell us why they're just an awesome youth worker.
Speaker 3:Do I pin first or do I talk first?
Speaker 1:Pin and talk at the same time.
Speaker 3:Pin and talk at the same time. For our very first addition to the inspiration, for our very first encouragement. I just wanted to take a second to hype up our friend and yours, Miss Addie Jarrett. So this is a little bit, maybe a little bit of a non-traditional thing. She's not really a youth pastor in like the traditional sense, in that she doesn't do like a youth ministry in a local church.
Speaker 3:She is a part of a local church but specifically the youth work that she does, the youth ministry that she does, is through the neighborhood life house here in Joplin and absolutely is doing an incredible job. They're a phenomenal ministry. They come along people to meet needs, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and they have a ton of different like youth programs that they do. Addie's, the director of neighborhood life house brings, brings a group of them to move here in Joplin. Yeah, here in Joplin Just saw a recent post from Lifehouse where they're celebrating three baptisms from decisions that were made within their youth programs this summer, which is absolutely awesome. We're celebrating that with them, with Addie. It is just so broad, so many different programs that they do and so so broad, um, so many different programs that they do and so so much work. And if youth ministry is this, if youth ministry is loving young people and pointing them to Jesus, then Addie is a absolute killer.
Speaker 3:Youth minister just doing a killer job with it. So uh, in your corner, addie, love ya Um and uh, always encouraged by you and the work that you're doing.
Speaker 1:Joplin is different because of Addy.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. It's a different place because of Addy. Absolutely, thank you for choosing her.
Speaker 1:That's wonderful.
Speaker 3:And her.
Speaker 1:And that's his wife.
Speaker 3:And her husband Cliff.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, that's all for today. Folks, quick reminder if you have a good move, mix or superstar or engage or a youth ministry in general story that you think is going to be good for our listeners to hear, type it out. Send it to podcastatciycom. We'll get it. I'll read it as written on the air. You can be an encouragement to our listeners. Today's episode is produced by michael hester, lauren brian and myself.
Speaker 1:Thanks lane and thanks dj for being with us today uh, two weeks from today we will finish this conversation about topical versus exegetical teaching. We're going to be talking to juan fias. If you don't want to miss that, be sure you subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. We'll see you next time, thank you.