Is there evidence for a Creator?  Where does my truth come from?  What do I believe about Jesus?  Can I doubt the resurrection and still be a Christian?  If God is so good then why is my world so bad?  Am I committed to Godly sexuality?  In this two-part episode, Michelle Rewa, with a background in apologetics and a degree in science, explores the 6 foundational questions where faith and reason intersect.  This episode gets us thinking about the last three questions and why it is important to engage with these topics ourselves. Original Air Date: May 2, 2017

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#1010 || Re | Faith & Reason Part 2 | Six Foundational Questions We Must Ask Students

Is there evidence for a Creator?  Where does my truth come from?  What do I believe about Jesus?  Can I doubt the resurrection and still be a Christian?  If God is so good then why is my world so bad?  Am I committed to Godly sexuality?  In this two-part episode, Michelle Rewa, with a background in apologetics and a degree in science, explores the 6 foundational questions where faith and reason connect.  This episode gets us thinking about the first three questions and why it is important to be asking our students in the first place. Original Air Date: April 28, 2017

#1009 || Re | Faith & Reason Part 1 | Six Foundational Questions We Must Ask Students

Why do good students fall prey to pornography?  How do you feel when you receive 100 likes on Instagram?  Why are students...ok, the majority of users seem addicted to their smartphone?  In this episode, we discuss how porn, tech, and social media companies are preying on the neurological development of students' brains to hold our attention longer and to get us addicted.  We are simply their guinea pigs.  Hosts Jeff Eckart and Jayson Brewer interview Chris McKenna of protectyoungeyes.com on ways we, as youth leaders and parents, need to be aware of what is happening in our students' brains when we put digital devices in their hands at a young age, as well as, the potential downfalls that are simply one click away. Original Air Date: April 21, 2017

#1008 || Re | Porn & Tech Guinea Pigs

Students are one click away from being surrounded by danger that could possibly ruin their lives, and in this digital age, when smartphones are more prevalent in the hands of students, are we aware of the dangers?  Today, hosts Jeff Eckart and Jayson Brewer discuss life online and these dangers with the founder of Protect Young Eyes, Chris McKenna.  We will talk about the five most dangerous places for students to be when they go online and some ways to protect them in these environments. Original Air Date: February 5, 2019

#1007 || Re | The 5 Most Dangerous Places to be Online

Nick is a 7th grader who was born in South Africa.  He moved to the United States when he was 7 years old.  He provides a unique and, at times, a profound perspective on the topic of race in America, coming from a different culture.  Just like any adolescent, he is trying to figure out where he fits in, both racially and ethnically.   Racism is not an adult issue but can be experienced regardless of age.  Are we willing to take the time to listen to students to hear their perspectives on tough topics like this? Original Air Date: March 19, 2019

#1006 || Re | A Middle School Perspective on Race

Depression and anxiety are gripping adolescents and there is no easy pill to swallow to eradicate this from their lives.  Someone cannot just simply “cheer up” or “snap out of it” to solve the problem. Twenty percent of youth between 13-18 live with a mental health condition and that number seems to continue to grow each year.  Jackie Sheppard, who has over 50 years of study and research in this area of science and medicine, discusses the connection between the gut and the brain.  Issues start in the gut, which affects the brain, and the body affects the mind, will, and emotion of a person.  Could the solution to overcoming mental illness be more than just taking medication? Could it be found in replacing the things we've deprived of our bodies?  Original Air Date: April 30, 2019

#1005 || Re | Physiology Behind Student Depression and Anxiety

A change in circumstances and stress can trigger episodes of anxiety or depression in students, and with the changes in school and church dynamics due to the pandemic, how have students been emotionally and mentally affected?  In this episode, Jayson interviews Elizza LeJeune, a clinical social worker at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services.  We discuss a variety of aspects of mental health in students, signs we should look out for, and when is the right time to step in if a student is struggling with suicidal thoughts. 

#1004 || Expert Advice on Helping Student Suicide and Depression Since Covid

For those who have been around youth ministry for a couple of decades, we have seen plenty of change.  Changes that occurred in that time period appears to have accelerated in the year 2020.  What do you think youth ministry will be like in 10 years?  In this episode, Jeff makes ten bold predictions on where he thinks youth ministry is going to be by the year 2030.  He also gives five pieces of advice to youth ministry leaders, to help lead us into the future of youth ministry.  Jayson takes no responsibility in these predictions. This is part two of a two-part series.

#1003 || Ten-Year Forecast of Youth Ministry | Part Two | Bold Predictions

The landscape of youth ministry changes as each decade passes.  The student life is different now than it was 20 years ago.  The church youth group was executing different methods to spread the gospel as it was 10 years ago.  Who could have even predicted what culture and the church would have been like in the year 2020?  Well, someone got pretty close and we will discuss those predictions.  In this episode, Jeff and Jayson look at culture and youth ministry in 10 year blocks, and will look ahead to what it may look like 10 to 30 years from now.  This is part one of a two-part series.

#1002 || Ten-Year Forecast of Youth Ministry | Part One

January 6th, 2021, the United States of America changed.  In response to the Capitol Riot, hosts Jeff Eckart and Jayson Brewer ask eight questions about politics mixing with our faith.  These questions are directed at those who lead students, but all stem from the main question, is politics ruining our witness?  One thing that has been witnessed over centuries of time, the zeal for God begins to diminish as our passion for politics grows.

#1001 || Don't Let Politics Ruin Your Witness to Students

If you were to evaluate the youth ministry you are a part of and how the Bible is used, would you view it as student-centric or Christo-centric?  Do we start with where the students are at and teach from there or start with God?  Hosts Jeff Eckart and Jayson Brewer discuss the transformational power in integrating this one habit into youth ministry.  We must stop teaching and reading the Bible as a self-help book and start helping our students understand it as a autobiography of God.

#911 || #1 Thing You Should Fight For Above All Else

We may know someone who became negative, jaded, cynical, and critical in ministry and eventually dropped out.  You may even be on the verge of becoming that person.  How do we avoid burnout in ministry and last the long-haul, through all the challenges?  The main question comes down to answering this question, "Who are you serving?"  How you answer that question will determine the strength and length of your time in ministry.

#910 || #1 Principle to Stay Healthy in Youth Ministry

Great coaches can motivate their players to higher heights.  They possess a cultural trait that gets the most out of them doing this one thing.  In this episode, Jeff and Jayson discuss what it takes to get students to grow spiritually in your youth ministry.

#909 || #1 Cultural Trait That Will Grow Your Ministry Spiritually

A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a private or rented automobile.  Driving instructors help their driving students in practically learning how to drive a car individually.  One has the customer in the back and the other has the customer in the driver's seat.  If you were to evaluate your youth ministry, would you be more considered as a chauffeur or a driving instructor, based on how involved and engaged your students were?  In this episode, hosts Jeff Eckart and Jayson Brewer discuss the cultural difference between student-led youth ministries and adult-driven youth ministries.

#908 || #1 Cultural Trait That Will Grow Your Ministry Numerically

Culture is the beliefs and behaviors of a community.  Leaders have the ability to create culture in their environment, but they also have the ability to surrender to the surrounding culture.  So, how does a leader build a winning culture?  What is the one thing that a leader needs to create the culture that is desirable for others to be a part of? 

#907 || #1 Way You Can Build a Winning Culture

Thought Factory is dedicated to learn from students and learn for students to better our ministry practice with students. It's about getting our gears turning to think about various topics.

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Thought Factory Podcast

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