BTE 5.13 Phones on Trips vs. No Phones on Trips: Part 2 with Matt Stevens and Korey Klein

Confiscate every phone or teach teens how to use them well? We invite Matt Stevens from Calvary Christian Church in Omaha to unpack a wiser middle path that keeps safety high, communication clear, and discipleship at the center. Matt walks us through how his team uses a shared channel to coordinate hundreds of students on campus, why parents relax when there’s a direct line to their kids, and how simple expectations—phones away in session, focused small groups, presence over scrolling—turn devices from a distraction into a tool.

We dig into the moments that test any policy: late-night scheming, social media spirals, and the ever-present risk of missed messages. Matt’s answer isn’t a lockbox; it’s culture. He loops parents in early, treats issues as relational not punitive, and empowers student leaders to model the standard and nudge peers back to attention. That self-policing is gold, because it builds ownership that lasts long after the bus ride home. We also explore how school restrictions have already trained students to respect time-and-place phone rules, making ministry expectations more natural than many adults assume.

Along the way, we trade stories from the Superstart tour, celebrate the hospitality of host churches, and name practical guardrails any group can adopt this summer: one communication hub, clear non-negotiables, visible leaders during free time, and a consistent “if it becomes a problem” pathway. The goal isn’t to win a tech debate; it’s to form disciples who can live wisely in a digital world they won’t escape. If you’re building your trip policy now, this conversation offers a workable framework you can adapt to your context.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a ministry friend, and leave a review. Your feedback helps more leaders find practical ideas they can use this week.

Transcript

Framing The Phones Debate;

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Hi, I'm Brad Warren. This is Beyond the Event, a Youth Ministry podcast presented by Christ and Youth, where we help you maintain momentum between the mountaintops. Today we are having part two of two of our conversation about cell phones. A couple weeks ago, we talked to Matt Tibbett about uh why he does not allow his students to bring phones on summer trips. Today we are talking to another Matt, to Matt Stevens from Calvary Christian Church in Omaha, Nebraska, about why it's important to him that his kids be able to have phones on trips. So hope that that is a uh really edifying conversation for you as you kind of navigate a tricky, tricky issue. So uh we're gonna get to that before we do that. I'm joined by the director of Superstar, Corey Klein. Hi, Brad. Hey, Corey, I'm exhausted.

SPEAKER_03 0:55

Yeah. Uh in 10 seconds, tell me why. Like tell me about your whole weekend. You have 10 seconds, go.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

One uh Friday morning I woke up at 3 30 so that I could go to Superstart in Virginia, and then I got back at one in the morning on one in the morning on Saturday night, Sunday morning, and then uh yesterday I uh was was involved in a wedding. Oh you can leave it at that.

unknown 1:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:27

Well, I was like an usher, so I had to be there early, and it was in it was an hour away and hour and a half away, and then I was an usher. And then I MC'd the reception. So the whole like, oh, I'm gonna eat dinner and get a picture with the couple, and then that's like not a thing. I'm there the whole time. Literally, part of my job was to get everybody ready for the send-off of the couple. And so I just had a long day yesterday, and now today is Monday, and I'm just tired. No one else in this room, especially not Michael, had also a long day yesterday or a whole Michael left the wedding a full he was asleep before I left the wedding, I guarantee it.

SPEAKER_02 2:09

Uh I was getting into bed, I think, at 11 30.

SPEAKER_00 2:12

Yeah, no, yeah, definitely not then. Okay. Did you play some video games?

SPEAKER_02 2:17

No.

SPEAKER_00 2:17

What'd you do? What were you doing?

SPEAKER_02 2:19

Um, I was it eleven thirty? No, it was probably about eleven when I was getting into bed. But um, I got back into town, had to gas up my car. Um, I got some like flones kind of thing. Um, because allergies are are they they're coming back, they're on the rise. So back. Um and then I had to fill out a questionnaire for a potential uh juror summons. Oh wow. So how long did that take? The questionnaire? Yeah. Uh like five minutes. Okay, not too shabby. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:56

Um here's what I'll say about that. I never want to have jury duty. End of story. You know, either that or like the opposite thing would be like I want to be on like a major trial, like the OJ Simpson case and be like sequestered and it'd be like a whole thing.

SPEAKER_02 3:18

Yeah. Um, if listen, if I get if I get a summons, maybe um I'll talk about it on the next uh the next mic'ed up with mic that I will have the chance to like legally talk about it.

SPEAKER_00 3:33

That'll be amazing. That'll be incredible. Yeah. Um Corey, we are we're like coming to the end of this tour.

SPEAKER_03 3:44

This is it. It's March now, and we're the last few weekends of superstar right now, which is just crazy.

SPEAKER_00 3:50

Yeah, so um we've been underway for a long time. I've done three of the four supercharts that I'm gonna do. Um Pyle probably has a couple more, I'm guessing. One more. Where are you going?

SPEAKER_02 4:06

Um Indiana, which by the time this episode releases, we'll be done. Will have already happened. Yeah, but Indiana one.

SPEAKER_00 4:12

Um I'm gonna be at Indiana, but I'm not doing anything.

SPEAKER_03 4:15

Oh, you're coming to Indiana?

SPEAKER_00 4:16

I'm coming to Indiana.

SPEAKER_03 4:17

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_00 4:17

Which one? Both. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 4:19

You're also going to both?

SPEAKER_00 4:21

Yeah. Me too. Yeah, but we're gonna switch. So I'm gonna go. Oh, we are? No, I don't know. Um, me and my my sweet, sweet boss, Titus, we're gonna go out there and meet with some churches and hang out, and it's gonna be great. I love it. Um, but yeah, doing that and then going to uh Nebraska in a couple weeks and then I'm done, you know?

SPEAKER_03 4:44

So which Matt, who we're gonna talk to here in a little bit, is at Calvary in Nebraska. That's where we're gonna be.

SPEAKER_00 4:49

Host church. Yeah, it's gonna be wonderful. Um it's gonna be wonderful. Um, what's been uh well when you look back on the 2025 six? It's not 2025. When you look back on the 2020 still no, I don't want to do that. Shaped. When you look back, when you look back on the 2026 superstar tour, what do you think you're gonna remember?

SPEAKER_03 5:10

I'm gonna remember in session three uh when any of our hosts uh looks at students and they filled out a name in a magnified glass, which if makes no sense in context right now, but if you're at a superstar, they filled out a name of a person that they're gonna share the truth of Jesus with, and that they stood up and said, I'm gonna go tell. That's what I'm gonna remember.

SPEAKER_00 5:31

There you go. And it's gonna be incredible.

SPEAKER_03 5:33

It's gonna be credit, it's kind of a beautiful, it's great. Every weekend.

SPEAKER_00 5:37

Organizational focus for us this year. Um getting kids to share the gospel, to talk about their faith with their friends, to kind of dispense with the old like you don't talk about religion or politics at the dinner table kind of thing, and just like allow them to be the vulnerable, authentic people that they want to be and give them the tools that they need to talk about their faith with their friends and family. And we've already like share the story that you share with our staff that that like we've already seen fruit from this.

SPEAKER_03 6:07

You talk about the from last year, which I share a lot of stories.

SPEAKER_00 6:12

There's already someone from this year that you talked about who is like you talked about sharing like the gospel with people after like immediately after Superstart.

SPEAKER_03 6:23

Oh, yeah, yeah. So from last tour? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:24

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:25

Was it last tour? It was last tour, but I'll share that. So about in Houston.

SPEAKER_00 6:30

No, no. We already told that story on the podcast last year.

SPEAKER_03 6:33

Tell me, tell me right now.

SPEAKER_00 6:34

I think it had to do something with like uh Golden Corral or uh Oh, about the girl.

SPEAKER_03 6:42

So that was a couple years ago.

SPEAKER_00 6:43

I know you're talking about this. It was in No quick to tell every story that you've told about Superstar.

SPEAKER_03 6:48

Golden Corral was a couple years ago.

SPEAKER_00 6:50

No, Corey, no. I'm just saying I don't I need to know I share you've listened to this podcast.

SPEAKER_03 6:58

I share a lot of stories.

SPEAKER_00 6:59

So but I need one from this year. Maybe it's this the Arizona one. No, this one is just yeah, that one is they're baptizing a bunch of people. That's great. It's incredible. It's it's super cool, but it's it's not a story about a student going home from Superstar and sharing the gospel with somebody, which like I'm not gonna find it because you did it in Allskate, and this is gonna come up again in our interview with Matt. I have a horrific memory. It's so bad. I can't remember anything ever. I'm so sorry, Brad. Oh, this is cool.

SPEAKER_03 7:42

Yeah, so I could talk about that. Okay. So in session three, going off what I mentioned about the thing that's in my head that it's just been awesome. I'm gonna remember for years to come. Um, we have always done that kingdom worker call in session three of Superstar. We always go through that. What Brad's talked about. We at all of our CI events, mix, move, uh, even engage when they're out uh overseas, we talk about what it looks like to be a kingdom worker. But this year we've never done it. We actually are counting decisions of kids who are standing up and saying, I'm gonna go be a kingdom worker, I'm gonna share the gospel with someone. And so far, uh, between our events currently, uh we have a few more uh events to come, but so far uh uh uh about 24 of the 2500 preteens have stood up and said that they're gonna go share the gospel. And and it I'll be honest with you, we didn't know when we say we're gonna count, like, is everyone gonna stand up? You know, is it actually gonna be a valid count? Uh but you could tell the kids who are standing up, they're they're very laser focused, like, no, I'm gonna go home and I'm gonna go share. And so it's been really, really cool.

SPEAKER_00 8:48

Heck yeah. It has been cool. It's been a good tour. Um it's been really fun. Like the the I keep calling it the murder mystery.

SPEAKER_03 8:58

Yeah, can we when when Superstart's over, can we do a podcast episode of like breaking down the mystery play?

SPEAKER_00 9:05

Um we can. Sure. Okay, great. We can also just do like a uh audio reenactment.

SPEAKER_03 9:12

Oh, I love that. Like we can bring like the panel, like Rob and everyone in, and we're just talking about like like and then we bring in preteen pastors and a couple students, and they give their theories of why they thought this and that.

SPEAKER_00 9:23

I don't know if you've noticed, but we have a season five documentary. Oh, I love three microphones in this very small room. So what you're describing would not be possible.

SPEAKER_03 9:34

Well, Michael is right here. Uh, it wouldn't be next week. We we give it time, we set it up.

SPEAKER_00 9:39

All right, Corey.

SPEAKER_03 9:40

Uh let us know in the chat for all those who listen.

SPEAKER_00 9:43

There is no chat. There's no chat. Send a text. Lose my number. Um, I'm kidding. Uh you can tell if you have my number, you can text me anytime you want. I love getting it. Can I ask you? Yes.

SPEAKER_03 9:56

What's been one of your favorite things from Superstar this tour?

Food Traditions On The Road;

SPEAKER_00 9:59

What's been one of my favorite things from Superstart this tour? Um, I always just love so part of the role of director, like I truly have seen very little of the program because I am constantly either investing in the team or talking to youth pastors, preteen pastors, children's pastors, um, or hanging out at the hub, like whatever. Uh, my the thing I am going to remember when I look back on this tour is getting to go to um an event that I have never been to for the first time, which was our Bloomington, Illinois event. And just kind of getting to meet a lot of people that I know peripherally or have heard their names a lot. Um, like our friend Rachel at Eastview and um our friend Tia at Eastview. And just like one cool thing about host churches is like getting to see the level to which they care about not just their kids' experience, but like the experience that churches have at their home and the hospitality that they show to CIY, the hospitality that they show to um the other churches who are there. And like every church has these different little things that they do to like go the extra mile for churches, and it's always so fun to see. Like I um at Eastview, they assign a small group location for every single group that's there. Not all of our churches do that, but that's like just a really cool way that they're like, oh yeah, we're gonna serve all these groups by making sure that they know exactly where to go during their small group time and that they have a place to go. And if you've ever been to a location where you're kind of like trying to find your own small group space, you know that it can be challenging and that that is a huge service that they do for their churches. Stonebridge is another one that I often think of when I think of this. And like they have a cafe in their church, and instead of like putting out black coffee with creamer and sugar for adult leaders on Saturday morning, they take orders and they make everyone a specialty drink, like a latte or or something for for all of the adult leaders from every church. And it like I don't know, the church is just so cool.

SPEAKER_03 12:32

I I totally agree. And that's also been a highlight, not just this year, but every year that we get to work with the church and at a location in the church, and the fact that they're opening their doors to I mean, I was in Kentucky and it's 44 other churches showing up, and they're just like, here you go. Like that's just every weekend that we get to, you know, it's cool we get to be on campuses at a college or arena or what arenas or whatnot, but uh for Superstar, it's really cool that we get to be in the church.

SPEAKER_00 13:01

Yeah, I I I I wholeheartedly agree. Yeah. I was just in Virginia and they like bought our stuff lunch on loadout day. Yeah, and I was like, this rocks. Like you guys are so cool. Yeah. Like I don't know. And that saved the budget.

SPEAKER_03 13:16

That saved the budget.

SPEAKER_00 13:17

Well, I'm gonna be able to get back for the wedding. I'm gonna be super honest with you. Um we took the money that we would have spent on lunch and bought everybody Starbucks that morning.

SPEAKER_03 13:28

Great.

SPEAKER_00 13:29

Okay, cool.

SPEAKER_03 13:29

I love it. Go for it.

SPEAKER_00 13:32

Why are you clenching your your teeth?

SPEAKER_03 13:34

Because I'm trying to hold in a cough right now.

SPEAKER_00 13:37

Why are you angry at me? I'm not angry at this.

SPEAKER_03 13:39

I have my throat is yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:42

Great. Um, hold that cough in, boy. You got this.

SPEAKER_03 13:51

Try holding the cough.

SPEAKER_00 13:55

Anyway, I just love Superstar. It's so fun. And I like uh the other thing I've loved is like you don't interact with students at Superstar. I don't interact with students as much at Superstart as I would at like a move or a mix. But like I love standing at the hub and just kind of catching a few students that come by and saying, like, hey, you having a good time? And of course they always are having like the best time. And this tour has been especially fun because you have like the automatic conversation starter of like, who do you think did it?

SPEAKER_04 14:25

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 14:25

And they always are like they're actually like racking their brains, and they're like, Well, Anita is jealous, and you know, I don't know, but Dan, yeah, you know, and they're like actually like trying to piece this thing together and like taking it super serious seriously, and being really like entertained and invested in in what's happening in the program has been really cool. And just I mean, people love the program this year. It's so I mean, Rob and his team um did a really, really great job with it.

SPEAKER_03 14:58

And I'll be honest, this is a sneak peek for next year. We already know what we're doing next year, but I can't say but it's gonna be great.

SPEAKER_00 15:05

Uh you can't say even if it comes out on Monday.

SPEAKER_03 15:11

I'll just say this. I'll tell you the scripture we're looking at.

SPEAKER_00 15:17

Next year's theme is a mysterious truth. This year we looked at the It's not the theme is not a mysterious truth, but it is a mysterious the truth of what we are talking about.

SPEAKER_03 15:29

So this year we looked at John 14 that Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. We're gonna say around the table and look at John 15. So you look at that chapter, anyone listening, and kind of try to figure out what do you think we're gonna talk about. We're talking about John 15. There's a section, there's two verses in there that we're gonna be looking at. So you let let us know in the chat that we don't have.

SPEAKER_00 15:51

We don't have a chat.

SPEAKER_03 15:52

Text Brad.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

Text me. Um, and I'll tell you if you're right or wrong. Although I don't know the answer. Yeah. You really don't know. He really doesn't know. Text Corey, text Corey. Um so anyway, um, that is kind of a fun aspect of what we do, is like we are already thinking about uh 2027, which is kind of just absolutely bananas that we're having that conversation and it's just fun. It's so fun. It's so fun.

SPEAKER_03 16:20

I would hate I I know we're on a time crunch trip, Michael. How's it been for you?

SPEAKER_00 16:24

You've been at events. Are we on a time crunch?

SPEAKER_03 16:26

I don't I don't know how long is this podcast usually go?

SPEAKER_00 16:28

What is I mean, we're on the calendar until 11:30. Okay. But and it's 1126 a.m. right now, but I mean Well, I just don't know.

SPEAKER_03 16:36

Are these like three-hour episodes?

SPEAKER_00 16:38

I just They're as long as they are. Okay. Yeah. It's like a TV show.

SPEAKER_03 16:44

Yeah, nowadays like the stream.

SPEAKER_00 16:46

You remember when comedies used to be like every single one was 22 minutes, 30 minutes with ads? Yes. And it's like now it's like I've been watching The Pit. All of those episodes are an hour long because it's in real time. Yeah. But I also watch uh Shrinking on Apple TV. And some of those episodes will be like 28 minutes, and some of them will be like an hour and 12 minutes. Not like guys, it's just like they just do whatever they want to do, which is great. Good for them. I love it.

SPEAKER_02 17:16

Michael, what about you? Uh the Superstar 2 has been a lot of fun for me. Um this program I think actually is one of the most delightful to watch, I'll be honest. Um just uh I think the I think the way that the play gets um gets played up is is hilarious um and just a lot of fun to watch. Also, um the younger age groups are just the absolute most fun to do events for because they always bring the most insane energy. Um and there is is just like no um there's no dishonesty to the energy that they bring. They are they are being a hundred percent themselves, um, and it's a blast. Um was just with Corey at Superstar Kentucky this past weekend. Um we broke a thousand students, right? I think a thousand and like I want to talk about it. Well, sorry, I'm sorry, Brad. Um uh and uh you know I one of the how do I say this really briefly? Um one of my one of one of the core pieces to my like idea and philosophy about like production is that production is an active part in um the worship leading um uh the worship leading responsibility um in in church and at our events. Um and I really felt like um I really felt like things flipped on their heads uh this past weekend because boy, those 1009 some students were very loud. And this felt way less like us leading them in worship and way more like them leading us in worship. Yeah. Um it was it was a very um it was a very unique experience uh in that regard for me compared to most other places. Um so and like worship was great, um, but the the energy that the students brought um just felt a little bit different than uh than what I'm normally seeing. Yeah, totally agree. Yeah, it's a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_03 19:18

It was holy.

SPEAKER_02 19:19

Yeah. Also, we got to hang out at his house on the hey Corey, slow down, pump the brakes, please. I'm asking kindly. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 19:30

Maybe we should just go to Mike Dobb.

SPEAKER_02 19:32

Great. Uh so one of the things that we also did uh was we went to my parents' house and did a chili night. Uh this genuinely is part of what I was going to talk about. What? And Corey was jumping the gun.

SPEAKER_03 19:46

I was so excited.

SPEAKER_02 19:48

Um we really missed Brad dearly this past weekend. Brad, I want you to I do want you to understand that. Um we we have made this kind of an annual tradition um at Superstart Kentucky, as long as I'm there. Uh we go to my parents' house afterwards um uh after we finish loading out and we do a chili night. Um I'm of the staunch opinion that my mom's chili is the best chili. It's good chili. It's um great. It is Cincinnati style chili. Anyway, we're not here to talk about the chili or even really talk about chili night, other than use it as a conversation starter about just like when we go on tour, one of the things that largely we like to do is find places with good food. Um and while that is one of my favorite um food experiences that does get to happen on the road, what I want to do is throw the question out when on the road, what are the places that you're like, we have to go eat here because this is one of my favorite places to go eat on the road.

SPEAKER_03 20:39

This is great. I have so many. A really good mic'd up moment.

SPEAKER_00 20:45

I have so many.

SPEAKER_03 20:46

In regards to tour or just in life?

SPEAKER_02 20:48

Uh I mean it it could be either, but like tourism is a touchable.

SPEAKER_00 20:52

Let's let's let's keep it in the context of tour. I I mean, I can start. I have a feeling we're gonna be a lot. Like, there's a bunch that come to the like just when I'm thinking about Superstart. Um, first of all, Chili Night at your parents' house is like one of those things. But also when we're in Louisville, there's a restaurant called The Eagle that has like the best fried chicken in the universe, and they do like a family style meal with just like great southern sides, and it's on Bardstown Road. It's like a fun part of Louisville. It's great, it's just a great spot. Um, so there's that in in Omaha, there's a carryout place called Oscar's Pizza and Wings, and they have like the best wings I've ever had in my entire life. And I always like to do that whenever we're there. Like we have done several times where we'll do like the first part of our load in on Thursday night and then just drive through um Oscar's and get wings and pizza and like kind of take over the hotel lobby that we're staying at and just eat dinner down there. And that's always A really fun one. Um, late night cookout runs when we're Lee, of course. Many, many times. Many, many like the the 11 p.m. cookout run is just like a staple of being at Lee University. Four rivers down in Florida. Anytime we're in Dallas or Phoenix or Southern California, obviously going to In N Out Burger, um, or Colorado Springs now, too. Yeah. So um, yeah, I don't know. I mean, there's just so many.

SPEAKER_03 22:28

I agree. I'm gonna echo that. I'm gonna add one more. So I've been here a few times, but now that we do Super Cert in Arizona, Gilbert, Arizona area, um, which will be back in 2027, it's gonna be great. Um we eat at this place called Joe's Farm Grill. Michael and I ate there this last January. And you it's like a farm to table. It's very delicious. It's a little pricey, but oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_02 22:53

It is very delicious.

SPEAKER_03 22:54

And that's gonna be a tradition. They have it's beautiful, it's out on a farm. This guy's old, like now it's a nice little area, Gilbert, and you just can eat outside under a big old tree. Just drinking lemonade.

SPEAKER_00 23:05

That actually sounds so delicious.

SPEAKER_02 23:07

I'd love to put a put a pen in this really, really fast and just point out that the distinction that you just made was it used to be on a farm, but now it's in this nice little area in Gilbert.

SPEAKER_00 23:16

There's a pin.

SPEAKER_02 23:17

There's a pen, thank you. Um I think most not most, a lot of people would probably take issue with the fact that you're implying that a farm is not a nice area, and now what this area is is actually like a developed area in Gilbert with like apartment buildings and everywhere. All kinds of like stores and restaurants.

SPEAKER_03 23:36

And a salt and straw down the road. Dude, ice cream. Ice cream is another thing. I would like to apologize to all the farmers listening to this podcast.

SPEAKER_00 23:45

Jenny's ice cream, uh greater's ice cream. Greater's ice cream.

SPEAKER_03 23:49

I just had greater. We had greater's this last weekend.

SPEAKER_00 23:51

Black raspberry chip is my favorite ice cream from Greater's. I had banana chip and boy, it goes. Yeah. They're cho something about their chocolate chips is like magical. Yeah. First of all, they're not chips. They're like Yeah, they're like shavings. Yeah. But like but it's so soft. Yeah. Like if you just put like cho chocolate chips into ice cream, they get rock hard.

SPEAKER_02 24:13

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 24:13

You know what I mean? But like something about the way that they make their chocolate and the way that they make their ice cream, like the chocolate stays so soft and it is just heavenly. It is so good.

SPEAKER_03 24:26

Yeah. Michael, did you say a place?

SPEAKER_02 24:28

I know you said chilly night, but um, so I I mean I haven't said a place yet. Um what's funny is I ask these questions and I struggle to come up with my own like really specific answer to a lot of them, but I can I can try and rattle off a couple of places. Um I mean, we talked about the eagle. I don't think, Brad, did you mention the sides of the eagle or just the chicken?

SPEAKER_00 24:46

I I didn't mention specific ones, but I said like the sides are good.

SPEAKER_02 24:50

Yeah, the side, I mean, they are, in my opinion, some of the absolute best sides that you can get.

SPEAKER_00 24:56

Their cornbread is uh unreal.

SPEAKER_02 25:00

Yeah. I could go to the eagle and just get sides and I'd totally be totally be happy. Um uh I I love In N Out, Corey. I don't know what your hesitation is there. We don't have to argue about it.

SPEAKER_03 25:12

I like it. I think it's overrated. That's all.

SPEAKER_02 25:14

Okay, sure. Yeah, whatever. Yeah, anyway. I think you're overrated.

SPEAKER_03 25:17

I think I'm not sure. I'm just kidding, I love you. I was about to say something else. I love you too. I've kind of I love you so much I should not have said that.

SPEAKER_02 25:31

Yeah. Because I just say it all the time. Yeah. So we just won't get into it.

SPEAKER_03 25:34

There you go.

SPEAKER_02 25:35

Um but also like in Southern California, there's this one place. It's not my necessarily, it's not my favorite, but it is one of the more unique places and it's worth going to. But Bruxy, chicken, and waffles.

SPEAKER_00 25:46

Their uh strawberry lemonade that they make fresh too. Have you ever had that? I don't think I have.

SPEAKER_03 25:51

Oh gosh, it is so good. What about Hattie B's? You know, talking about chicken.

SPEAKER_00 25:54

I'm not an Asheville chicken guy.

SPEAKER_03 25:55

You're not? No. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 25:57

I think it's good. Yeah. But also like fried chicken isn't one of those things that I have super strong opinions about. Logan Sperry loves.

SPEAKER_00 26:03

So you don't like spicy food, so you just get like right.

SPEAKER_02 26:05

I get I get classic no hip over the time. Yeah. Um also in California, I went to this one place. I don't know how many people will have the chance to get to go to this if they're like at one of our events, but I think it's called like the trough or something like that. Oh, interesting. Um uh I went on the recommendation of some guys at Saddleback. Um, they were saying best breakfast burritos in the world. Um, and I got a breakfast burrito, and I have to say, it was extremely good. Was it oh, I've got another one.

SPEAKER_00 26:36

I forgot about this one. How did I forget? The pantry.

SPEAKER_03 26:40

Oh, oh, I forgot about this. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:44

Yeah. So in Santa Fe, New Mexico, this place called the Pantry, it's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 26:49

They will like put green chilies on anything you want, and it's just they're like it's that southwestern style, like in it, and it is to die for.

SPEAKER_02 26:58

It's so good. I'm a huge like breakfast anytime of day kind of guy. And what I love getting, I believe at the pantry. There's another restaurant in Santa Fe at the at the the plaza, it's the Plaza Cafe. And I think they do a very similar thing, but they're it's a little bit different. But they both have this item blue corn pancakes. They are delicious. Sounds good. They are so, so good. So, so good. Oh, so so so so good if you've been to Superstar. You've been so so good. Um also one last that I'll mention to me. I don't remember the name of this place, Corey. You might remember, but when we go, when we go to Dallas, technically Arlington, um, there is a ramen place um that is really good. I know, I know exactly.

SPEAKER_03 27:41

I know the area.

SPEAKER_02 27:42

Rob Watson would know exactly what you're talking about right now. So if you're listening and you're curious, reach out to Rob Watson. He goes there every time.

SPEAKER_00 27:49

What's the place in Lakeland that we go? The like food hall.

SPEAKER_02 27:54

Oh, oh, I don't remember. Is it the is it called the refinery?

SPEAKER_00 27:58

Yes. Is that it? Yes, okay, great. There's a food hall in Lakeland called the refinery. You said Rom. There's a good Ramen place in there, too. And a good sushi place. You can go get a great one.

SPEAKER_03 28:06

Because anyone listening to this, I'm excited for them to have options as they go to CI events this year.

SPEAKER_02 28:10

You know, just like you guys are welcome. This is great. You guys are welcome.

SPEAKER_00 28:13

Yeah, it's truly lovely. Any favorites on the road, Warren?

SPEAKER_02 28:18

She said, Lauren just texted me and said, I gotta go. So she's gonna leave before we type the mat. What?

SPEAKER_00 28:27

I think she means I think she means I gotta go to all these places because they're gonna be like, she's like, it's like I gotta go to the refinery. That sounds stupid. We should probably wrap up.

SPEAKER_02 28:37

But I it might this might be a good conversation to revisit maybe when we get we get closer to summer with another guest just to get some wider reach um on good places to work.

SPEAKER_00 28:46

Lane Lane would be a good person to 100%.

SPEAKER_02 28:48

100% great.

SPEAKER_00 28:50

He he he he's always got a spot.

SPEAKER_02 28:52

Friends, we'll re we'll revisit this conversation.

Introducing Matt Stevens;

SPEAKER_00 28:54

Okay, in the meantime, we do need to go. We're gonna go talk to our good buddy, Matt Stevens. Matt Stevens, welcome back. Hey, I would I actually meant to look this up, but we had you on before. What did we have you on to talk about last time?

SPEAKER_01 29:12

Uh last time we talked about like raising up the next generation of church leaders and just systems that help support that.

SPEAKER_00 29:21

Yeah, that was cool. Yeah, because you guys are like super in on the follow-through stuff and all that kind of thing. So how's that going? What have you been up to? Give us an update.

SPEAKER_01 29:30

Oh gosh. Uh since then we started a an internship for students that are high schoolers interested in vocational ministry. So right now we have 12 high schoolers that are uh in a in the internship with us, and uh they get a mentor, uh, they do some hours each week, um, just kind of based on if they're a freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, uh, more as they get older, uh, but just kind of connecting them with someone in the area that they're interested in going into ministry for and uh just helping them get some tools and experience and skills. Um they have a we have a trip coming up just for them uh this summer. We're taking them to Belize. Um, so there's a little bit of incentive for being a part of it. Um, but yeah, it's been it's been great so far.

SPEAKER_00 30:18

Good. Um, it's a lot of work, right? It is. It is a lot of work. I was gonna say, like, and you're kind of like, are you spearheading this a little bit? Or there's a team of people that are kind of doing that, or like how many hours a week are you spending on just this? Because it sounds like a lot.

SPEAKER_01 30:35

Uh it's quite a bit. We have students, we have some regulars that come in um like a specific day during the week and uh and do some hours and do some things in the office. So some have jumped on doing uh a lot of our social media content. And uh so I do the ones that are interested in in youth ministry, and then uh there's mentors for in communication and uh kid kid ministry. And so uh it's not all on me to do. Yeah, I just kind of help coordinate those things. And a lot of the times, especially you know, the kid side of things, they just take it and run. So I there's not a whole lot of like managing from that perspective. It's just yeah, um making sure they get the skills and experience and things that they need.

SPEAKER_00 31:23

So yeah, children's ministers, super on top of it. You don't have to worry about them taking the ball and running, right?

SPEAKER_03 31:28

They got their binders, they're ready to go.

Why Allow Phones On Trips;

SPEAKER_00 31:30

They got their binders, yeah, they're ready to rock. Um, that's not what we're talking about today. Thank you for the update. We are talking about telephones.

SPEAKER_03 31:40

Ring ring hello.

SPEAKER_00 31:42

Super, super awesome, Corey. Thank you for that. That was lovely. Ring ring.

SPEAKER_03 31:48

Question about telephones.

SPEAKER_00 31:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:50

Do you did you like do you have a landline? And I know a lot of people don't, but do you still have a landline?

SPEAKER_00 31:55

I don't have a landline. I still remember my landline phone number from when I was a child.

SPEAKER_03 32:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:00

606-623-2063. Someone should call that. I don't know. Who's it gonna pick up? No idea. Probably nobody. I don't know. Let's try it.

SPEAKER_03 32:09

Well, right now live on the air.

SPEAKER_00 32:12

Yeah. Mom? Yeah, yeah. Um that would be wild, that would be crazy. Anyway, um talking about cellular phones, which something that's weird is area codes with cell phones because I feel like no one has an area code for like the place where they live anymore. Because they just like get a number when they're a kid and then it it travels with them. Like the area code here is 417, so you're you're 417, I was sure. Yeah, yeah. Lauren, producer Lauren, is a 417, 502 for Pykel, and then I have a uh 513, which is Cincinnati, which is like where I lived when my dad kicked me off of their phone plan. And um I I lived there for a year and a half and have just never changed it. But that now that's like part of my identity. I say my phone number to people and they're like, oh, 513, and I'm like, Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:08

Have no connection.

SPEAKER_00 33:09

Go Bengals. Um day. Hoodé. Uh anyway. Um phones on trips, let letting students bring phones on trips. Um, you're kind of the second episode that we've done about this. Matt Stevens, this is a battle of the mats, uh, is here to talk about the the advantages of letting students have phones on trips. Matt Tibbett, two weeks ago, um was kind of on the opposite side. He said he's like never let kids bring phones on trips. So uh for listeners who haven't listened to that episode, you might go back and and check that one out as well to kind of hear both sides of this. But um, it is kind of a debate that I feel like a lot of people like I don't know, I feel like cell phones like snuck up on people. Like kids were getting cell phones when I was in high school, and we weren't really like building a lot of like parameters around when you were and weren't allowed to use them. And now a lot of youth pastors are like thinking about okay, what are the rules? What what are the boundaries? And some people are doing no phones on trips, some people are like, we are letting students have phones on trips, but we're taking them away at night, or what you know, I don't know. People, there's a million different um kind of schools of thought. And you, when we were talking about this earlier, as we were playing for the podcast, indicated like, okay, at Calvary, um, students are allowed to bring phones on trips. Why is that the place that you guys have landed?

SPEAKER_01 34:50

Yeah, I I think there's probably a a couple reasons why we landed there. Uh, number one, like every kid has a cell phone these days. Like, even elementary kids, you know, are walking home from school. I live right next to an elementary school, and like kids are walking home on their cell phones. And so it's it's it's everywhere. Every kid seems to have one. And so um I I have always been uh a little bit anxious going on trips, and the idea of losing a kid was is like one of my biggest fears on a trip. I'm like, I have to bring these kids home. And so um accountability is a huge one. Um, we're able we usually throw every kid uh on Slack when we go on a trip. So we create a separate channel and it's just a way that we can communicate. Uh if they want to create with their small group leaders, you know, a separate one, let them know where they're at. Uh so pushing information out is a big piece of it. And uh just being able to get a hold of them if we need to, to say, hey, hey, we're all meeting here or we need you here. Um, that's a big piece. But also like because it's part of our culture and society, I I don't know if like demonizing it on a trip, just to have, you know, I I think there's great benefits in in man, you get to detox from it for a couple days. Um, it helps you teach some boundaries. Probably I don't know if anxiety would go down during that time because they'd probably be like, oh, who's trying to get a hold of me? But uh all for that to just go back into place when they come home. I I don't know if it creates like a bubble and then they have to go back to the real world and then figure out how to live.

SPEAKER_00 36:33

And it kind of shatters shatters the illusion a little bit. Yeah.

Safety, Logistics, And Parent Peace;

SPEAKER_01 36:37

So I think um I I think more along the lines of I I don't want to, I don't want it to feel like I demonize it. Um, I mean, if a kid has a phone on a trip and it becomes a problem, then we're we we may end up taking it from them. We'll probably have some conversations first, but I don't want to demonize it to be like, this is bad, put it in the lockbox because there are so many things if they want to take notes or use their Bible app or um, you know, ask questions, type some questions out. Like I I don't want to say like paper has to be the way that you do that when they live in a digital world and digital culture. I'd rather help form them um to the point where man, they're followers of Jesus that want to put their phone down. So yeah. I think that's kind of where we landed.

SPEAKER_00 37:23

Yeah, the safety side is definitely interesting. And I think like the natural first response for a lot of people when they're asked, like, why, why, why, you know, why should kids be allowed to have phones on trips? It's like, well, I need to be able to get a hold of them. And you guys take a lot of people to move, and um, it's a lot to keep up with. That's a lot of people that you personally are like accountable and responsible for. Just like anecdotally, are there a couple of th stories or things that you remember of things where it's like I this could have been bad if you know, if if we didn't have this available to us.

SPEAKER_01 38:06

Well, I think I think uh I have one where like a kid didn't bring a phone and we had made it abundantly clear to him. We were actually at uh CIY mix in Warrensburg, Missouri, and uh and the outer realm game was like I don't know, a 10, 15 minute walk to one of the fields. And um we had a we had a student that was on the trip, and he he had gotten in quite a bit of trouble before the trip. So we had made it abundantly clear like you will not leave the site of any of any adult. So, you know, we're we're we're down at the field, kids are going crazy. There's like the spaceship with like all the lights, and they're flying the little finger cannons into the baskets, and we're like looking around, we're like, where's this kid at? And he has no cell phone, and we're like frantically looking. Like, this kid is a flight risk, like we have to track him down. And I'm thinking in my mind, like, this is not the kid I want to lose. And uh, so I remember like Who are the kids you want to lose?

SPEAKER_00 39:10

Uh let's talk about some of those for a second. I'm kidding.

SPEAKER_01 39:17

Uh but it all week he had kept asking, like, can I go back to the dorm room? And it's like, no, you have to stay here with an adult. And uh, so I was like, I hope he's in his room. So I like ran from the field back, thinking in my mind, like, this mother is gonna kill me. You know, I opened the door and he is laying in his bed on his iPad. And I'm like, bro, like you, you did not let anybody know where you were going. We couldn't, there's no way to get a hold of you. Um that was like one of my biggest panic moments, probably in the last 15, 15, 20 years of doing youth ministry. I I so I I think uh the benefits of it is man, we we get to run pretty smooth trips. Like I the last gosh, it has to be the last five to 10 CIY years that we've done with mix and move, you know, intermingled and those. The trips have run so much more smoothly with them having their phones because we can get a hold of them when they need to. And I think some of the stress comes with parents sending their kids too. And there's some peace of mind that the parents have where they're like, if I need to, I can get a hold of my kid. And so I I would just say, man, there's probably too many that I could count where it's like it it squelched a problem that could have risen up when we were able to just get a hold of it.

SPEAKER_00 40:47

It's kind of an unfair question because it's like you don't really know.

unknown 40:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:51

Because it's like the the problem never actually materializes, right? Anyway.

Boundaries Without Demonizing Tech;

SPEAKER_03 40:56

And Matt, I'm hearing you, you know, logistically, it's good for your families, it's good for your students and your ministry to have phones. And I totally see that. I also could see I'm curious for you from me just helping and sponsoring in my youth group, uh, I've seen this past some wrap move where students who brought their phones, they also in moments of like, hey, someone said this from stage and I want to share this with someone who needs to hear it now. Or, you know, whether it is a family member or a friend, or yeah, they're writing down notes. Like that's been encouraging. Has that been a moment too, besides the logisticals of okay, we know where everyone's at, parents have peace of mind, uh, the writing down notes. Has have there been moments you've seen where it's like, oh, I something powerful happened and they shared that with others as well.

SPEAKER_01 41:40

Yeah, I I think the quick and easy one for that is most of that comes uh right afterwards with the the group time that we have. They're they're able to say, you know, I I wrote this down, and man, this is how I'm gonna apply this, either now or going home, or this is a relationship that, you know, I need to, I need to to fix that is just broken right now. I I need to forgive them. Like, I think it makes it quick and easy to do those things because not every kid, I mean, as much as you we'd like to encourage them, like, hey, bring a Bible and a notepad with you. Like a lot of them are just thinking, like, I don't want to tote that around a college campus. And I'm not saying one is right or wrong, but they're always gonna have their phone on them. And and they're not always gonna be carrying uh a Bible and a notepad with them when they're going to shopping or to school or other places. They're always gonna have their phone on them. So to have it quick and accessible to them, to say, hey, you know, take a note on this, you're always gonna have this with you. It does make it so much easier for them to follow up with those um later on in group time, or if they if they feel like they need to make a call or tech, they're not making calls. Um that's a lie. They don't make calls. Um if they want to shoot a couple of things.

SPEAKER_00 43:01

If they need to snap somebody, yeah, snap somebody. Oh my gosh. Yeah. Do people still use snap? It is still a thing, right? It's very much a thing. I don't, I'm too old for it, but it's yeah, no, I don't I still I still send telegrams, truthfully. My do you still use MySpace? Brad's on MySpace.

SPEAKER_03 43:20

I still use MySpace, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:22

Matt, still good for podcast today. Stop.

SPEAKER_01 43:28

Who's your top ten, Brad? Who was in your top ten? And what song did you have playing on your MySpace? First of all, White and Nerdy is mine.

SPEAKER_00 43:36

First of all, first of all, it was a top eight. Second of all, uh, my friend Cor Corey Robinson uh used to occupy a very high spot in there. David Jensen. Uh Tom, Tom was not my top eight. No. He's a good buddy, but not my top eight. Um And the song was almost always something by a band, a band called Motion City Soundtrack. No. Not Hawthorne Heights, not the Angry. No. Some emo music. Well, I mean, Motion City Soundtrack was like a little emo. It's a little emo.

SPEAKER_01 44:18

Did you wear skin tight like your sister's jeans? Do you have a sister?

SPEAKER_00 44:21

I don't have a sister. I wasn't a skin tight jeans girl. No.

SPEAKER_01 44:25

No.

SPEAKER_00 44:26

So I lived in I I lived in Florida, so I very rarely wore anything that was not shorts. Yeah, you didn't wear pants. Didn't wear pants? Um, not a lot. Anyway, uh that's that was fun. That was good. Thank you for that question. Um, going back to phones, I wonder if there's a MySpace app.

SPEAKER_03 44:50

I I've never looked.

SPEAKER_00 44:51

Do you think it still exists? Pycle? This is this is literally why we have a producer. You're a fact checker. Um, yeah, it's Pycle. Uh anyway, so all right. So I think every like the okay. The number one image that a student pastor would conjure in their minds when they think of like why they don't want have their kids to have phones on trips is what we all know, like a bunch of students sitting in session during a sermon, scrolling through Twitter or sending snaps or whatever it may be. Um and like that is a thing that if left to their own devices, like would happen. Uh, I'm assuming that you guys have some boundaries that you put in place or enforce. And I'm just curious, like what those are, how they are enforced, you know, all those types of things.

SPEAKER_01 45:52

Yeah. Uh if if we notice kids that are that are getting on uh you know their phone a bunch and and they're not paying attention, like we're probably gonna have a conversation with them and say, hey, you need to get off your phone um because you're not using it for anything beneficial right now. And it is a distraction. Um, and if it continues to happen, we we probably will just say, like, hey, I don't want to see your phone out. Um, we've have not gotten to the point. I can't even remember a time in the last 10 plus years where I've had to take a phone from a kid. Like if you have a conversation with them more often than not, I think most kids will be somewhat respectful about it. You know, they may try to sneak behind your back or something, but um I I just haven't had too many experiences where it's be it's become such an issue that a kid is like belligerently going against what you're asking them to do.

SPEAKER_00 46:49

So do you do you have um do you have those conversations ahead of time? Like, is there a uh time with your students where you're like, hey, this is the expectation kind of thing?

SPEAKER_01 47:01

Yeah. Yeah, we always set expectations with them. Hey, for the week or you know, for the for the trip, like this is what we want from you. Like, don't don't be on your phone. Don't be the reason that we get a call from another, you know, youth group or from CIY or whoever's hosting, you know, something that we're going to, like, just be respectful. But put your, don't have your phones out during session. Like, and we let them know if it becomes a problem, like we're gonna talk to you and we'll probably just take them at that point. We'll probably talk to parents before that even happens, though, before we just snatch one away and say, hey, this is mine now. We'll say, hey, so-and-so's having a problem, you know, staying off their phone. We've asked them, like, what would you like us to do? Um, I don't want a kid going home and be like, oh, they took this from me, and then a parent gets upset. I'd rather include them in on it and say, hey, this is what we're thinking. Um, this is what has happened up to this point, and it's becoming an issue. So yeah, we're gonna, we're gonna probably take the phone if you're okay with that.

SPEAKER_00 48:04

And has there ever been conflict there with like parents or students, or it's like just kind of smooth sailing, like everyone kind of gets it?

Social Media Use And Expectations;

SPEAKER_01 48:11

Yeah, I think having the freedom, the the one thing that like I I know there was a few years back that there was some of the school violence that that rose from um you know kids not being able to use their phones in school and teachers took it. And I think there was a couple in Tennessee. Well, I remember they had some uh like school psychologists got on and they were talking about like, hey, we're we're asking kids who really don't probably don't have any type of boundaries at home with screen time or phones or whatever. And then you're asking them for this short period of time to to give that up. Like it's the equivalent of asking an alcoholic to just like stop drinking for a short period of time and then go back to really no boundaries. I I don't want to say it's like a an exact replica, but if we're asking them for a short time to remove something and there's no there's no buy-in or there's there's no repercussions or boundaries or expectations at home, then we're really just asking them to go like a a short sense of sobriety that I don't think is really gonna last in the long run. So I I tend to be how can we teach them to be uh responsible with it without saying we're we're taking this totally away from you? Right. If you it becomes a problem, then yes, it will be ours.

SPEAKER_00 49:40

Okay. What do we come up with, Michael?

SPEAKER_02 49:43

So there is not a MySpace app. There also is not a um like a third-party MySpace like forwarding. Yeah, there's not anything like that.

SPEAKER_00 49:58

Um But MySpace still exists, right?

SPEAKER_02 50:00

I I believe it does.

SPEAKER_03 50:02

Actually, I meant to check the the website. Isn't is it the guy is his name like Tony that you have to become a friend with off the street? Tom, bro. We already talked about Tom.

SPEAKER_02 50:11

I'm sorry. Uh the website, the website does still exist, and it looks like this is hilarious.

SPEAKER_00 50:18

I typed in myspace.com and it says your connection is not private.

SPEAKER_02 50:22

Uh wow, it didn't give me that warning. Um it's it definitely like still exists. Um it is very much updated, but it looks more like a licensing website than a social media um just aesthetically. Not that of course, like it is still a social media, but it's funny that that's what it looks like aesthetically. Um on mobile, um I found there there was one app that was called MySpace, but it's not for the social media. It is something else, and it is a uh all the text and the images. I'm not sure what language it is. I don't think it's Spanish, but it looks like Latin base. So I don't know, maybe it's like Portuguese or something, but um, I'm not sure. Um there is a social media called Space Hay. Oh.

SPEAKER_00 51:14

Um H-A-Y. H-E-Y. Oh, space hay, like we're saying hi in outer space. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 51:21

And the tagline is the retro social media. The images on it, they all look like early, early iOS. Um, like with those um like rectangular glucose.

SPEAKER_00 51:31

What if someday we look on what if someday we look back on this conversation as like the first time that we ever heard of space hay? And it's like the next insane thing that like everybody's super into.

SPEAKER_02 51:42

And everything looked so old that I was like, how new or old is this social media? And the copyright is from 2024. Okay. The last update is five months ago, and the mo the top most helpful review was December 25th, Christmas Day. Wow, 2025. Would you like to read it? Um sure. Uh I love, love this app. Both of those loves are L-U-V. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 52:10

Of course they are.

SPEAKER_02 52:11

Freedom of personalization over your spelled U R account is amazing, fun, and makes socializing way more fun instead of the rather bland socials we have today. I'm assuming they're talking about Facebook, Instagram, X, etc. Overall. I maybe. Um or uh a 45-year-old or older who is just reminiscing. Yes. Um, overall, I haven't faced any problems within the community. Um, though it would be amazing if posting certain blogs or sending messages didn't take so long. It's impossible for me to interact with friends when even a simple hi could take hours while the app is fun and enjoyable, waiting to share ideas and more isn't. I would also like to complain that I cannot access commenting on other people's profiles while browsing through them, which doesn't happen to be a problem for some others. If this could be fixed, I'd really, in all caps, appreciate it. Thanks, spelled THX.

SPEAKER_00 53:08

Wow.

unknown 53:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 53:09

Four stars. Space Hay. Space Hay. Four out of five stars.

SPEAKER_02 53:12

Yep. Space Hay Mobile, the retro social network. That's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 53:16

Highly comes highly recommended by XO Princess QD O X.

SPEAKER_02 53:21

Something like that. I didn't, I didn't no no no no.

SPEAKER_00 53:27

Um Okay, wow. Anyway. That was good. Say say something valuable.

SPEAKER_03 53:32

Well, I just was trying to see if we could say way to talking about apps now uh in regards to people on their phone.

SPEAKER_00 53:38

Yeah, no, go ahead. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 53:40

No, uh so like talking about that, and I mean the years that you've been dealing with it, whether like soon's going to move with you, Matt, um, the pros and cons. So Brad brought up Twitter, which is now not even Twitter anymore, uh, earlier, but like so the Snapchats.

SPEAKER_00 53:56

Are you calling me old?

SPEAKER_03 53:58

I mean, I don't know, chat chat you tell us. Um so uh um like those applications like TikTok and Snapchat. Um, you know, you you do you when you talk about hey, we meet up and before we leave, is that like a part of it? Like, do you mainly hit on like because it's more the apps on the phone, right? And I know you could text people and call that could be a distraction during main session. I've sat in rooms, I was at the same uh week of move that you guys were at this last summer, where people in our own youth group, that's a distraction. So is that like when you talk about is that the biggest thing for youth group? It's like the the apps that people get on. That's like, hey, let's not deal with that. Have you ever had a conversation where you're like, hey, please, maybe it's like I don't mind you using the Bible app. I don't like use your notes, but like can you delete this application off your phone uh for this week? Has that ever been a conversation?

School Policies And Student Habits;

SPEAKER_01 54:52

I don't think we've ever asked them to like remove or an app from their phone from the time. Um, we do like it's pretty easy to tell if somebody's you know scrolling videos or something during a session. So we'll typically tell them, like, hey, you know, social media, just stay off it for the week. Um I Snapchat is a is a harder one because I mean they'll take photos and send them. I I don't have Snapchat nor have I used Snapchat. I'm the old man in uh in everything. I just let the younger dudes on our team handle it where I'm like, I don't, I don't know how to use it. I I'm I'm unaware of of the functionalities of a lot of them. But we'll we'll usually just cover that in our expectations when we get off, get off the bus or when we're on the bus and they're on the way and just say, hey, this is what's expected of you. You know, just stay off it for the week. Don't don't let it be a problem or a distraction.

SPEAKER_03 55:53

So well, I'm glad you said that. So like when I think of phones, I immediately all like a part of it is social media, part of it is text. So you would say when you take students, it is like, hey, you can have your phones, but no social media all week. Is that what you you just I I would say if it becomes a problem, it's a guideline.

SPEAKER_00 56:11

It's a guideline, it's not like uh yeah, I was curious.

SPEAKER_03 56:14

I was just trying to go off what you said, Matt. Okay, interesting, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 56:18

It's it's so yeah, so you you you're going second in the series, which gives you some privileges. Um, because you said something that reminded me of something that Tibbett said. And do you know Tibbet? You know Tibbet. Uh I believe so, yeah. You should. You guys would get along like gangbusters. Um not on this issue, though. What does that mean, Brad? You would get on you, you not on this issue. You would you would fight.

SPEAKER_03 56:48

Uh is that the third part of the fighter?

SPEAKER_00 56:50

You would fight.

SPEAKER_03 56:51

Is that the third part to this? Like they're buffing the talk.

SPEAKER_00 56:53

Celebrity deathmatch where we just get the mats on and they fight. Get it on. Yeah. Uh yeah. Um, no, but he he said something interesting, which is like, it's one thing for phones to be a distraction from like in like small group time or in session or whatever, and like, you know, you can kind of police that, get kids off their phones, but like the social distraction um was almost like a bigger deal to him. And what what you just asked, Corey, kind of reminded me of this uh picture that Matt painted of like a kid sitting in their room watching YouTube videos or scrolling through TikTok for like and kill killing all of free time, just like kind of in their room, you know, doing you know, whatever, right? Is that a concern for you? Is that something that you deal with? Like, or is that just kind of a red herring, you feel like? Or, you know, help me understand like how that plays into all of this too.

SPEAKER_01 57:55

Yeah, I I think for us that's that's probably more of the red herring and exception than than oh, we have we have like one kid, so the whole group now has to be punished because one kid, I don't you know, I've been in the military for a long time. I hate that type of like one person ruins it for everybody. Um if it becomes a problem, yes. I here's the thing, like kind of what what Corey mentioned, like do kids, you know, take notes? Some of the times it's like they'll take a video and post it to Instagram and you know, share, like, hey, I'm at move this week and this is like I've got to experience, you know, some great worship. And you know, this speaker, you know, said this. So it it it it's a platform where they do get to share almost immediately. Not that we are encouraging that during the sessions, but like if if we're all done, you kind of know when it gets to group time, like one phone is out when we do combos and everybody else's phone like put it away. There's no need for it to be out right now, right? So I don't I don't think we really we haven't had a problem with kids like getting on social media even even during downtime. Most of it's like, I'm either gonna go take a quick nap or they're gonna go play games. Like we always tell them, like, hey, you have to be somewhere with somebody. You can't just go in your room and hang out by yourself during it. It it's it's a rule of two or a rule of three if you have somebody from an opposite gender. Most of them are roaming campus and going to tournaments and um, you know, doing the fun stuff.

SPEAKER_03 59:32

Running line bikes.

SPEAKER_01 59:34

Right, dude. That was that was a huge deal this year was the lime scooters. It's like three guys got a Nebraska line.

SPEAKER_00 59:44

Yeah, oh gosh. Yeah, brutal.

SPEAKER_01 59:47

Um that dude made a killing that week, though.

SPEAKER_00 59:50

Yeah. Um yeah, so I I do think it's interesting because like students tell me what Nebraska is like with this. Like, I don't know if it's a state law. Maybe one of you can help me out with this, or if this is like a Web City school district thing, but like our kids are not allowed to use phones at school at all. Like they stay away away. Um, Kansas just passed a law where like you cannot have phones in the classroom, like, period in discussion. Um, is that a thing where you guys are?

SPEAKER_01 1:00:28

Yeah, I think our state passed, you know, something, and then there's like all but two school districts in the whole state have like even further um implemented like more restrictions for it.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:41

So yeah, they can't have yeah, like when I was a when I was a kid, I would like discreetly, you know, pull my phone out of my pocket and send a text message or whatever. If I text my like freshman guys while they're in school, I do not hear, I don't hear from them until 2 45 p.m. Like it just it's it doesn't happen. Um, so like I do feel that people from my generation um just look at phones differently, probably than than students do. Like they're they're more used to kind of compartmentalizing when is this okay and when is it not than I ever was when I was in high school, I think. Has that been your experience?

SPEAKER_01 1:01:31

Yeah, I'm I I'm pretty sure I'm older than you, you Brad.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:35

Yeah, oh yeah, you said you're a lot, you're much, much older than me. Yeah.

Misuse, Discipline, And Culture;

SPEAKER_01 1:01:38

Yeah, as you can see, the gray. Yeah. Um yeah, we didn't have cell phones growing up. So no kid had a cell phone. I mean, I went to a big high school. I don't know any kid that had a cell phone when I was in high school. I mean, we had like the Zach Morris phones back then. I don't know if you get that reference, Brad. Saved by the Bell was a TV show that was popular in the 90s.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:59

I get it. What's uh hey, what's a TV show?

SPEAKER_03 1:02:02

Yeah, yeah. I have siblings, I have siblings in their 40s, so I I know what you're talking about.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:07

Yeah, so we I didn't even get a cell phone until I was in college. So I mean it's it's a lot easier for us to compartmentalize those things. Um yeah, I uh yeah, I don't know if that answers.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:19

No, I mean it it it makes sense. I just like I I yeah, I think they're used to being told like this is a no phone time and like respecting that, you know. I I I don't know. Um, or at least that's been my experience. But um yeah, so the one other thing that I think the proponents of like no phones, uh many of the proponents of no phones that I have talked to, or people to do like a hybrid um kind of thing where it's like you can have your phones, but we're gonna take them away at night, or or or whatever it may be, is this idea of students using phones to uh to uh what's the word I'm trying to think of? I'm so tired. I'm so I'm trying to even within the phone. Using phones using phones to get in trouble. Like I met this girl and I'm gonna text her and we're gonna sneak out and meet here and do this thing or whatever.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:23

Like it is up to no good.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:26

Yeah, conspiring. They're using their phones to be conspiratorial, to collude, yeah. Um, to aid an abet in their crimes. Um, so uh tell me about that. Is that something that's happened? Is that something you deal with? Is that something that you've had to address or discipline or you know, whatever?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:51

Yeah, Brad. And you actually had to help discipline on one of those at a CIY. So did I really?

SPEAKER_00 1:03:56

I forget. Yeah. Tell me the story.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:00

Uh a student connected with somebody from another church. Where were we?

SPEAKER_03 1:04:07

We were in Tennessee.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:10

Where are we?

SPEAKER_03 1:04:10

Brad, you're only ever in Tennessee. That's not true.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:16

A student kicked out of a CIY. And I did it. You did it, Brad. You did it.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:22

I legit don't remember this. That's crazy.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:27

I don't know how you don't remember this.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:29

Well, here's here's how I don't. It happens all the time.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:33

No, this one was pretty brad, bad Brad.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:36

Okay, Brad. Maybe we can talk about it off air and you can jog my memory.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:41

This was a while ago, though. You haven't been to Tennessee since did you go in like 20, like right after COVID? Was it like a that was 2023?

SPEAKER_01 1:04:53

2023.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:54

Yeah, here's the thing. I have a terrible memory. You brain dumped it. I well, I just have a bad memory. I just don't remember like people who remember things stress me out. Uh like they're like, hey, I remember that time we like I remember how people make me feel. Like I remember you, Matt. I remember like Matt is a fun, great guy that I like hanging out with, and I know he's gonna like give me a hard time and rib me. But like I don't have a lot of like specific memories of us together. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 1:05:25

You don't remember me getting you up early and saying, Brad, this happened, and you're like, you know, they can't stay. I was like, I I know, Brad. Just letting you know.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:36

I I do not remember that.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:39

Well, I'll jog your memory after okay. Great.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:42

Yeah, let's let's not do that in a space that is preserved for posterity. Um anyway, to ha it has that ever like what I'm really trying to get at is like what's the closest you've ever come to changing your mind on this? You know what I mean? Like, what's actually challenged your thinking on this or made you think about it? Or are you just like, this is part of life, and we are going to deal with the consequences of it, and that's how we're gonna roll.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:16

Yeah, I don't know if if I've really been challenged too much with it up to this point. There's probably a point where you know something drastic would probably have to happen and more than once or twice, not saying that we're hoping for the you know the ceiling to fall, but I I just think to to try to create an environment in a space that is, you know, the bubbles popped when they leave. So I would much rather prepare them for the real world and and help, you know, create environments where Jesus can form them, give them some healthy boundaries within it. Because if we're just creating a space, whether it's on a trip or when they walk through on a Wednesday night and we're doing something drastically different, you know, culturally, like kids probably don't want to show up over time, especially especially new kids, like to invite a friend and say, like, oh, they're gonna take their phone from you this trip or this at the door, they're gonna be like, I'm probably not going. So I would much rather have the influence in their life and have our leaders have influence in their life that can help them, you know, form healthy boundaries with that and let Jesus be the one that, you know, transforms um, you know, their mind and their habits and those things, that they would much rather want to put those down at times and to create some some good margin away from it and healthy distance where it's not constantly forced. And I don't want to make it sound like I I think it is good to have some time away from your phone. Like put it down, create some healthy rhythms with that, good boundaries, expectations, you know, all of those things. I just don't know.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:07

You guys have done rhythms a couple of times. Yeah, taking huge and like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Which that's a huge part of that as well.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:18

That is a huge part, you know, keeping an hour, you know, 30 minutes, or some even go further. They're like, I'm not gonna play any gaps on my phone. Um so yeah, I think I think more of the influence that we have on keeping it. So I don't know if I've really been ch challenged up to this point or had anything that is like pushing me towards like, oh, we have to drastically change, you know, how we approach or do this. Or, you know, there may be some slight tweaks along the way, but I don't think there's anything drastic that's even, you know, ahead of us, just based on we've had really good groups of kids go through on trips. And I think setting a good culture in your in your ministry on a weekly basis helps feed into that when you go on trips. So if the expectation is communicated and enforced in in the week to week, and we don't demonize you know it in a bad way, but we're saying, like, hey, we think this is probably best for you to do this. And if you don't do it, then like you have boundaries at school. You have some boundaries here. We're gonna give you some more freedoms with it, where we're not gonna, you know, slap a ruler on your hand when whenever we see it out. But but be respectful. Um I think those help feed into trips where you don't have to say, hey, we're taking your phones from you. We don't want to see them this whole trip when as soon as they get home, it's gonna come out and they're back into a rhythm of things. So I would much rather help form something that they're not phones and technology are not going away. So I don't want to make it seem like we're saying this is a completely bad thing all of the time. We're saying that this has the potential to be bad, but we want to help you form some good rhythms and habits now so that it doesn't become a problem now or down the road.

Student Self-Policing And Leadership;

SPEAKER_00 1:10:08

So yeah. Um we're kind of coming to the end of our time together here. I have uh one more question that I want to ask, and I I want to make sure that we kind of land the plane and I want to kind of sum up um what your what what I'm hearing you say your philosophy is. But before we do that, I want to make sure that Corey uh has no regrets leaving this interview. Uh Corey, is there anything else that you would like to to bring up or ask or talk about? Um and if not, that's okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:42

No.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:44

That is wonderful. It's been um it's been I'll let you land the plane. It's been great. Um well I was really hoping that you would have something because I forgot what that last question was, and I feel like it was a good one. Here's the thing is I come up with good questions. I just don't I just don't ask, I just don't ask half of them. Don't give me that. Um I remember I remember what it was. I remember what it was. Um, is there um I've been trying to instill this in in my freshman guys a little bit, uh like in in our regular programming rhythms on Wednesday nights, and trying to get some of the leaders within my group to kind of like help me out with some things. Is there have you noticed like any communal self-policing kind of that happens within your group where it's like some of the students that take this a little more seriously are the ones that are actually kind of like driving the train when it comes to limiting cell phone use in times when it shouldn't be used and that kind of thing? Or do you feel like it's a more top-down, like we gotta kind of set some expectations and make sure that they're being followed?

SPEAKER_01 1:12:04

No, I I would definitely say that there's there is some self-policing with students. I I don't think every you know student is to that point, but we definitely have some.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:15

Well you you don't need every student to be to that point. You know what I mean? You need 10. And it's like, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:22

I would I would say we have we have a a a good number of students that if they saw it, they would they would police it up right away. And even beyond you know, cell phone stuff. Like they're pretty good. Most groups have a few of those kids where they'll probably say something in the moment to be like, hey, like that's not how we do it here.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:43

Yeah. Which is like so much more valuable than it coming from me or you, you know, is like yeah, it's way better when it's not coming from you, Brad. Yeah, well definitely. Yeah, no one wants to listen to anything that I have to say. Um it's kicking kids out of move.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:58

I get it.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:59

Hey, superstar.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:00

How many kids are you gonna kick out of superstar? No, I have a question for you.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:03

I'm not gonna I don't kick kids out of superstart. Fourth, fifth, and sixth traders are perfect little angels.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:09

Do you have a question for me or for for Brad? It's it's for Brad.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:14

I can tell by the antagonism in his voice that it's for me.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:18

I'm in superstar.

Summing Up The Philosophy;

SPEAKER_01 1:13:20

So I'm a little well that that popped in my mind, but I had something else pop in my mind. Uh does French or lose adder make you guys check your phones in like a little you know bag when you come in or a box and say, like, I don't want to see this until the end of the day.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:37

No, but our all staff meetings are like a Taylor Swift concert where we have to like lock them in those those bags, you know?

SPEAKER_01 1:13:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:45

They're like no recording, just be present. They do that to you? No, absolutely not. I bet they do.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:53

I'm gonna I'm I'm gonna pitch that to him. Hey, I think this is a problem with your staff.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:58

You can you can pitch that to them all you want, but I will say one thing about each of those men. I never see anybody on their phone as much as I see John Luzetter on his phone, first of all. And I don't even mean that I don't even mean that in an insulting way. He is just the most well-networked person in the universe. And at any given time, he's probably talking to some buddy in every time zone in the United States.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:23

He's not on social media, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:26

Yeah, no. He he's he's texting somebody, he's trying to get stuff done, you know. And Jason French is one of the most like sports betting. He's probably doing sports betting. Yeah, he's not on Instagram. Once he over understands, yeah. Yeah. He well, what he's actually done is set up prop bets for our staff meetings. So like you can parlay, like, okay, Jason is going to use this exact phrase, we're gonna go more than 10 minutes over, and Mallory Jenkins is going to have an outburst that makes everybody crack up. And like, if all three of those things happen, then you you could win a lot of money, you know? So that's what loser's been up to. We don't actually do that. I want to be very clear. We don't do that. Gambling is a sin. You go to hell if you gamble. Don't worry.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:18

Uh Michael's cutting all this out. Yeah.

Shoutouts And Closing Notes

SPEAKER_00 1:15:23

Um, no, the other thing I will say about French, though, is that for a man of his age, one of the most technologically advanced people that I know, like he was one of the earliest AI adopters and like has mastered AI and like like I I I don't know. He just he is so curious. He's such a curious guy that he's like, oh, I'm gonna figure this out, I'm gonna click I'm gonna do this. Like he told me the other day that he has like an he he has set up like an AI virtual assistant in uh co-pilot that every morning he wakes like he wakes up and he cues his AI assistant and it tells him uh like uh 10 pieces of information that he's gonna need for the day. Like here's what the weather is, here's when your first meeting is, uh you know, these types of things. And he he like anyway. So all that to say, Jason French is not gonna be taking anybody's phone away either. Um, but I do think it will be.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:27

Did he watch the Super Bowl? Didn't he see the commercial that it it just drains the earth of water? So he's trying to drive.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:36

I mean, it does do that, and that is my biggest problem with AI is like people are using Chat GPT for things that they could Google, and they're ruining the earth. So um, I'm not a tree hugger, but I also I am a tree hugger, and I love nature, and I love being outdoors in nature, and I'm gonna need everybody to stop asking ChatGPT where they should go to dinner because I want to be able to continue to fish.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:07

Are we recording in a second episode right now?

SPEAKER_00 1:17:09

This is listen, that's just my thing. Just stop do it, stop using AI to do things that Google can. I'm not being an old man. I'm not being an old man. I just want to be I just I want to fish.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:24

Stay off my wallet in a van down by the river, okay?

SPEAKER_02 1:17:29

So students using AI at CIY events.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:32

Bad uh which cafeteria should we eat at?

SPEAKER_00 1:17:38

And I use AI, I use it it makes great Excel formulas for me and all kinds of things, but like don't use it if you don't have to. You know what I mean? That's all I'm saying. Okay, are we done here? Are we done here? Okay, here's what I hear you saying, Matt. I hear you saying um phones are a neutral object, inherently neither good nor bad, that they are permanent, they are not going anywhere. We you and I, and Michael and Lauren and Corey, we are each going to have a phone from now until we die. Um and uh that your kind of philosophy is okay, we are going to set some expectations. We're gonna say, um, while we're on this trip, here are some guidelines, some boundaries, some guardrails, however you want to phrase that. And then the expression that you used a lot in this interview is you use the words if it becomes a problem a lot. Where it's like we're gonna let this continue to be the norm because it is the norm. Like taking a student's phone away is like asking them not to wear a t-shirt, you know, it's like this is just part of this is part of who they are, you know, it's it's to them, not to us. You know, it's like this is just part this is this is part of life. This is like who you know, and um so we're gonna let them to k continue to kind of live in that space, and and if it becomes a problem, we have uh mechanisms in place that we can use to address that. Is that a fair representation of kind of what you you're saying here?

SPEAKER_01 1:19:30

Yeah, we'll go with that, Brad.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:34

No, well now you're making me.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:37

Did you use AI to formulate all that? Give me a recap of what Matt said.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:43

Yeah, well, yeah, my my little AI note taker is giving me a summary over here that I'm telling you about. No, it's uh I just want to say that's accurate. You know, yeah, and that's great. And I'm I'm glad that that works for I think you guys are doing incredible things at Calvary. Every time I'm around you guys, I I am blown away by um the church and the youth ministry and the ways that you guys are taking strides forward in a lot of different ways, um, especially with this like mentorship uh thing that we kind of touched on earlier with the follow-through and calling students into ministry and um all of that kind of stuff. And so like the fact that I am able to look at your youth ministry and really honestly truly stand in admiration of what you guys do and know that for you guys, like this is not this is a deal, but it's not like a huge deal. Like this is something that we are going to manage, not something that we are going to like freak out about, right? Um makes me gives me confidence that like that is a decent approach. Because on I am an old man and like left to my own devices, I would probably come down on like the no, you don't need your phone on our trip. We're not gonna do that. But um yeah, this is kind of how me understand your perspective, and I appreciate you being here. I appreciate you sharing all that with us.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:08

I always love talking to you, Brad.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:10

You two man.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:11

Look, he's smiling. I know that people listening don't see the smile, but Matt just smiled when he said that.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:15

Um he's soft smiled, no teeth.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:19

Um well, I can only show half of my face, so no, that's not true.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:24

Your smile is very symmetrical.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:27

It's not. That's actually my exercise is smiling. That's not a lie.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:33

Well, you're doing great. I'm smiling for the interview.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:36

It was great.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:37

Thank you. Uh all right. Well, Matt, appreciate it. Uh keep out the good work, man. And I will see you. This doesn't make sense in the timeline of the podcast, but I'll see you in two weekends. It'll be great.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:49

What is this? Yeah, me and Corey will be in the back eating the Chipotle. You'll hear us. You may even see some things falling.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:57

And I will have my cell phone taking notes. I will have my phone.

SPEAKER_00 1:22:02

That was a wonderful conversation. Really glad that we were able to uh do that with our buddy Matt Stevens. Now it is time for you, Corey. Yeah, bring it up to for the second time add somebody to our little cork board of honor. So I'm gonna give you this pin and ask you to uh tell us who you chose.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:21

For sure. Thank you for the pin. Uh so last time I was here, this is my friend Will. I'm gonna add another pre-team pastor who is crushing it. Uh, his name is Luke Wentz, and he's a pre-team pastor at Sun Valley, works with Michael Branton up there. Um, this is a very big picture. So for now, uh, I'm gonna cover some faces, but we'll fix this later. Um there he is. He he went to GCU, so that's him graduating for those watching online. Uh, but he the reason I said this is we got the hangout in January and he's at one of their campuses, and the way he not only pastors to the students and is so intentional and knows them by name and hears them out, but he's so good at leading the team and also the high schoolers and college students who help him out. So he's just beyond just an incredible preteen pastor, he's a great pastor, a great human being. That is my friend Luke Wentz, who works out at Sun Valley.

SPEAKER_00 1:23:16

All right. Well, thank you to Luke. I hope you uh will continue to keep up the good work and be encouraged by what you were doing at Sun Valley. Uh, we certainly are. Uh so thanks to Luke, thanks to all of you out there who are listening. Thank you to Corey for being here. Thanks to Michael and producer Lauren as well. Today's episode is produced by Michael Hester, Lauren Bryan, and myself. We're gonna be back in a couple weeks uh to talk about summer programming and uh whether we just kind of keep things plugging along through the summer or switch things up a little bit and why that works in a couple of different contexts. So be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts if you do not want to miss that. Uh, in the meantime, you can feel free to reach out to us on the CIY community Facebook group or by email at podcast at CIY.com. We will see you next time.