The Power of Saying No: Protecting Your Family While Serving in Youth Ministry
Release Date: 12/24/2025
Journey to Israel: Faith, Family, and Life During Wartime
Youth Worker On Fire Podcast
In this powerful interview episode of Youth Worker On Fire, Doug Edwards sits down with Tamar, an Israeli wife, mother, and tour guide, to hear what life has been like for families since October 7, 2023. Tamar shares her personal story of waking up to sirens on a Jewish holiday, watching her husband be called into military reserve duty, navigating motherhood, fear, and faith during a season of national trauma and uncertainty. Recorded in Jerusalem during the Ambassadors Summit, this conversation offers a rare and deeply human look at: • What October 7th was like for everyday families • How...
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Journey to Israel: Inside the Ministry of Tourism and Life in Israel Today
Youth Worker On Fire Podcast
In this special interview episode of Youth Worker on Fire, Doug Edwards sits down with Noam, a young woman from Tel Aviv who works with Israel’s Ministry of Tourism and previously served in the Israeli military. Recorded on location in Shiloh—the historic site where the tabernacle once stood and where Hannah dedicated Samuel to the Lord—Noam shares her personal story of growing up in Israel, serving in the army as a photographer, and what life has been like for young adults during and after the recent war. In this honest and heartfelt conversation, Noam talks about: • Growing up in Tel...
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Journey To Israel: A Nova Festival Survivor’s Story of Faith, Courage, and Choosing Life
Youth Worker On Fire Podcast
In this powerful interview episode of Youth Worker On Fire, Doug Edwards sits down with Haji, a survivor of the October 7 Nova Festival attack, to hear his remarkable story of survival, faith, intuition, and choosing life after unimaginable trauma. Recorded on location during the Ambassadors Summit in Israel, Haji shares his journey—from his background in Israeli media and government, his experience of the Nova Festival attack, to the moments where his instincts, quick decisions, and what he credits as God’s guidance helped save his life. In this emotional and deeply human...
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Journey to Israel: Ambassadors Summit 2025
Youth Worker On Fire Podcast
What is it like to travel through Israel with more than 1,000 pastors, youth pastors, Christian educators, and ministry leaders as part of the Ambassadors Summit 2025? In this special episode of Youth Worker on Fire, Doug Edwards shares a behind-the-scenes look at an extraordinary leadership journey through Israel—an experience designed to educate, equip, and inspire Christian leaders to better understand the current issues Israel is facing, its people, and its spiritual significance. Doug walks listeners through the vision behind the Ambassadors Summit, the months of preparation leading up...
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God Goes Before You: Starting the New Year with Courage, Prayer, and Peace
Youth Worker On Fire Podcast
A new year brings pressure, expectations, deadlines—and often fear. But what if you started this year knowing, without a doubt, that you are not alone? In this New Year episode of Youth Worker on Fire, Doug Edwards encourages youth pastors, volunteers, parents, and student leaders to step into the coming year with confidence, peace, and courage, grounded in the truth of Deuteronomy 31:8—that God goes before you, walks with you, and will never abandon you. Doug reminds listeners that Jesus understands our pressure because He lived it Himself—and that through Christ, our prayers go...
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The Power of Saying No: Protecting Your Family While Serving in Youth Ministry
Youth Worker On Fire Podcast
How do you serve God faithfully in youth ministry without sacrificing your family in the process? In this heartfelt Christmas-week episode of Youth Worker on Fire, Doug Edwards reflects on decades of student ministry and shares one of the most important lessons he’s learned the hard way: every yes comes with a cost—and sometimes the most spiritual word you can say is “no.” Rooted in powerful Christmas Scriptures like Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:21, and John 3:16, Doug reminds youth pastors, volunteers, parents, and grandparents why this season is ultimately about Emmanuel—God...
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Christmas Season Retreats
Youth Worker On Fire Podcast
What if some of the most life-changing moments in youth ministry don’t happen in the chruch building—but on a mountain, in the snow, or around a shared experience? In this Christmas-season episode of Youth Worker on Fire, Doug Edwards reflects on 35 years of student ministry and shares why retreats, trips, and shared adventures have consistently been one of the most powerful tools for evangelism, discipleship, and long-term spiritual impact. Starting with the Christmas story from Luke 2:8–14, Doug reminds youth pastors, volunteers, and parents that the message of Jesus brings great...
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When God Says “Not Yet”: What Waiting Teaches Us in Life and Youth Ministry
Youth Worker On Fire Podcast
Why does God make us wait—especially when the prayer seems good, urgent, and necessary? In this Christmas-season episode of Youth Worker on Fire, Doug Edwards explores one of the hardest spiritual disciplines for leaders, volunteers, students, and parents: waiting on God’s timing. Drawing from Acts 1:4, prophetic anticipation before Jesus’ birth, and insights from Mark Batterson’s Draw the Circle, Doug unpacks why “not yet” is often God’s path to deeper faith, clarity, and spiritual power. Through personal stories and student ministry memories, Doug reveals how waiting forms...
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When God Invites You Somewhere Unexpected
Youth Worker On Fire Podcast
How do you help students understand prophecy and the end times—without overwhelming them? In this unique episode of Youth Worker on Fire, Doug Edwards joins us from Israel, where he and 1,000 pastors, youth pastors, Christian educators, and influencers were invited to gather for the historic Ambassadors Summit 2025. Doug explains why blessing Israel matters, why Scripture repeatedly points us back to God’s promises over His people, and how these truths deeply impact the next generation. Watch the nightly broadcasts from the trip: Drawing from his own middle-school experience learning...
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The Least Likely Leader: Why God Uses Overlooked People to Change the World
Youth Worker On Fire Podcast
Do you ever feel unqualified, overlooked, or “not the one” God would choose? Then this episode will speak directly to you—and to every student you serve. In this powerful episode of Youth Worker on Fire, Doug Edwards shares why God consistently chooses the least impressive, least equipped, and least likely people to accomplish His greatest work. Drawing from Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson, the story of Gideon, and the extraordinary life of George Müller, Doug reveals how God delights in using ordinary, insecure, underestimated people to confound the wise. Through Scripture, real...
info_outlineHow do you serve God faithfully in youth ministry without sacrificing your family in the process?
In this heartfelt Christmas-week episode of Youth Worker on Fire, Doug Edwards reflects on decades of student ministry and shares one of the most important lessons he’s learned the hard way: every yes comes with a cost—and sometimes the most spiritual word you can say is “no.”
Rooted in powerful Christmas Scriptures like Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:21, and John 3:16, Doug reminds youth pastors, volunteers, parents, and grandparents why this season is ultimately about Emmanuel—God with us—and the families He has entrusted to us.
Drawing wisdom from Martin Luther and leadership insights from John Maxwell, Doug opens up about the trips, retreats, and ministry opportunities he said yes to—some of which he wishes he had approached differently for the sake of his wife and children.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
✅ Why “good ministry opportunities” can still cost you what matters most
✅ How saying yes to ministry often means saying no to family time
✅ Why prayer should increase—not decrease—when life gets busier
✅ The leadership truth: whatever you say yes to, you say no to everything else
✅ How to model healthy boundaries for students and volunteers
✅ Why Christmas is the perfect season to reassess priorities and pace
This episode is a must-listen for youth pastors, ministry volunteers, teachers, parents, and grandparents who want to finish ministry strong, not burned out—and who want their families to feel loved, valued, and prioritized along the way.
🎄 Sometimes the greatest gift you can give this Christmas isn’t another event—it’s your presence.
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EPISODE CREDITS
Email us at: youthworkeronfire@gmail.com
Hosted by: Doug Edwards
Theme Song: "The One and Only" by The 808 : Listen to more at https://bit.ly/3FTYIAJ
Intro/Outro Voiceover: Michael Helms: https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelTheSoundGuy
Edited by: Secret Roots Music House
PODCAST EPISODE TOPICS:
Youth Ministry
Student Ministry
Youth Pastor Life
Ministry Encouragement
Leadership Skills