Youth Group Chronicles

LIVE from Uproar Conference NY 2026 in Horseheads, New York, Sam is joined by Cole Clark and Buddy Jenkins for a packed episode of Youth Group Chronicles! The guys dive into some of the wildest youth ministry stories yet, including a conference illustration involving a live lamb that left an entire room of students horrified, a mission trip that ended with police cars and a helicopter surrounding two church vans, and a youth group mystery drink that went horribly wrong. From camp disasters to painfully awkward moments, this live episode proves once again that when youth ministry is involved, absolutely anything can happen.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sign up for the Culture Translator at https://axis.org/YGC. The Culture Translator is one of the easiest ways to stay informed and equipped. It's free, arrives every Friday, and gives you practical insight into the world teenagers are growing up in, along with conversation starters you can use right away.
Sam is joined by Buddy Jenkins and Mackenzie Smolin for an episode packed with youth ministry stories that somehow keep getting more unhinged. The main event takes us back to summer camp for a talent show performance that started with a bedsheet, a spotlight, and a bucket—and ended with the entire room realizing the student on stage may have taken his act a little too seriously. Along the way, they get into a sound guy’s shocking last week at camp, one youth group’s bizarre approach to relationship conflict, a preschool résumé disaster, a bonfire that spiraled wildly out of control, an unfortunate sermon catchphrase, and a camp activity involving some very questionable balloons.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

http://johncristcomedy.com/tour, for tour dates and tickets.
Sam is joined by Cole Clark and Gabe Cuomo for an episode packed with youth ministry decisions that went very, very wrong. The featured story, “Three Inches of Regret,” takes us to a mission trip in Mexico where one student’s attempt to help build a house turns into a medical emergency nobody saw coming. Plus, a youth trip with a bus driver who keeps missing exits raises some serious questions, a stolen hat returns to youth group with a disturbing backstory, a dirt bike racer has an unforgettable gas station disaster, one pastor sends possibly the worst-timed text imaginable, a late-night TP mission reveals way more than anyone bargained for, and a youth pastor gets pushed to his breaking point on the side of the road. Cole and Gabe join Sam to break down another collection of youth ministry stories you truly couldn’t make up.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sign up for the Culture Translator at http://axis.org/YGC. The Culture Translator is one of the easiest ways to stay informed and equipped. It's free, arrives every Friday, and gives you practical insight into the world teenagers are growing up in, along with conversation starters you can use right away.
This week on Youth Group Chronicles, Sam is joined by Buddy Jenkins and Mackenzie Smolin for an episode packed with youth ministry moments that went completely off the rails. A youth camp’s growing goose problem inspires a group of students to take matters into their own hands in “Silence of the Geese,” leading to a solution no leader could have possibly approved. Plus, a worship song gets taken way too literally, a harmless volleyball challenge ends in damage control, a church lock-in leaves behind a disgusting secret, and a staff member’s summer camp tradition goes painfully wrong. From an awkward interview answer and a case of mistaken identity to ghosts, Crocs, and a student claiming to be Jesus, this episode is another reminder that you never really know what’s going to happen in youth ministry.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Sam is joined LIVE from Uproar Conference Indiana 2026 for an episode packed with the kind of youth ministry stories you truly couldn't make up. From a first-time porta potty experience that leaves everyone speechless, to a camp snack discovery that changes an entire week's menu, a church game that got way more dangerous than anyone expected, and a youth leader who accidentally spent the morning with the wrong person, the stories just keep getting wilder. Add in a church hide-and-seek game with an unexpected twist, a painful sunburn "remedy," a hike gone terribly wrong, and several more unforgettable camp and church moments, and you've got another hilarious collection of youth ministry chaos that proves truth really is stranger than fiction.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.