Shows / NextGen Matters
NextGen Matters
Those leading in Next Generation ministries are navigating a complex landscape of relational, emotional, and organizational pressures that demand resilience, creativity, and deep community connection to sustain impactful ministry in a rapidly changing world.
Does this sound like you? Then we're glad you're here!
NextGen Matters and this podcast are here to guide you through the complexity by providing you with Biblically sound solutions to meet your ministry needs.
Why this podcast?
Our show…
Episodes
NextGen Matters#36: Leading with Gratitude
Episode Summary Would the people closest to you describe you as a grateful person? In this episode, Rich Brown shares a deeply personal journey of how God has…
NextGen Matters#35: The Power of the Open Home
Episode Summary In Episode 35 of NextGen Matters, Rich Brown explores the power of opening your home as a place of ministry, hospitality, and spiritual growth…
- NextGen Matters
#34: One Team / One Mission (Building a Missional Ministry Culture pt.5)
Episode Show Notes In this episode, Rich wraps up the Building a Missional Ministry mini‑series on cultivating a missional mindset in student ministry across…
- NextGen Matters
#33: Engaging Your Home School Student (Building a Missional Culture Pt.4)
Show Overview This episode of NextGen Matters pulls back the curtain on the spiritual, social, and emotional realities of homeschool students in youth…
- NextGen Matters
#32: Engaging Your Christian School Student (Building a Missional Culture Pt.3)
Christian school students often appear spiritually strong from the outside but what’s happening beneath the surface? In this episode, Rich takes an honest look…
- NextGen Matters
#31: Engaging Your Public School Students (Building a Missional Culture pt.2 with Travis Deans)
As summer fades and backpacks reappear, Rich kicks off Part 2 of the Building a Missional Culture series—focusing on the greatest mission field students will…
- NextGen Matters
#30: Students Reaching Students (Building a Missional Culture Pt. 1)
Episode Summary: In this episode, Rich unpacks why students are uniquely positioned to reach other students with the gospel of Jesus Christ. You’ll hear why…
- NextGen Matters
#29: Making the Mission Last (Interview with Tim Wadsworth)
Episode Summary Every mission trip ends with students returning home inspired and full of stories about what God has done. But what happens when everyday life…
- NextGen Matters
#28: "Bringing It Home" (Bridging the mission experience into everyday life)
A week of serving can change a student's life, but what happens when they come home? The mission trip is over. The excitement begins to fade. School starts…
- NextGen Matters
#27: You Can Win the Stats but Lose the Game (Ministry Lessons from King Uzziah)
Episode Overview In this episode of NextGen Matters, Rich Brown explores the life of King Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26) and challenges ministry leaders with one…
- NextGen Matters
#26: The Tension of Ministry Success, Metrics, and Ministry Depth (Interview with Peter Pizzuto)
Episode Summary In this episode, Rich Brown sits down with his brother-in-law, Peter Pizzuto, to discuss the tension between ministry programs, attendance…
- NextGen Matters
#25: Color War, 400 Students, and the Power of the Gospel (Interview with Matt McClay)
Episode Summary In this episode, Rich Brown sits down with longtime friend and student pastor Matt McClay to discuss how intentional outreach events can become…
- NextGen Matters
#24: From New Age to New Life (Interview with Shane Miller)
This episode is going to dive into the reality of what so many of today's culture, including those within the church, are facing. This interview deals with the…
- NextGen Matters
#23: NextGen Ministry Lessons from King David (Psalm 71)
Episode Overview In this deeply personal and Scripture‑saturated episode, Rich walks through Psalm 71 and shows how an aging, battle-worn King David becomes a…
- NextGen Matters
#22: Why Work? 5 Ministry Vital Signs pt.5
This episode is a rich, relational deep‑dive into how student ministry can move beyond programs and personalities and into genuine disciple‑making. Rich sits…
- NextGen Matters
#21: Why Witness? 5 Ministry Vital Signs pt.4
Episode Show Notes In this episode, Rich sits down with longtime friend and student‑pastor Mike Camire of Parkway Baptist Church (Moseley, VA) to explore what…
- NextGen Matters
#20: Why Welcome? 5 Ministry Vital Signs pt.3
Episode Show Notes In this episode, the host welcomes Justin Lucas, student director at Mercy Hill Church, to unpack the critical role of creating a truly…
- NextGen Matters
#19: Why the Word? 5 Ministry Vital Signs pt.2
In the second episode in the five-part Vital Signs series of the NextGen Matters podcast, Rich sits down with Kyle Hoffsmith—family ministry pastor and fellow…
- NextGen Matters
#18: Why Worship? 5 Ministry Vital Signs pt.1
Show Notes In this first of five episodes speaking into the Five Ministry Vital Signs, Rich is joined by student pastor Ryan Brown and worship leader Jimmy…
- NextGen Matters
#17: FIVE SIGNS your ministry is Spiritually Fit
In this episode, Rich Brown walks ministry leaders through a practical diagnostic for evaluating the spiritual health of their ministry. Using the metaphor of…
- NextGen Matters
#16: Breaking Free from Ministry Comparison
Episode Show Notes Ministry comparison is one of the quietest and most corrosive forces shaping the hearts of NextGen leaders. In this episode, Rich continues…
- NextGen Matters
#15: The Subtle Trap of Ministry Comparison
Episode Overview Comparison is one of the most exhausting and unspoken pressures in ministry. In this father–son conversation, Rich and Ryan Brown unpack how…
- NextGen Matters
#14: When NextGen Ministries Unite (interview with Cody Mummau regarding Episode 2026)
In this powerful conversation, Rich sits down with longtime friend Cody Mummau, high school pastor at Thomas Road Baptist Church, to unpack the heart, vision…
- NextGen Matters
#13: From Resisting to Redeemed (Interview with Ryan Brown)
Episode Show Notes In this deeply personal and joy‑filled conversation, Rich sits down with his youngest son, Ryan Brown—now a student pastor at…
- NextGen Matters
#12: Loving Students Who Don't Love You Back
Episode Show Notes Loving Students Who Don’t Love You Back Every NextGen leader knows the sting of pouring into a student who doesn’t respond—or suddenly pulls…
- NextGen Matters
#11: Never Underestimate the Seeds You're Planting (interview with Janet Brown)
In this episode, Rich Brown welcomes his very first guest—his wife of more than 40 years, Dr. Janet Kay Brown—for a heartfelt and deeply practical conversation…
- NextGen Matters
#10: Stronger Together: The Power of Ministry Peer Relationships
Ministry can feel isolating even when you're surrounded by people. In this episode, Rich Brown unpacks why ministry peer relationships are essential for…
- NextGen Matters
#9: Build That Reading List!
Start Your 2026 Reading With Purpose — How to Build a List That Builds You The first episode of the year drops with energy, honesty, and a whole lot of…
- NextGen Matters
#8: Why Does My Perseverance Matter?
Episode Show Notes Perseverance is more than pushing through hard seasons—it’s the sacred ground where God shapes character, strengthens faith, and writes a…
- NextGen Matters
#7: Why Does My Integrity Matter?
Episode Show Notes In this episode of NextGen Matters, Rich Brown explores one of the most vital yet often overlooked qualities of leadership: integrity. As…
NextGen Matters#6: Why Does My Theology Matter?
Does My Theology Really Matter? If you get this wrong, you are not only damaging yourself, but those you are leading. Episode Show Notes In this episode, Rich…
- NextGen Matters
#5: Why Does My Devotional Time Matter?
Episode Show Notes In this episode of NextGen Matters, Rich Brown invites ministry leaders to step beyond being busy for Jesus and focusing on the need for the…
- NextGen Matters
#4: Why Does My Struggle Matter?
In Episode 4 of the NextGen Matters podcast, Why Does My Struggle Matter, Rich Brown speaks directly to ministry leaders about the reality of struggle and why…
- NextGen Matters
#3: Why Does My Ministry Matter?
In this episode of NextGen Matters, Rich takes us deep into the life and calling of Jeremiah, God’s prophet during Judah’s collapse, to remind us of the…
- NextGen Matters
#2: Why Does My Calling Matter?
In this episode, Rich Brown invites ministry leaders to reflect deeply on their personal calling and the profound impact it has on their leadership and…
- NextGen Matters
#1: Why Does The Next Generation Matter?
In this launch episode of NextGen Matters Podcast, Rich invites ministry leaders to rediscover the eternal significance of reaching today’s youth by asking one…
NextGen MattersIntro Episode: Why the Next Gen Matters podcast: The Purpose Behind the Podcast
Welcome to the first episode to the NextGen Matters Podcast, where in this episode, Rich Brown introduces the NextGen Matters Podcast, a show created to…