Beyond the Event: A Youth Ministry Podcast

BTE 5.14 Summers Off vs. Regular Programming: Part 1 with Tyler Lane and Brittany Shoemake

• Season 5 • Episode 14

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Summer doesn’t just disrupt student schedules, it disrupts your ministry’s rhythm. And when families are already juggling travel, sports, camps, and changing routines, adding a calendar full of one off events and long breaks can quietly drain momentum. We wrestle with a simple question: if Wednesday night is the one predictable thing you can offer, why would you remove it?

Tyler Lane, next gen pastor at Valley Real Life in Spokane, shares how his team is rethinking summer youth ministry programming around consistency. We talk about what teenagers actually need when life gets chaotic, how to keep meeting even when volunteer availability drops, and why “unplugged” summer nights can drive more relational ministry than a rigid school year format. Tyler also gets practical about simplifying worship and teaching, planning early, and empowering key volunteers and students to lead so the ministry doesn’t depend on staff doing everything.

You’ll also hear about Engage mission trips and the reality of leading across time zones, plus travel tips that only come from experience. If you’re deciding whether to pause youth group for summer, radically change it, or keep it steady, this conversation gives you a framework, not just ideas. Subscribe, share this with a youth leader on your team, and leave a review. What does summer look like in your ministry right now?

SPEAKER_05

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 starting our final mini series uh for for this season, talking about the benefits of uh of keeping programming consistent through the summer. In a couple weeks, we'll talk um again about the benefits of taking off for the summer or radically changing your programming for the summer. Um today we're gonna be talking to Tyler Lane. He is uh the next gen pastor at uh Valley Real Life in Spokane, Washington. He's a great dude, been on the podcast before. So I'm sure you will love uh what he has to say and getting to hear from him about his heart for students and for student ministry, um, even when things are crazy and busy and you feel like you don't have a grasp on what's going on at all. Um, so we're gonna do that later. First, Brittany Shoemake is here. Hi, Britney.

SPEAKER_01

Hello, Brad.

SPEAKER_05

How are you?

SPEAKER_01

Oh, lovely.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah?

SPEAKER_01

It's 80 degrees outside.

SPEAKER_04

I've never seen that before.

SPEAKER_01

I know she has a swivel chair.

SPEAKER_04

It's producer Lauren's normal chair. The other chair has disappeared. Oh. And since there's no video, we just decided who cares what chair. That's right. Okay. Yep.

SPEAKER_01

And is way more comfortable than I the chair that you're in, I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_05

I really, really believe that. Yeah. No, I I it's a lot. Oh gosh. Um, anyway, this is uh we're we're getting done with the podcast a little bit earlier this year because in the past we've had episodes that go into like early May, and we're recording, you know, a lot in April, and it's like that was just a little bit crazy. And now I'm so thankful that we did that because it is March 19th, and it might as well be.

SPEAKER_01

It is day one. Well, minus what?

SPEAKER_05

I said it may as well be May 19th. Oh, right.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, it it does feel like that work-wise, but first day of March Madness.

SPEAKER_05

First day of March Madness.

SPEAKER_01

Yes. Minus the play-in games.

SPEAKER_05

Those don't count. This is the first remote. Who you got?

SPEAKER_01

Uh win and the whole thing.

SPEAKER_05

Winning the whole thing.

SPEAKER_01

Uh as much as I would want it to be the Arkansas Racerbacks.

SPEAKER_05

It's not going to be.

SPEAKER_01

It's not going to be. Uh, I have everything.

SPEAKER_05

Let me tell you, as a Kentucky fan, that John Caliperry in March is not.

SPEAKER_01

How did it feel with the Hogs winning the SEC Championship, though?

SPEAKER_05

That was crazy.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

That was crazy.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Um, I have Arizona going all the way back. Great. I think I do too. They have a good team, I'm sure.

SPEAKER_05

Um well, that's super fun. And obviously I have an Arizona bracket, but I also have a Kentucky bracket.

SPEAKER_01

Can you not like go through a season without doing a Kentucky bracket?

SPEAKER_05

I have to. It's just like it, I don't know. I have to have more. It's not even that. It's just like I have to have hope.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, that's good.

SPEAKER_05

Even though there is no hope.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

In this particular uh situation. So who you got, Pyle?

SPEAKER_04

Yeah. Yeah. No, it's March and I'm mad. That's all. Yeah. Oh. March.

SPEAKER_02

Oh. That is not what that mad means.

SPEAKER_05

Beware the ire of March. Yeah. Yeah, seriously. Seriously. Anyway.

SPEAKER_04

Also, speaking of John Calipari, um, I have been in both the um the arena at Arkansas and in RuP Arena. And let me tell you, big downgrade for John. Oh, yeah. 100%. Well, I mean Rupert. Ruperena's like one of the premieres. It's incredibly nice. It's yeah, it's wild. It is wrong.

SPEAKER_01

They just redid it recently.

SPEAKER_04

And also, like when I'm saying I've been in the arenas, I'm not saying like I've attended games and sat in the seating. I mean like I have we have done shows in both of those arenas that I have loaded in for, and the facilities are so, so, so much nicer at Rep Arena. It's incredible. So Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Well, they're connected to like a whole convention center. It's not a good thing. Are you gonna keep making excuses or are you just gonna like admit defend Bud Walton Arena? I I do.

SPEAKER_05

Uh they recently redid it. It has a convention arena.

SPEAKER_01

What did you do? What did you do at Bud Walton?

SPEAKER_04

Um there's a production company that has a contract with um uh with U of A on their graduation ceremonies. And they have rented motors and trusts from us multiple times.

SPEAKER_01

Fun.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

We're getting kind of in the weeds.

SPEAKER_01

I never knew that.

Engage Leader Trip In Ireland

SPEAKER_05

Kind of in the weeds on hatch stuff here. Well she asked. I know she did. Um but it is almost summer. Uh summer is is fast approaching. We've got to get through spring first, though. Um, Brittany, director of Engage.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

It is kind of weird year, right? Like, are more people going on engaged trips in the spring than the summer?

SPEAKER_01

Uh no, not more people. Okay. But we have more spring trips and more participants than we've ever had before on spring trips. So how many is it?

SPEAKER_05

Is it like five or six trips?

SPEAKER_01

Uh seven trips, including the the trip for leaders that we we've did at the beginning of March.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, yeah. Let's talk about that actually. Yeah. Um, I kind of I didn't think to talk about that.

SPEAKER_01

I think we talked about it the last time I was on.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, we did. But it had we were talking about it in the future. Right. But you actually went and took leaders from uh six different places. Six different places.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

And how was that? Just hanging out with youth pastors in Ireland, you know. What more could you ask for, right?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. No, I mean it was good. It was so good from all sides of for getting to spend time with youth leaders, for them getting to spend time with each other in in a context without their students, like as much as we love, and I know that they love their students to have space um just with some other youth leaders and to get to introduce them to some of our engaged partners, to introduce them to engage um philosophy and trips in general. Uh just great conversations, great time together.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah. Um I know I know you guys stayed at Riot, so you got to hang out with Riot. I'm assuming you saw Chris and them from Salt Factory.

SPEAKER_01

So we did not. We talked about them. So Chris, they're actually on a sabbatical right now.

SPEAKER_05

Ah I mean that's with our Salt Factory Sports.

SPEAKER_01

Um, but we get did get to hang out with our uh CIY Europe Ireland team.

SPEAKER_05

Jasper.

SPEAKER_01

So Jasper and Steven and and Hannah. So got to spend time with them, got to go to one of their events that they put on for students for young people there. For yeah, yeah. It was like a youth uh prayer and worship night that our CIY team puts on. So it was fun.

SPEAKER_05

Now we got to show up in Belfast or in Belfast in Belfast.

SPEAKER_01

So like almost 200 uh high school age kids. Uh that's crazy.

SPEAKER_05

I mean, that's really cool. I mean, that's a battle. I mean, they bring a little more than that to move probably, right now.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, there's there's close to 500 at move now there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

A little.

SPEAKER_01

But this would have been.

SPEAKER_05

When I went, it was less than 200 people, and that wasn't that long ago. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

It was now they're growing.

SPEAKER_05

It was, I don't remember, three years ago, four years ago. Yeah. Yeah. Um so that's really neat.

SPEAKER_01

Anyway, it's cool. It's cool to get to encourage them and to get to be there when that was happening. So yeah.

SPEAKER_05

So it's great. If I'm a youth pastor and I'm like the idea of international missions, yeah, love the idea of partnering with Engage, but don't have any idea what I'm doing.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

Would love to see what this is all about.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

What like, is this something we're gonna keep doing? Is this something that somebody should like could potentially pursue? I don't even know.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Yeah. I this was the year to test it out, and I think it went better than we thought it would. Honestly, rating success. I love it. One of those types of deals. And so yeah, we're we're gonna keep keep doing it. So probably next spring. Uh, we're talking about maybe doing a fall and a spring one. Uh, we'll see if that happens. Uh Ireland will will probably be the next place we go. Uh go back there, but potentially looking at some other locations.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, cool.

SPEAKER_01

Um, potentially Spain as well with our partners there. So um, yeah, we're we're gonna keep doing it. So and and I'll say this there was two two of those leaders that came from from different places. This was their first international trip um ever as well. And so it was a a learning experience for them. And but what a great environment to do that in. Yeah, surrounded with other leaders that had gone on trips before. And so just to watch them have conversations about ministry and yeah and what it this could look like and for their students um was really great.

SPEAKER_05

But I mean, that's huge because like if you have never been out of the country and the first time you get on a plane to leave the country is with 12 or 13 or 14 or 20 high school students and leaders, it's like that's a big task.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That is a lot.

SPEAKER_05

So I think it's cool that they got to like check it out and see it. And I'm jealous that you were in Northern Ireland, you know, but I'm going there so soon. You're gonna go.

SPEAKER_02

So yeah, yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_05

But when the Spain leader trip happens, if you need somebody to jump on there, I do love you don't want to go.

SPEAKER_01

Is that what you're telling me?

SPEAKER_05

Do not love youth pastors, and I would love a chance to hang out with youth pastors, and I love Gabo. Yes, uh I got a text in.

SPEAKER_01

Um so anyway, that that so that stick or that launched off our spring trips. I'm combining all of those words there. Um, so that that was the launch of it, and then yeah, we have three trips in March, uh, one leaving at the end of March, so four, and then another two in April.

SPEAKER_05

My goodness.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, it feels a little bit like I mean, this is our spring season that I think is is gonna become more of a normal for us, but yeah. I mean, summers are already now it feels like a mini summer, but I know that that language will just become, oh, this is how springs are.

SPEAKER_05

But how many trips are we doing in the summer?

SPEAKER_01

Twelve.

SPEAKER_05

Oh my gosh. So yeah. Yeah. I mean, summers I can definitely see why when I'm thinking through hey, I want international missions to be part of our student ministry philosophy, like why spring break makes so much sense.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. When summers can be full of other camps and vacations and a lot of that. Yeah. I think for a lot of churches, the springtime has become yeah, the time that they set aside for for mission trips.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, which is awesome.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

And apparently seven groups have taken us up on it, which is incredible. And uh yeah, it's gonna be it's gonna be really cool, gonna be a fun spring. So do you so personal question for you? Does this make your like I have to be on season feel impossibly long?

SPEAKER_01

Like is it definitely stretched out. Yeah, it is a conversation. Because I mean, when you're with my boss, when you think of yeah, with my left.

SPEAKER_05

But when you think about Lane Moss, Caleb DeRoyne, it's like their I am the director of move, I am the director of mix hat has to be like the the the number one thing in their life, May, June, July.

SPEAKER_01

Right.

SPEAKER_05

And now you're kind of like, okay, March, April, May, June, July, little part of August. Right. So what is that like?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I think I had this, yeah, the same conversation. And not only just like being on, but being on across all different time zones around the world, too.

SPEAKER_05

Like if there's an emergency in Northern Ireland and I have to call you, it might be two o'clock in the morning. Exactly. Yeah. Three o'clock in the morning here.

SPEAKER_01

My phone being on and available uh for all hours of the day. Um feels like a lot. But no, I think it you just have to lean into the confidence that we have in the leaders that are on those trips and the people who who are on the ground that that are running things and knowing that yeah, I'm not sitting by my phone waiting for a phone call for every little tiny thing. Right. You know, uh prayerfully, hopefully, I don't get any of those phone calls, you know, if nothing's going wrong.

SPEAKER_05

So your lips to God's ears.

SPEAKER_01

That's right. But yeah, no, it's the you just have to like release some of that and release some of that burden.

SPEAKER_05

Um so like in the fall, are you able to be like, okay, exhale.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Yeah. There's a there's a fall trip this year. There is always a piece of like when that last team lands back on US soil. I think I'm gonna sleep for three days. Yes, there is definitely um a comfort that comes with that.

SPEAKER_05

But isn't there a trip in October this year? Yeah, there is. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_01

Another one in October.

SPEAKER_05

That's crazy. We are a year-round program, but at least you're gonna have your whole team at fighting weight all summer long, and it's gonna be great, you know.

SPEAKER_01

It will be. We have one teammate going on maternity leave, but at least she doesn't do anything super important, right? Oh, we haven't figured out.

SPEAKER_05

I'm sure you do. I'm sure you do. Yes. Um, well, that's all very exciting. It's gonna be a great spring. I am excited to go back to Northern Ireland with Engage. I know you're excited. Going to Argentina. Are we allowed to talk about that?

SPEAKER_01

Um, probably not yet.

SPEAKER_05

Okay, great.

SPEAKER_01

No, it's a it's a scout trip for a potential partnership. It's great. So hopefully I'll have awesome things. I mean, anticipating great things to report coming out of that in April.

SPEAKER_05

I heard we're going to. It's okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

It's okay.

SPEAKER_05

Um there are a lot of notes she's going there. It's a vacation, maybe, or something.

SPEAKER_04

I don't know. Not really.

SPEAKER_05

It's not a vacation. I will say though, um Argentina has for a very, very long time been like, have I told you this?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

My absolute number one like destination that I want to go.

SPEAKER_01

You did tell me that because you asked me to bring back something for you.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, Dulce Del H. Yeah. And yeah, I I just want to go fly fishing. I want to like my maybe number one bucket list item. So they have a fish down there called a golden dorado.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_05

And they're mean and they got big old teeth and they fight super hard and they're elusive, and not that many people like have ever caught them. And I want to go to Argentina and catch a golden dorado on a fly rod so bad.

SPEAKER_01

Are they like easy to catch, or is it like this fish that I'm gonna show you a picture?

SPEAKER_05

They're they're they're unbelievable. Um but like they they are down near like Patagonia and then up kind of through the central part of the country. And um, I lived with a guy from from Argentina a long time ago, 10 years ago. Um, and so he like lived with they see the big old boy.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, those are big.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. They're pretty. What is that? Three feet?

SPEAKER_05

I mean, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

For the people listening.

SPEAKER_05

Or more.

SPEAKER_01

How? Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

I mean, the guy looks like maybe.

SPEAKER_01

I feel like usually when people are fly fishing, they hold up just these little tiny fish in their hands. Okay, first of all. But this looks like this looks like a fish you would see if somebody catching in the ocean.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, but it's not. They're in these little rivers that are like this deep.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

And it's crazy. It's just crazy. Um, anyway, yeah. Yerba mate tea. Gotta have some of that.

SPEAKER_01

That's right.

SPEAKER_05

You gotta you're gonna eat so much meat.

SPEAKER_01

And I'm gonna be so jealous.

SPEAKER_05

So jealous the whole time. Oh, anyway. Um, we're gonna go talk to Tyler Lane here in a moment. Yeah. But first, uh, I didn't forget. I didn't forget this time. We're gonna do Mic'Dup. You've remembered more than you've forgotten. Yeah, but I feel like I'm on a bad streak.

International Travel Tips And Jet Lag

SPEAKER_04

I don't know that you are. Anyway. Okay. Um so nice to you. Engage trips galore. So much international travel happens. There we go. Brittany. Since I'm about to go and do it.

SPEAKER_01

Michael, Michael's going to Ecuador every day. Sure.

SPEAKER_04

I'm getting to co-lead um for the first time on an engaged trip. It's gonna be a great time. Um Brittany, I'm looking for some international travel pro tips.

SPEAKER_01

Oh.

SPEAKER_04

What do you got?

SPEAKER_01

Take your passport.

SPEAKER_04

Yep.

SPEAKER_01

Tip number one.

SPEAKER_05

And take a picture and take a picture of your passport.

SPEAKER_01

You you can forget anything else, anything else about your passport. But we are having the conversation. We're waiting for the day. I th I think it's coming sooner rather than later when it will be digitized. So you're you're not reliant on carrying a physical copy of this little four-inch book. And if you lose it, it becomes a major problem. But I think the day's coming sooner rather than later.

SPEAKER_05

Some states have already done like driver's licenses.

SPEAKER_01

Driver's licenses in your in your Apple wallet.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So I know like it comes to a point when you think of international travel where like for every country to be able to adopt that may be a bit difficult, but I think I think it'll come.

SPEAKER_05

But at least if you're a US citizen and you go, because I've had this happen to friends of mine before who went down to Costa Rica, they were doing like an eco-tourism adventure thing, they were in this super remote place and they hiked this mountain and they came back and their car had been broken into and their passports were gone.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

Like even as a US citizen, even if only the United States has it, it's still like a huge relief to be able to be like, okay, I something happened to my passport while I was on this trip, but I know that I can get back into my home country.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

You know?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Yeah. You can. There's definitely ways. Well, I know I know. But like, but yeah. Yes. There there are ways. Uh trap another travel tip. Pack um extra clothes in your carry-on. So in your backpack. Not my I'm not saying bring a whole extra carry-on suitcase full of clothes, but just, you know, an extra little shirt. I will probably need to rearrange my backpack on the code. If you're checking a bag, there's no guarantee that that it's coming and arriving on the same plane that you are. So or ever. Or or ever. Yeah. There was a two-week trip where I took students to India and one of the girls on the team, her bag never left Chicago.

SPEAKER_05

So for the entire trip. The entire trip. Was that also Emily Mitchell?

SPEAKER_01

It sure was.

SPEAKER_05

That poor girl. Yeah. Nobody asked Emily about her engaged thoughts. Oh man. Poor thing.

SPEAKER_01

You should.

SPEAKER_05

Uh I'm sure she had a great time. Yes, yes. Despite all of it.

SPEAKER_01

Right. Uh no, we we had two of the people that went on this leader trip that was just talking about, their bags didn't arrive till the next day.

SPEAKER_05

The next day, not bad though.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_05

Like that's in the grand scheme of things, like you're doing fine.

SPEAKER_01

So, yes. But, you know, just to be able chained into clean underwear after international travel, I'll just say it.

SPEAKER_05

Every time I get off every time I get off an airplane, international domestic doesn't matter. I feel dirty.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

Like I get off and I'm like, Yeah. Then I feel gross. Right. You know, it's just a lot. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Uh well, I mean, what kind of what kind of tips are you looking for? I have a question. I don't know.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah. I you know, I've done a lot of international travel, and one thing that I can't get good at is getting back on my time zone.

SPEAKER_01

Really?

SPEAKER_05

Yeah. I like traveling anywhere, I'm fine.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

And then coming home, it's like I don't know, I have the freedom to just like go take a nap. I know.

SPEAKER_01

And it's like you have to get back into a normal routine as quick as you can. So you know, do you have a time zone difference?

SPEAKER_04

Uh yes, it's a one time zone difference. Yeah. It's in the eastern time zone.

SPEAKER_01

So like eat meals at normal times, get outside. Like both sides going if you're traveling across several time zones or coming home. Being outside helps you adapt a lot better.

SPEAKER_05

Because of the sun. Your body literally like programs itself according to the sun. Crazy stuff.

SPEAKER_01

So if you wake up, if you're like in the middle of the night in deep sleep, wake up and it's three AM. Your body is like, Oh, it's time to get up. Do not get up. Like keep laying in bed, even if you're wide awake. Okay, that's a big one for me because it's like I never have trouble falling asleep.

SPEAKER_05

It's always that I wake up at two o'clock in the morning. Yeah. And then there's like a 3 p.m.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

Hit a wall that it's just like I could not run away from disaster right now. Like nothing, there's nothing that can compel me to move. Um and that is an interesting one because I wake up at two in the morning and I'm like, oh might as well be productive. You know, like might as well empty the dishwasher and do until I get tired again. So maybe that's my problem.

SPEAKER_01

No, just as bored as you might be. Lay there in bed.

SPEAKER_05

Lay there and don't look at anything with blue light.

SPEAKER_01

Right, right. So no, I've heard that there's I haven't actually looked into it, but there's apps now that like you can put in your travel itinerary and what time zone you're coming from, where you're gonna be, and it'll tell you, like even while you're traveling on the planes, like try to sleep from this time to this time, eat at this time. And it's supposed to help you. I haven't actually tried it, but I I think Lauren.

SPEAKER_05

I don't know why like when you're crossing over the Atlantic or something.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05

Because I you all all almost always land in the morning um in in Europe, anyway. And it's like I don't know. I take Benadryl.

unknown

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I mean there's other people that's just like when you're traveling on a plane, like sleep when you can on an airplane because you're not getting the best sleep. Anyway. That's true.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah. It's like eight hours of airplane sleep is not eight hours of the case.

SPEAKER_04

Anything maybe I mean, maybe just um gastrointestinal concerns with travel. You know? I don't know. Is it smart if I if I wanted to pick up like I don't know, like probiotics or something before the trip? Is that a thoughtful, like is that an intelligent thing to do? Imodium? I don't know what that is.

SPEAKER_01

Actually, not not immodium.

SPEAKER_05

Don't take a modium?

SPEAKER_01

Don't take imodium unless you are on like day three of it.

SPEAKER_05

Okay.

SPEAKER_04

Because you're Imodium is an antidiar medication.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Should I just go in with just full optimism that my body's gonna just rocket? It's not.

SPEAKER_01

It's yeah. Here's the thing.

SPEAKER_05

There there is you're going to a different place and they eat differently than you do.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you'll be eating different food, just different things in the air. Like that that can happen. But your body, when you have the issues that Brad was talking about, is is trying to adapt and flush things out of the system that it shouldn't be.

SPEAKER_05

So I'll be darned.

SPEAKER_01

If you take medication to prevent that, then that's it could just prolong it, actually. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

Okay. Well, so good to know. I'm I'm I'm gonna be fine.

SPEAKER_01

I am not a doctor. This is no like uh I am not prescribing anything here. But I'm gonna be fine. What it is.

SPEAKER_04

Right. I just when I was in high school, I went to Cuba with my dad and was fined there. Just did it.

SPEAKER_05

Was that were you in high school when our diplomatic relationship with Cuba opened back up?

SPEAKER_04

I I don't remember all the things that were going on. We were not allowed to tell them that it was a mission trip. We told them that we were there bringing some sports equipment. Which we had someone with us that like worked with Nike and they were bringing sports equipment. There you go. Went to Cuba, no no bodily issues while there, and then came back, and I was just like I was not able to eat very well because I was just like constantly.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

My body was just trying to flush itself out.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Just wasn't great for like a long time. It was like multiple weeks, I think. And my and I was like, I was like, Mom, this is going on. What do I do?

SPEAKER_01

Okay. Multiple weeks you might want to have something checked.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah. I mean, it wasn't like horribly painful, but it was just like, you know.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Something wasn't right.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah. Yeah. I'm trying to like understand like also where the line is of like how much I should feel comfortable saying on the podcast. I know. Versus not because this is a wide mess. That's great, you know. No one listens to this.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, it's true.

SPEAKER_01

This is an exercise and appropriate mission trip conversations.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah. Um, I am going to Ireland and they only eat meat and bread and lots of potatoes. Lots of potatoes and vegetables, and it's gonna be great.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

And all of their stuff has like way fewer ingredients in it.

SPEAKER_02

Which is gonna I can the white bread in Ireland.

SPEAKER_05

I don't know. It's so good.

SPEAKER_01

It's it's the butter on the bread. Like real Irish butter.

SPEAKER_05

Well it's the butter, but also they don't um what is it they don't they don't put in their bread? They don't put sugar in their bread. We put sugar in our bread. And it's so soft and fluffy and delicious, and I just love it, and I can't wait to eat so much of it. And it it probably won't give me any problems because it's bread. You know? Bread gives some people problems, not me. Which I'm very grateful for.

SPEAKER_01

Yep. Michael, you'll be eating great food in Ecuador. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

So I don't know anything about Ecuadorian cuisine.

SPEAKER_01

Like it will be. Yeah. Yeah. That's good.

SPEAKER_05

All right. Well, another great uh another great time of mic'ed up. And uh now it's time for us to go talk to Tyler Lane.

SPEAKER_01

Let's do it.

SPEAKER_05

Tyler Lane, welcome back. Glad that you're here. Uh happy to happy to be here. Thanks for having me. We're not we're not doing video for this podcast, which is a shame because Tyler is backlit by a giant Kingdom Worker logo, ready to rock, ready to go for for uh what are you drinking? What was that? Just water. Oh, just a water bottle. It's a cool looking little water bottle. Anyway, um, how you doing, buddy? How's how's the ministry out? And I'm gonna I'm gonna say it wrong. I always do this Spokane. Spokane, you got it right. Oh, baby, let's go. How did you want to say it? Uh well, it's I always second guess myself about whether it's Spokane or Spokane. Right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Which is like is unnecessary.

SPEAKER_01

It is.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah. Spokane. People from Spokane and people from Boise get real weird about how you say their city names.

SPEAKER_03

But anyway, I feel that way about Louisville too. Like people from Louisville, like they get really mad when you don't say it, when you don't swallow it, you know. Like you don't swallow it's yeah, it is a very weird way to say that guttural. That's that's how they described it.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah. I when I uh I'm from Kentucky, and when I I tell people how to say Louisville, I'm like, just try to say it with as few letters as you can. Like just the minimal amount of of work, and you're golden. So anyway. Uh yeah. So now let's talk about real things. How's ministry?

SPEAKER_03

Ministry's good, man. Uh yeah, it's uh it's a fun time, I think, to be in the in the northwest. Um, and there's just a lot of cool things happening, uh, specifically for us where we're at. You know, we're on the east side of Washington, which is completely different than the Seattle side, but um, but a lot of cool things uh you know going on. And um, we're about to enter the best season uh of of weather because uh winter sucks. Um and uh but it's gonna be 65 degrees today, and so we're excited about that. And um just a lot of cool things. Just got done with winter camps a few weeks ago, prepping for move and mix coming up and um yeah, a lot of cool things.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, move and mix coming out. So it's we're recording this on March 18th. It's gonna come out here in just a few days, but here in in Joplin, Missouri at Christ and Youth, it like might as well be summer, it feels like. Like it's just here. Do you feel that? Are you there yet? Or do you feel like you've got a lot of stuff you gotta mentally like devote yourself to between now and then?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, we leave for Honduras in a couple weeks.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

So um not quite summer here yet. But but like our schools also don't end until June 17th. Oh, like which is brutal. Yeah. Um do they start? Um, we used to start after Labor Day, but now they start the last week in August because they decided that they wanted less summer, apparently.

SPEAKER_01

So more school, less summer.

SPEAKER_03

Just what everybody wants. Yeah, yeah. So it's it's brutal. Yeah. Um, I don't know, nobody likes it. I don't know why they do it, but that's how it was, it's always been here. So that's how it is.

SPEAKER_05

Um, well, I'm I'm excited to talk to you because um I understand that you are actually kind of in the middle of thinking through what we're gonna be talking about today in your own ministry, which is this idea of rather than like taking huge chunks of the summer off or doing, I know a lot of churches do, like they don't do their regular programming, but obviously you have move and mix and you go on a mission trip, and then they do a few little like hangouts, hey, we're all gonna go to Sonic, whatever, kind of deals. Um uh and and do some just like inconsistent th touch points, but still trying to make sure that they're getting FaceTime with the kids in their ministry. Um and you're kind of thinking through wait, why is it actually maybe way better for us to just keep going with our programming through the summer? Where are you at on that? Like in your in your head? Like what what are the big things that are factoring into that decision right now as you do think about something that is coming uh two months from now? Three, well, three, three months from now.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. Um yeah, the the big thing that our team's been talking about recently is what what do we think is best for the students? I think it's easy to make decisions based on what like what we would prefer to do, you know. And I mean, even even with our partnership with CIY, camp is is far easier once we're there than running our own camps. And yet the lift to get there, you know, um kind of at the scale that we're we're going, it is still a lift, right? So the extra space of not doing regular programming um can can be beneficial on that end. But one of the things that we um we've been evaluating recently is how big of a deal is consistency in the lives of teenagers and um in the lives of families? Like their what we've learned is their schedules are gonna be chaotic. And so what if we um simplified our schedule to make it less chaotic? So that no matter what their schedule looks like, there's a space for them to come and enter in, right? And so knowing um for several years, we we you know took big chunks off because we're like, well, our leaders aren't gonna be there because they're traveling and it's not gonna line up, but kind of like this idea of but when they're there, can we provide a place? But we won't know when they're there, when they're not there. So what if we just said we're gonna keep being there? And um, and so that's been the the the loudest voice in our conversations recently of just like what what do we think is best for the teenagers and the families? And the more we land on that, the more we're just like, man, consistency and providing a consistent space uh is kind of ringing uh the loudest for us right now, um, as far as as we make decisions for the future.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, it's like I I can't if I'm a parent, I'm running around a billion different directions all summer long. Everything about my routine has been uprooted. Like I'm never gonna remember that there's a barbecue at the park on July 16th, right? But yeah, if I only have to remember that like, hey, Wednesday nights, if it's a Wednesday and we're not on the road, like my kids have a place to go, um, I can definitely see why that would be advantageous.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Have these been in in oh, go ahead. Go ahead. So have these been conversations with your with your with your team or with your students and families? Like, how have these conversations been going?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, as it relates to summer, it's been conversations with our team at this point. Yeah. Um, but it kind of stemmed out of we we take like a month off uh around Christmas. Um, so like right before our Christmas services, and then we'll wait till school gets back in session, but when then we'll do like a leader meeting. And we had a staff retreat this year that kind of threw it off. So we were off for like an extra week. And then we just realized how much upward, like how much work we had to build back that momentum in January. Um, and so it kind of started this, and so we're we're we're talking with some parents and some students, and they're just like, yeah, I couldn't remember when it started again. I thought it was this day, but it wasn't that day. And then we were busy on that day. So then it took us a couple of weeks to get back into it. And that that's kind of what prompted that conversation. Like, man, we do that every summer. Like, how much, how much more of a challenge is it to say, hey, we're gonna take two months off, and then we're going to just expect that when we're ready to launch again, they're ready to launch again. Right. And um uh, and knowing like so into July and August are the the prettiest months in the Northwest, like the best weather, and you know, as long as it's not like fire season. But like outside of that, like it's it's the time where people get away. And so there is some inconsistencies of schedules. And so that's where we're starting to have those conversations now again with parents and students to say, hey, would this be helpful? And I think sometimes we we're like, well, summer we're not gonna have as many students as we normally have. And so maybe it's just not even worth it. And and I think that's been the the conversation we've had previously. Um, like if we're down, what is that? Are you down 20%, you're down 30%, you're down 60%. I don't know, like, but what's that critical mass where um providing a place is still really helpful? Um, and I think as my kids get older, my own kids get older, I'll have a middle schooler this year, of just like how much they thrive on consistency and routine and how hard summers can be, right? I think that's why a lot of parents fill the summers. Like we got to keep them moving because this lack of routine isn't isn't great. And so we're trying to figure that out even in our own, our own family of like how do we not just fill it with more stuff, but fill it with stuff that's purposeful. Um, and so I I still think that the for us, the flow of the night alters in the summer. Um, again, like for us, that's the the the two months, the three months where we can actually be outside. Like it's not raining or snowing or freezing cold. And so we try to be outside in our like on our property a lot more. We try to to do more relational things as opposed to you know just a full normal night. But the the the win is the consistency, the relational intentionality, and and and kind of providing that place for them.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah. Um, I'm hung up on one thing, which is can you even imagine being comfortable outdoors in July or August? In in Jackland. Like what slapping mistakes. That is as comfortable as a worst thing in the world.

SPEAKER_03

And the sun doesn't set till 10 o'clock. I've got to move to Burlington.

SPEAKER_05

What am I doing here, man? Um anyway. I have another question. Yeah.

Designing Summer Nights For Volunteers

SPEAKER_01

How like in when you're thinking about your volunteers that are families that are also taking vacations and going this place and that place with their families too. Um, how how does that play into the equation of what happens during the summer?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I think for us, it's we changing the flow of the night, um, I think alleviates that pressure. So a lot of times we won't do groups in the same way that we do. Instead of doing groups, we'll do like a big outdoor game and hang out. And so the leaders now get to be strategically relational. But if we are down, you know, in our context, five to eight leaders, it's not disrupting the whole night because we can't have small groups. Um, and so it kind of changes what that looks like. It gives them the freedom uh to say, like, hey, you guys can take a breath a little bit, um, becomes more staff heavy as far as what the night looks like. Um, we'll even kind of pair down the worship sometime and do, you know, um uh more acoustic sets in the summer because we're, you know, we're getting the full band, you know, week in, week out with all the travel schedules can be different. But um, and I think I think conventional wisdom for me would be like, well, if you can't do what you're normally doing, then you've got to, you know, take some time and give some break. And and I think there's there's plenty of of pros to having some breaks built in uh strategically. Um, but I think finding ways to still have consistent meeting um is I uh is definitely important, I think.

SPEAKER_05

Well, I can see students too really, even if they like even though they are still getting their rhythm and the consistency piece, like I can see students really enjoying too, like, oh, we're doing something different, you know, we're we're unplugging a little bit. It's a small, you know, kind of having fun with that too. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. No, I think that I it's a it's a different vibe. I although one one year um I had a kid and and so the the the summer programming usually looks like we're gonna do uh kind of a mixer game inside, um, and then uh worship and then like a 10 to 12 minute uh message, more of a devotional, uh, that we a lot of times we'll use volunteers and like senior students for as opposed to like our our typical staff you know message helps raise up other voices and kind of brings if they're if a senior's speaking, they're gonna bring their friends that night too. And so it's kind of uh it brings that energy. And then we'll go outside and we'll do like a big game, like Ultimate Vegetable, or you know, like cake ball or like these these big like outdoor messy, you know, games.

SPEAKER_05

And uh we'll do like popsicles or we'll do you know, sometimes snack outside and uh hold on that we're gonna get practical ministry for all the people listening. I've never heard of either of those games. And they both sound incredible.

SPEAKER_03

Okay. So ultimate vegetable is ultimate frisbee, but instead of a frisbee, you use various vegetables that are sprayed in uh Pam. Okay. So they're really slippery, and you play with them until they absolutely explode. Right. And then you just sub in another. You can also use fruits, but ultimate fruit feels like a different game. So man. Um what are the best ones?

SPEAKER_05

Like you're just throwing around cucumbers?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, which ones are the best ones to use.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Pineapples are great. Um, bananas are good. Um uh we used to use eggplant, but that feels loaded these days. Yeah, I can't do that.

SPEAKER_01

Is pineapple a vegetable?

SPEAKER_03

No, no, it's a fruit. Oh, okay. It's all about more. Uh in fact, I think we do more fruits uh than vegetables um because they explode better. Yeah when they when they hit and just gets messy. And uh the key ingredient is like the Crisco or the or the pan that you just keep spraying it down, whoever's wrapping it. Um but yeah, so and then the rest of it's just uh standard uh you know different things. It'll be like an onion, so you're just like basically throwing a baseball out there.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Um, but yeah, let it head of lettuce is fun, last about you know, one score.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

And then it's all over the place. Incredible. And then the second one is cake ball, which is cake ball, but every base is a kiddie pool full of a cake ingredient. So like oil, flour, dockla syrup as the home base. So it's gross.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, it's that's that's tough. But you know what? That's great. I'm glad that you can do that. And that your kids love it.

SPEAKER_03

Um we did slip inside hockey a couple years ago, which is just a tarp with a bunch of uh soap and stuff, and then they're trying to play hockey.

SPEAKER_05

So well, and you guys have hockey, I'm sure rinks all over the place out there, too. We used to go play broomball.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, broomball's like not popular here. I know. Uh that's great.

SPEAKER_05

Uh well, it's not really popular anywhere anymore, I don't think, but I love that. That's fair. Yeah, so it was fun. Um so I think an important piece of context for this conversation, though, is are is is your programming for junior high and high school typically happen at the same time? Are they at different times? Are they together? Are they separate? Does that change in the summer? I'm curious about that.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. So our current programming is on Wednesday nights, we have middle school and high school um that exist at the same time, but they only come together for worship. Okay. Um and then the message, games message, and small groups are then separate, you know, in our in our building. Uh, and then we also have life groups um for middle school and high school on Sunday nights. Um, middle school meets at our church, uh, different grade and gender groups, and then high school meets and homes throughout our area. Um, but those are like 10 week sessions, and we do those twice a year. So in the summer, those take a break anyway. In fact, they'll break a break right before Mother's Day until September.

SPEAKER_05

The life group part.

SPEAKER_03

The life groups. And then midweek on Wednesday nights runs um uh throughout uh, you know, just most of the year on Wednesdays. Um, and so then the thing that does change for us is we do just combine everything on Wednesday nights in the summer. Um, again, that helps us spread out leaders a little bit better. It helps uh, you know, because we're not really spending any one time. But if we do like a big group game, like Ultimate Vegetable or something like that, we'll have one uh field for middle school and one field for high school. Um, because that's not really fair.

SPEAKER_05

Um and so you don't want a bigdle plays for a boy chucking a cabbage at a middle school girl.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, yeah. And usually like high school plays for, you know, 10 minutes or so, and then they'll just go to hanging out, and then middle school will play for 30 minutes until we kick them out, you know, or you know, whatever. So um, yeah, so we we've we found that to be um helpful for us um to kind of make the most of it and um and our like our numbers definitely dip in the summer. Um, and um, but that kind of allows it to be you know more relational, and that's the goal.

SPEAKER_05

When you say it dips, what do you mean? Like practically what does that look like?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we run about 260 uh students on a Wednesday night throughout the school year. Um, and and we'll dip to like 180 uh in the summer, um, maybe maybe as low as 150, depending on the week.

SPEAKER_05

Um so you're down 33%, basically. Yeah. Yeah. I said that so confidently, and now I'm like down.

SPEAKER_01

Get out the calculator.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah. Yeah. I didn't even I didn't even listen to your number, honestly. I could have stuck with it and everyone would have been like, yeah, totally.

SPEAKER_03

Somebody on the podcast, they're listening, they're like, that's not 33%.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, it's his name is Joel Yates. It's like that's actually 37.4%, you idiot. Okay, Joel. Uh fantastic. Anyway. Uh yeah, so your programming sounds a lot like what we do at CCO um at my church, which um my church. The church the church that Britney and Michael and I attend. Um, and we uh typically take the summers off, and I think a huge part of the reason for it is um that a large number two two two things I think they would say. A huge number of our volunteers, present company excluded, uh are college students, and leave.

SPEAKER_03

I thought you were gonna say work for CI and aren't present at all.

SPEAKER_05

That there's a little bit of there is that too for sure. Um so like that's a little bit weird, and I think is is kind of unique. Is is a little bit unique to where we are, but the one that is less unique um is just the amount of work that goes into taking, and it sounds like you might take a similar like size group, but to move or to camp or mix, or um they do two mission trips during the summer. They do a high school mission trip to Albuquerque, they do a junior high mission trip to uh Kansas City. Thank you. And um like how how I I'm I don't know how I would do this, but how do you navigate all of that? Like, hey, we're planning to do something every Wednesday night, and also we have these billion other like random weird things that require like to your point require a lot of work, you know, yeah, um, to to even get kids on the bus and out of the parking lot. Um how do those like play nice together?

Summer Games That Drive Connection

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I think for us where we found success is uh using summer to lean on some of our key volunteers and giving students a chance to step up because they're not prepping for for move or mix the way that we're prepping for move or mix, right? Like, and so a lot of those times it's you know, by us not having to write another message, right? So we'll pick a book, typically we just pick a book and like we'll okay, so we'll go through Ephesians this this summer. That's not what we're gonna do. But like as an example as an example, and then we just kind of assign like, hey, the first week you're gonna do Ephesians one, like and and and kind of walk that through with them. And and so it's um kind of keep it keeping it simple, um, uh, and not trying to run it at the same level. Uh, even for us, like down to like lighting for worship, uh, we create like a worship like light set, and it saves that for all songs that we do, as opposed to during the school year, where we'll have full lighting and you know, that takes time to program, you know, all the that type of stuff. Um, you know, we say like, hey, we're not gonna do new songs in the summer. Like we're gonna, we're gonna do songs that we know. We're not having, we're not adding some of those extra things. Uh, and so then the things that then add are just the creativity of of of the games. Um, but then we try to have volunteers run those games. And so we'll we'll spend, we'll spend um usually right after spring break is when we start planning like, okay, here's what every week's gonna look like. And we we'll do that in the springtime before we're knee deep in all of the the move in the mix stuff. Um, so that then it's just about relaying that to volunteers, having them get that, our assistant will get the we'll get the supplies. Um, but um so I would say like to simplify that that answer, one utilizing volunteers and students to execute the program um is is a big a big part of that. And then uh doing the work of planning before the crazy season. And and that's what then allows you to to equip these volunteers and these students to to be successful in that so that honestly, most summer day, like Wednesdays, we're doing all this prep that has nothing to do with Wednesday nights most of the day. And then at three o'clock, we'll flip that switch and say, okay, now now let's get this. Because we kind of know, like, okay, John's gonna take this part and Austin's gonna take this part, and and we're we're we're okay with that. Everybody's good to go. Um, and so um that I mean, obviously that's not possible for everybody. I get that, but that's those are those those uh, I think easy opportunities, easier opportunities to ask more of you of some some key volunteers. And I often find that our key volunteers are waiting for us to ask more of them. We oftentimes think like, oh, I don't want to burden them. And they're like, I would love to be more, have more of a participation, not just in in the program, but in like making the program happen and making the environment environment awesome. And so um rarely do we ask uh some of our key volunteers, hey, would you want to run this? And they're like, no, it's just it's too much, you know. Like they're like, yeah, you trust me to do that. I would love to do that. And um, and so we we find that even helps with buy-in. Um, and then if they're like, hey, I actually won't be there that night because that's you know, we're gonna be in Hawaii or you know, like they're gonna be on a trip, and we're like, could you do it the next week? And they're like, Yeah, sweet. And then we can kind of swap some things around. And then if somebody no shows, we step in because we step in. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah. So like this coming July, whatever it is, you're gonna be uh, I'm assuming, at Washington State University with your high school people. Will you like back back home? Will there be a youth group happening?

SPEAKER_03

No, if we're at a camp, we're not we're not doing it. And actually, this year is a transition year for us. So we're still this summer is still planned to be like we'll we'll take all of July off. Um, because we've got between elementary through high school, we've got four camps in three weeks. And so um we won't, but we're kind of trying to change this for the following year. So yeah, we do our planning from September through August. And so this year is kind of already locked in. Um, but um, we've added some new people to our team. We hired a middle school pastor and a high school pastor in the last year, and so this is kind of their first run. And so we're um hoping to make some major changes, not just with summer, but some other things uh as well uh in the next year. And so um, but yeah, so this summer will look a little bit different than even what I'm describing uh based on kind of some of those um but that but even so that's the long-term plan would be like if we're on the road, that's kind of an all hands on deck thing, and we're gonna take that Wednesday night off.

SPEAKER_05

Got it.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, because like we take more students to move than we average on a week, right? So like it's not even like if we'll take more volunteers than we need on a regular Wednesday night or a regular Sunday night. And so um there's really nobody left. And then we also uh from our student side, if if our our whole student team is going to both camps, like both middle school and high school camps. So it's not like, hey, middle school's gone, but the high school pastor is still here, so we're still gonna hang out with high school. We we just see both of those as, like you said, all hands on deck. And so um that would be the exception for me. I think there's always there are plenty of reasons to not meet. Um, but if it's more for us, the the conversation that we're having is if we're home, why wouldn't we be meeting? Um, and why wouldn't we be providing that space? Right. Um, I think historically we've taken too many breaks.

SPEAKER_01

Too many breaks, yeah. Is there anything that you guys do like intentionally going into move or coming home from move or mix for for middle school as well? Do you guys plan that into your summers?

SPEAKER_03

Um, yeah, I think uh historically, this is I think another reason why we've been doing this because I think historically we've taken off before like leading up to so you know, move for us is at the end of July, mix is is a week before that. Um and so um we kind of had that break, and then we'll kind of hit the ground and then in August, like that the week after we're back from move, launch back in. And and and I think the the big thing for us is we see move and mix as the beginning of our year as opposed to the end of our year. So we try to have all that momentum come out of camp and launches into the school year. Um, you know, I know a lot of people that will say, like, oh, camp is the end of our year. Um, and so their their lead up is big, um, you know, going into that. And then they kind of have a break after. Um, and so because of that, it's hard to be like, hey, this is the beginning of our year. And then we we get back and like we'll see you in September, you know, when school starts. Uh, and so we try to, um, that's where a lot of our summer programming historically has been is actually in August, um, because we're not starting until late August or early September um for the rest of it. And so um trying to capture, hey, carry this, carry this idea of meeting together. Let's keep going that you know, on this um on this journey together, coming out of a move, coming out of mix. Um so but we see that I think mix suffers more right now in how we currently do it because we come home and it's like three weeks before that program starts. And so you're just like hoping that that fire is gonna stay lit until we get back into to regular things, which is again driving a lot of our our conversations and our um and our I think our changes uh for the future.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. So practically that week coming back, then your launch for the school year, does that just look like a regular programming night for you guys? Or is there something something different?

SPEAKER_03

That's like the relational summer. Like um, we're trying to do uh songs from camp, you know, worship wise. We're we're um having those conversations. But again, it's so pretty outside. We're trying to be outside as much as possible. Um, and um, you know, having some of that intentionality, uh, relational time. We'll bring in like Kona ice or you know, that you know, that type of stuff just to give us an excuse to be outside.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

How Their Weekly Structure Works

SPEAKER_05

Um, so it sounds like, and I know you're kind of planning this for this summer and next summer and not necessarily doing it yet, but um you're looking at two transitions, right, on each end. The transition from like standard programming into this uh kind of I'll call it unplugged uh programming, and then the transition back at the end of the summer. What do you think those are gonna look like? Or is that something where we'll kind of like ease into this and kids might not even really notice? Or is that something where it's like, hey, on you know, May 10th, it's gonna be like this, and on May 17th, it's gonna be like this, and we're trying to sell it and hype it up and that kind of thing.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I don't think the transition, even historically, the transition away from like the normal program into like more of the unplugged is is, you know, there's not a big push other than like, hey, come hang out, you know, and and come be a part of it. Uh what we do try to ramp up is when that school year launches um and when like regular programming is is coming back into play. Uh, and so really push that as a um as a as a big launch, a comeback. We'll try to have something extra that night uh as like a welcome back type of thing, whether that's like um we've done like a cereal bar or you know, pizza for everyone. Like we sell pizza every Wednesday night, but like sometimes like that first one was like, we're gonna do pizza for everybody, you know, and you know, something like that, give them give them more of a reason um just to come check it out and and kind of see that. Because sometimes uh like for sixth graders, that's the first time they've seen what that stuff full. Because you know, school, we don't promote sixth graders until after school gets out in the middle of June. Um, although we will invite fifth graders, about to be sixth graders, in May to come check out what Wednesday nights look like while they're still, they can still be kids on the weekends. Um uh so we kind of invite them to come check it out um so that they kind of know what to expect in the fall. Um and that that starts in like the middle of May. Um, but um, but yeah, so not as much of that transition to the to the unplugged, but the really trying to ramp up that that communication and that excitement um out like into the fall from that.

SPEAKER_05

Which you said you come back from move and it's pretty much like we're that time. Yeah, we're jumping in, right?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, we've got you know, like maybe three or four weeks of of the unplugged out of move and then um and then launch back. So last year was the first year they moved our school year up uh into starting at the end of August or the last week in August. And so we still started after Labor Day as far as like our regular programming, but like we're having these conversations now like, well, that does that make sense. Like if school's already like we've always waited for school to start, but now it's like school started a week and a half before that. Um, so um, so yeah, those are those are the things that are getting convers, you know, having conversations about too of just always trying to evaluate and and figure out what's best uh for for families.

SPEAKER_05

Totally. So what uh what wins are you looking to get out of this? Like because I mean there are traditional like metrics that we can use. Like if your attendance dropped from 50 to 20 from one week to the next in the middle of you know October, that would be alarming, right? Yeah, but it's like okay, we're anticipating that happening. Um, obviously we're gonna lose some people. Uh so when you look at this, like what are you hoping to see?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

Or how how will you know it worked? Is what I what I think I'm trying to ask.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I think um what we would evaluate, and especially like as we transition to it for the first year, is did we see an increase from previous summers? And um, and and you know, for purely from a metric side, like are we are we seeing that? And do we maintain whatever we decide critical mass is, right? And I think critical mass looks different in every group, you know, um, where it's like even like so they added recently, they added a midwinter break for us, which we've never had before. We've always just had the spring break. Well, we all we've always taken off for spring break, and we'll take off this year because we're in Honduras um uh as a high school team. And so um we were like, but we've never we never had uh yes with engaged. And so with uh we've never had the midwinter break. And so we're like, well, do we take it off? Because we kind of always take off like with spring break, or do we not? Like, what's the what's the plan? Well, that midwinter break fell right in between our high school winter camp and our middle school winter camp, they're back-to-back weekends, and so it's like the Wednesday in between. And I was like, personally, I would love a Wednesday night off in between these two, these two camp experiences. Like that's that's a big lift. Um but it's like momentum-wise, it makes no sense to me to say we're just not gonna meet. And um, and so we and I was like, well, we have no idea, like uh who's gonna show up. And so like we actually didn't dip as low as I thought we were gonna dip that that night. And it was like we walked out and we're like, man, there was still a ton of energy in the in the building and this excitement. And and there were some some high schoolers that we hadn't seen before because now they don't have sports and they don't have like, or we haven't seen in a while. And I think that's the other thing for us of like beyond just, you know, did we maintain this critical mass to make make the environment great? But also, like, are we is this actually an opportunity evaluate? Like, are we actually seeing more new kids coming in the summer because they have less things vying for their attention? Or we saw um more retention because they have the the capacity, or you know, and then talking with leaders to say, like, hey, how were the conversations? Like, did the summer intentionality lead to deeper conversations at camp? Or coming out of that, like we were able to flow straight into it because there was less start and stop. Um, and and they knew kind of where to so those are some of those, you know, I think harder things to track, but that we're hoping to see some wins of that. Like our leaders who are able to buy in and be there, they're finding some depth of relationship that maybe the normal programming doesn't always allow for because it's just, you know, sometimes they can be pretty rigid, like we do this thing and then we do this thing, we do this thing. Whereas the the summer program, just creating a space to gather, I think um our hope is it provides some more of that organic conversation. Um and so figuring out how to track that is is obviously our our a challenge uh you know moving forward. But um that's what we're hoping to see out of the winds of those.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah. I um I have a group of freshman guys and we're on spring break right now um this week. And I sent out a a text to everybody, it's like, hey guys, we're not having a D group on Sunday, which is you call life groups, I think, um, because it's spring break. And like I think every single there there's like ten of them normally, and I think nine of them could have come. Yeah. And again, CCO's in a weird spot because of you know other things, but um but like some of them responded and were like, why? Why you know we're still meeting without a lot of people.

SPEAKER_01

So I think for K.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, maybe they can't drive yet though, so that seems like a tough sell for parents. Um but yeah, it I I don't know. So as you're saying this, like I'm trying to copy and paste out onto my context, and it's like, yeah, I mean it's spring break, but what percentage of my kids are actually like leaving town? And honestly, if it's as high as 50% and I can still have five or six guys come over, is it still you know, a valuable thing? And um now I'm an I'm a real adult who leads this group. All the college students who lead their groups are gone, you know. So that that that that's why. But um just as I'm thinking through it, it's it's uh it's interesting. It's definitely kind of thought provoking. It's like Because you I I've never really thought about it. It's like, well, of course we won't meet because it's spring break. You know? But anyway. Um, Brittany, any final thoughts or questions?

SPEAKER_01

I was just gonna ask about the like, is this an invite time? Is it do we see new people coming? But you walked right into that. So I didn't have the same thing for the summer versus spring or midwinter break, like you're talking about. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03

And and that was that those conversations really ramped up coming out of midwinter break because, like, we saw 200 people here. Like, why did we think that like losing 50 people was gonna make a difference as far as like the the energy, you know, around here. And um, but like we also like connected with some high school students that came to midwinter, like to our winter camp, because they'll, you know, they'll always come to the to the camp. You know, you always have those kids, but they're like, Yeah, I didn't have anything else to do. And you know, I loved winter camp. And so you kind of hang out. And and then for us, winter camp is a launch into life groups for us. And so, and midweek is is kind of our like, hey, come here. But like our hope is to get you into a group. Like, that's kind of our our process, you know, in that. And so they start like a couple weeks after winter camp. And so that week was another great week to kind of push, like, hey, like if your Wednesdays are busy, we have this, we have this other environment that you can plug in into as well. And um, and and just more more FaceTime, I think ultimately is is rarely a bad thing when you're talking about um making an impact in the life of teenagers.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, totally. Um I'm gonna go ahead and close the book on that conversation, but I did realize something in the middle of our conversation that's kind of crazy.

SPEAKER_01

I already know what you're thinking. You know, I do say it because I've thought it too. Everybody in this conversation will be on an engaged trip this spring.

SPEAKER_05

At some point in the next three weeks, all of us are leaving the country with engage. Yes, right? That's fun.

SPEAKER_01

That's probably never happened, right?

SPEAKER_05

Probably not.

SPEAKER_01

Everybody that is talking on the podcast.

Planning Ahead And Empowering Volunteers

SPEAKER_05

Michael is leading a trip uh to Ecuador with our good friend Crystal Unride. I almost said Crystal Zavisha. Crystal Unrine. Uh so that'll be fun. They leave when most people listen to this, they will be in Ecuador. Um and then Tyler, you're next because the following week you guys are going to Honduras with his eyes, um, which is super exciting. Is this your first engaged trip or have you done one before?

SPEAKER_03

Uh it's my first international engaged trip.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

So we did a couple when I was in California, we did a couple uh down to Long Beach, but um uh but yeah, first uh first uh engage one internationally oh my gosh, you're gonna have a blast.

SPEAKER_05

And then the week after that, or is it two weeks after that? I don't know.

SPEAKER_01

No, you guys are actually gone the same week.

SPEAKER_05

We're gone the same week?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. And you and me, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05

Well, we'll just have to have a little text thread going. Britney's gonna be in Argentina. You guys will be like all in South America. Is Honduras? I guess that's probably considered like Central America. Central America. Yeah, but anyway. Um, so that's kind of cool. I don't know that that's ever happened. Brad, where are you going? Uh I am going good question. I'm going to Northern Ireland. Um, I'm leading a group uh to riot with uh Northridge Christian Church in Milledgeville, Georgia. My good buddy Joey um is the youth pastor there, and they're bringing uh he I I was on a call with him the other day, maybe it was yesterday, I don't know. Um, but their their team is gonna have a really cool dynamic. Like they're bringing a lot of their leadership kind of junior senior group, and um knowing what I know about that trip, I think it's just gonna be an absolute yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And it was one of the high schoolers that planted the seed for that happened that went to Joey and said, Yeah, hey, I want to do this. Can can we can we do this as a group? And so that's what started the ball rolling, and here they are.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, we've we've historically, because we have we have some missions partners, and historically our our uh policy is probably too strong of a word, has been like, if we're gonna do trips, we're gonna do it with those partners. And so we've gone to the Philippines, which is phenomenal. We love it, but it just like isn't the best for a teenage group. Like what they need isn't, but our other partners, like Egypt, we can't take minors to, and you know, so there's just you know, some of those challenges. And so that was the the but I had all of these students that were like, Tyler, when are we going internationally? When like I want to be a part of this, I want to be a part of this. And that's really what drove the conversation with us to to reach out to Brittany to say, like, hey, we need to, we need to figure out something as our church is figuring out some of these partnerships. We can't waste this time. And so can we, you know, can we partner with you guys to to help us kind of stand in the gap there as our church kind of figures out the long-term solution? And it's been phenomenal. I'm I'm excited.

SPEAKER_05

So well, you can't you really can't ask for better people to introduce your students to than Felipe and Valerie. They're the best. Yeah, the best, the best.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, we're excited. Yeah, um, and then like we found out like some some people even on our staff in our church have um gone and worked with his eyes completely separate, um, just through uh, you know, uh an eye doctor here in Spokane that goes to our church, went to school with Felipe. And so they they uh like they kind of had some of that um connection and um God just kind of aligned some of those things. So we're we're super excited. Yeah, that's yeah. We got our last team meeting on Sunday, get all the logistics figured out, but um, it's um it's we're super excited. It's good.

SPEAKER_05

Well, I'm excited for you. You guys will have a a great time and uh can't wait to hear how it goes next time that we're able to catch up. But for today, I'm very glad that you joined us and uh really appreciate you, Tyler. Thanks for being here, man.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, thanks guys.

SPEAKER_05

Okay, Brittany.

SPEAKER_02

Yes.

SPEAKER_05

Oh gosh, Corey. I forgot.

SPEAKER_01

We're not actually recording.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, we are. We're recording. The audio's recording the video. But he no, we're not recording video, but he still has to be on the board. I can't do anything. Okay, we're back. Um last time Corey put quite a large.

SPEAKER_01

You just covered everybody.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, who fell? Okay, you get to add somebody now.

SPEAKER_01

This is one of the most awkward things is holding this between us. Yeah, it's just trying to still speak into a microphone.

SPEAKER_05

Right. I've got it. You don't have to hold it.

SPEAKER_01

I don't have enough hands. Um, I am adding our good pal, good friend Nathan Anderson. So that leader trip that I talked about at the beginning of the podcast. He actually was on this trip and brought several of their youth leaders on the trip. And so um, yeah, I think a huge reason of why we even took the leap to try out this trip in the first place. But uh he's been around become a good friend. Um he and his wife Emily have been on engaged trips that I have been on, and then they have also been leading some of our other teams as well. Uh, but just getting to see I've seen I feel like all sides of him in ministry, of getting to see him with students, and then getting to be at just some youth leader events with him at YMS, out in San Diego. Uh, but then this trip, getting to see him interact with his youth leaders was just a treat as well of how intentional he is, how he uh speaks truth into them. Um yeah, just loves people really well. So thank you.

SPEAKER_05

Stick him on here.

SPEAKER_01

Sticking him on here. Don't do like I did to Brandon Craig.

SPEAKER_05

I literally I wasn't looking and I put that pin right through his forehead. I'm sorry, Brandon Craig.

SPEAKER_01

I feel like I'm now contributing to the covering up other people.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, that's okay.

SPEAKER_01

There we go. Just so many people in here that we love. So running out of time.

SPEAKER_05

So many people that we love, and we only have one more episode. So um it's gonna, it's gonna it's gonna be complete here before too long. But uh I love Nathan. Nathan, every now and then will just text me randomly and say, Hey, how can I pray for you? And that's really a nice thing for a person to do. Yeah, and that is him. Um, so thanks, Nathan. Keep up the good work. We're done here. Today's episode was recorded by Michael Hester, Lauren Bryant, and myself. Thank you to Brittany for being here. And thank you to Tyler Lane for his thoughtful uh conversation today. We're gonna be back in two weeks uh to finish up both this conversation and this season of the podcast. So uh we're gonna have Hannah Hellwich here. She's great, love her. Um, she rocks. So if you don't want to miss that, be sure to subscribe to our show wherever you listen to podcasts. Um and in the meantime, you can always reach out to us at podcast andci.com or on the Facebook community, CIY community Facebook group. I can't talk anymore. See you next time.

SPEAKER_01

Bye everybody.