First a Follower Podcast

First a Follower Podcast is presented by Youth For Christ USA. First a Follower aims to address the unique challenges and opportunities youth ministry leaders face today. We aim to provide practical guidance, relevant resources, and support for the spiritual formation of youth leaders, as they navigate the complexities of reaching and discipling the next generation.Youth For Christ/USA , Inc. is a founding charter member of Youth For Christ International, and one of more than 100 member nations in the global Youth For Christ movement.Visit www.yfc.net to learn more.

First a Follower Podcast is a religion podcast hosted by Youth For Christ USA, with 17 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Youth For Christ USA hosts First a Follower Podcast, a religion show with 17 episodes published.

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  First a Follower Podcast

  First a Follower - Spiritual Direction with Deb Smith and Kevin Becht

  Sep 18, 202658 min

  Today we're joined by Spiritual Directors and friends of YFC USA, Deb Smith and Kevin Becht. Deb Smith has been connected with YFC since 1986, serving in many roles locally, as well as on the National Camp Team. Currently, she serves as a YFC New Leader Cohort facilitator, walking alongside new staff as they find their bearings in their roles. As a Spiritual Director, Deb love to journey with people seeking to deepen and explore their relationship with God. When not shepherding others, Deb enjoys spending time outdoors, especially at her family's cottage in Canada. Learn more about Deb's Spiritual Direction certification program at Leadership Transformation: https://www.leadershiptransformations.org/selah/ Kevin Becht serves as the Executive Director of YouthFor Christ Southern Indiana and regularly volunteers to lead Spiritual Formation trainings for YFC USA's Leader Formation Team. As a Spiritual Director, Kevin is passionate about joining followers of Jesus on their journey. Learn more about his Spiritual Direction certification program at Sustainable Faith: https://sustainablefaith.com/schools/spiritual-direction Spiritual Direction Resources: Every Moment Holy Volume 1 by Douglas Kaine Mckelvey - (For the Ritual of Morning Coffee pg. 139 used in this episode) Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That TransformsUs by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun Sacred Companions: The Gift of Spiritual Friendship &Direction by David G. Benner Holy Listening by Margaret Guenther A Jones Holy Invitations by Jeannette Bakke The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence Lectio 365 App - lectio365.com Follow us on Instagram: Youth For Christ USA - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@yfcusa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Cory Huffman - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chuffman57⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Kevin Becht - ⁠ ⁠@kevbecht⁠ Intro/Outro music created by Devin Jack - ⁠@d3on.the.1⁠ Youth For Christ/USA , Inc. is a founding charter member of Youth For Christ International, and one of more than 100 member nations in the global Youth For Christ movement. For more information or to get connected with Youth For Christ USA, visit ⁠⁠⁠https://yfc.net/⁠⁠⁠. First a Follower is a podcast created and produced by Youth For Christ/USA, Inc. (“YFC”). It exists to support youth ministry leaders by offering practical guidance, relevant resources, and conversations designed to strengthen the spiritual formation of those discipling the next generation. This podcast is provided for entertainment, educational, and general informational purposes only. It does not offer or constitute legal, medical, mental health, counseling, financial, or theological advice. The views and opinions expressed by hosts, guests, or referenced third parties are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policies, positions, or doctrinal stances of Youth For Christ/USA, Inc., Youth For Christ International, any local YFC chapter, or any church, denomination, or faith community. YFC does not endorse or certify any products, services, organizations, or external content mentioned during the podcast. The entire contents, branding, and design of this podcast are the property of Youth For Christ/USA, Inc., and are protected under U.S. and international copyright and trademark laws. Except for personal or non-commercial educational use, no part of this podcast may be reproduced, retransmitted, distributed, or edited without the prior written permission of Youth For Christ/USA, Inc. Permission requests may be directed to: Youth For Christ/USA, Inc. P.O. Box 4478Englewood, CO 80155 https://www.yfc.net

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  First a Follower Podcast

  Creativity in Ministry with Aaron Lopez and Traveon McNeil

  Aug 28, 20261h 5m

  Cory is joined by YFC USA's Traveon McNeil and the Director of Audio at Streetlights, Aaron Lopez. Streetlights (SL) is an audio Bible that can be listened to in the SL app from the ⁠⁠App Store⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Google Play⁠⁠ , and streamed or downloaded directly from the SL website at:https://www.streetlightsbible.com/ The mission of Streetlights is to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ and God’s Word to our generation through Discipleship Resources and Gospel Outreach by focusing on creating a Multilingual Audio Bible, Music, Podcast, Multimedia Bible Teaching. and Gospel Collaborations directed to “Not-Yet” or New Believers in Christ. In his day to day as the Director of Audio at Streetlights (https://www.streetlightsbible.com/) and an Alert312 musician (https://www.streetlightsbible.com/alert312), Aaron Lopez may be mixing the next Audio Bible book in various languages, producing music for the band's next song, or talking to vocalists, music makers, or volunteers the make sure the next project is on its way to completion. He thoroughly enjoys music - making it, listening to it, and learning how it's made in new and creative ways. Traveon McNeil serves as YFC USA's National City Life Specialist, supporting leaders serving in under-resourced communities across the country. At the heart of his work is what he loves most about City Life: walking alongside young people, seeing the gifts God has placed in them, and helping create spaces where they can grow into leaders in their own communities. Traveon is also passionate about creative communication and design, and loves finding ways to make meaningful ideas feel clear, compelling, and human. Follow us on Instagram: Youth For Christ USA - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@yfcusa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Cory Huffman - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chuffman57⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Streetlights - @streetlightsbible Alert312 - @alert312_music Traveon McNeil - @itstraveon Youth For Christ/USA , Inc. is a founding charter member of Youth For Christ International, and one of more than 100 member nations in the global Youth For Christ movement. For more information or to get connected with Youth For Christ USA, visit ⁠⁠⁠https://yfc.net/⁠⁠⁠. First a Follower is a podcast created and produced by Youth For Christ/USA, Inc. (“YFC”). It exists to support youth ministry leaders by offering practical guidance, relevant resources, and conversations designed to strengthen the spiritual formation of those discipling the next generation. This podcast is provided for entertainment, educational, and general informational purposes only. It does not offer or constitute legal, medical, mental health, counseling, financial, or theological advice. The views and opinions expressed by hosts, guests, or referenced third parties are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policies, positions, or doctrinal stances of Youth For Christ/USA, Inc., Youth For Christ International, any local YFC chapter, or any church, denomination, or faith community. YFC does not endorse or certify any products, services, organizations, or external content mentioned during the podcast. The entire contents, branding, and design of this podcast are the property of Youth For Christ/USA, Inc., and are protected under U.S. and international copyright and trademark laws. Except for personal or non-commercial educational use, no part of this podcast may be reproduced, retransmitted, distributed, or edited without the prior written permission of Youth For Christ/USA, Inc. Permission requests may be directed to: Youth For Christ/USA, Inc. P.O. Box 4478Englewood, CO 80155 https://www.yfc.net

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  First a Follower Podcast

  Grief and Hope with Drew Hyun and Nina Edwards

  Aug 14, 202659 min

  We're joined by Drew Hyun, author of, "Beautiful, Disappointing, Hopeful: How Gratitude, Grief, and Grace Reflect the Christian Story" and YFC's Nina Edwards to discuss grief and faith. Drew Hyun ( https://www.drewhyun.com/ ) is the founder and lead pastor of Hope Church NYC ( https://www.hopechurchnyc.org/ ), a diverse church with three locations in New York City. He is also the Executive Director of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship ( https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/ ), an organization that aims to transform church culture through the multiplication of deeply changed pastors and leaders. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div), and Fuller Theological Seminary (DMin). Nina Edwards has served in Youth for Christ For almost 38 years, both as part of a local chapter and YFC USA the National Service Center, currently serving on the Leader Formation team. With years of experience in developing and empowering leaders, Nina has come to love equipping people and creating spaces for people to encounter Jesus in fresh ways. Nina is also trained in walking with people through grief and has learned much about the grace of God in watching people integrate loss into their lives. Follow us on Instagram: Youth For Christ USA - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@yfcusa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Cory Huffman - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chuffman57⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Drew Hyun - ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ @drewhyun⁠ Nina Edwards - ⁠⁠ @nje64 Youth For Christ/USA , Inc. is a founding charter member of Youth For Christ International, and one of more than 100 member nations in the global Youth For Christ movement. For more information or to get connected with Youth For Christ USA, visit ⁠⁠⁠https://yfc.net/⁠⁠⁠. First a Follower is a podcast created and produced by Youth For Christ/USA, Inc. (“YFC”). It exists to support youth ministry leaders by offering practical guidance, relevant resources, and conversations designed to strengthen the spiritual formation of those discipling the next generation. This podcast is provided for entertainment, educational, and general informational purposes only. It does not offer or constitute legal, medical, mental health, counseling, financial, or theological advice. The views and opinions expressed by hosts, guests, or referenced third parties are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policies, positions, or doctrinal stances of Youth For Christ/USA, Inc., Youth For Christ International, any local YFC chapter, or any church, denomination, or faith community. YFC does not endorse or certify any products, services, organizations, or external content mentioned during the podcast. The entire contents, branding, and design of this podcast are the property of Youth For Christ/USA, Inc., and are protected under U.S. and international copyright and trademark laws. Except for personal or non-commercial educational use, no part of this podcast may be reproduced, retransmitted, distributed, or edited without the prior written permission of Youth For Christ/USA, Inc. Permission requests may be directed to: Youth For Christ/USA, Inc. P.O. Box 4478Englewood, CO 80155 https://www.yfc.net

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  First a Follower Podcast

  What Gen Z is Asking About God with Dr. Tanita Maddox and Shelby Nyboer

  Jul 31, 202657 min

  We're joined by Dr. Tanita Maddox and YFC's Shelby Nyboer to discuss Generation Z and faith. Dr. Tanita Maddox ( https://tanitamaddox.com/ ) completed her doctoral thesis in contextualizing the gospel for Gen Z and is the author of the book, "What Gen Z Really Wants to Know about God." She now shares what she has learned, experienced, and created with Young Life Areas and Regions, Youth Ministries, and Churches. Shelby Nyboer is a YFC Campus Life Director in West Michigan and has been serving on the team almost 5 years. She is a Gen Z who is passionate about seeing her peers commissioned to reach their generation. In her free time she loves to write, read, play guitar and sing, as well as drink a good cup of coffee. Follow us on Instagram: Youth For Christ USA - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@yfcusa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Cory Huffman - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chuffman57⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Tanita Maddox - ⁠⁠⁠⁠ @drtanitamaddox Shelby Nyboer - ⁠@snyboer12 Youth For Christ/USA , Inc. is a founding charter member of Youth For Christ International, and one of more than 100 member nations in the global Youth For Christ movement. For more information or to get connected with Youth For Christ USA, visit ⁠⁠⁠https://yfc.net/⁠⁠⁠. First a Follower is a podcast created and produced by Youth For Christ/USA, Inc. (“YFC”). It exists to support youth ministry leaders by offering practical guidance, relevant resources, and conversations designed to strengthen the spiritual formation of those discipling the next generation. This podcast is provided for entertainment, educational, and general informational purposes only. It does not offer or constitute legal, medical, mental health, counseling, financial, or theological advice. The views and opinions expressed by hosts, guests, or referenced third parties are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policies, positions, or doctrinal stances of Youth For Christ/USA, Inc., Youth For Christ International, any local YFC chapter, or any church, denomination, or faith community. YFC does not endorse or certify any products, services, organizations, or external content mentioned during the podcast. The entire contents, branding, and design of this podcast are the property of Youth For Christ/USA, Inc., and are protected under U.S. and international copyright and trademark laws. Except for personal or non-commercial educational use, no part of this podcast may be reproduced, retransmitted, distributed, or edited without the prior written permission of Youth For Christ/USA, Inc. Permission requests may be directed to: Youth For Christ/USA, Inc. P.O. Box 4478Englewood, CO 80155 https://www.yfc.net

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  First a Follower Podcast

  Resilience in Ministry with Glenn Packiam and Chip Pierce

  Jul 10, 202658 min

  Cory is joined by Glenn Packiam and Chip Pierce for a conversation centered around resiliency. Glenn Packiam ( glennpackiam.com ) is the Lead Pastor of Rockharbor Church in Costa Mesa, CA, and a Senior Fellow at Barna Group. He is the author of, “What’s a Christian, Anyway? Finding Our Way in an Age of Confusion and Corruption” (March, 2025), along with eight other books, including two bestsellers— “The Resilient Pastor” and “The Intentional Year” which he co-authored with his wife, Holly. He earned a Doctorate in Theology and Ministry from Durham University, England. Chip Pierce works with the Leader Formation team at the YFC USA National Service Center and also worked with Metro Maryland Youth for Christ for over 28 years as a Campus Life Director and Chief Ministry Officer. He has a graduate degree in Counseling Psychology and went on to become a Licensed Professional Counselor for almost 14 years before working with YFC. Follow us on Instagram: Youth For Christ USA - ⁠@yfcusa⁠⁠⁠ Cory Huffman - ⁠@chuffman57⁠⁠⁠ Glenn Pakiam - @gpakiam Chip Pierce - ⁠@ctpcoach⁠⁠ Youth For Christ/USA , Inc. is a founding charter member of Youth For Christ International, and one of more than 100 member nations in the global Youth For Christ movement. For more information or to get connected with Youth For Christ USA, visit ⁠⁠⁠https://yfc.net/⁠⁠⁠. First a Follower is a podcast created and produced by Youth For Christ/USA, Inc. (“YFC”). It exists to support youth ministry leaders by offering practical guidance, relevant resources, and conversations designed to strengthen the spiritual formation of those discipling the next generation. This podcast is provided for entertainment, educational, and general informational purposes only. It does not offer or constitute legal, medical, mental health, counseling, financial, or theological advice. The views and opinions expressed by hosts, guests, or referenced third parties are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policies, positions, or doctrinal stances of Youth For Christ/USA, Inc., Youth For Christ International, any local YFC chapter, or any church, denomination, or faith community. YFC does not endorse or certify any products, services, organizations, or external content mentioned during the podcast. The entire contents, branding, and design of this podcast are the property of Youth For Christ/USA, Inc., and are protected under U.S. and international copyright and trademark laws. Except for personal or non-commercial educational use, no part of this podcast may be reproduced, retransmitted, distributed, or edited without the prior written permission of Youth For Christ/USA, Inc. Permission requests may be directed to: Youth For Christ/USA, Inc. P.O. Box 4478Englewood, CO 80155 https://www.yfc.net

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