CONSULTANTSThe YS Consults team is comprised of youth ministry veterans, educators, authors, and practitioners. You’ll get insight, instruction, and inspiration from someone who understands youth ministry, and will work to understand your specific needs.
Steve is the executive director of the Contextual Learning Center and adjunct professor of youth ministry at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. He is co-founder of Intersect, a ministry that provides leadership training and consulting to emerging leaders in ministries around the world. With more than a decade of experience in youth ministry, Steve is a recognized communicator, author, and columnist. Steve consults with youth ministries in the areas of theology and philosophy, spiritual formation, teaching and preaching disciplines, and youth pastor/senior pastor relations.
Chris is a Christian leader and public speaker with nearly 15 years of experience working with youth and families, primarily in an inner-city context. He’s worked in juvenile corrections, the Minneapolis public schools, and served as a youth pastor. Chris currently serves as the coordinator of UrbNet, the National Network of Youth Ministry Urban Initiative. As a consultant, Chris specializes in developing customized ministry strategies to reach immigrant and urban youth and families, as well as developing collaborative ministry initiatives between area churches and ministries. He also helps bridge the gaps between urban and suburban churches and ministries.
Chris is the chief ministries officer at YouthFront, a ministry designed to bring youth into a growing relationship with Jesus. He is the author of A New Kind of Youth Ministry and the upcoming book Story Signs and Sacred Rhythms: A Narrative Approach to Youth Ministry. Chris also has a regular column in The Journal of Student Ministries, and speaks to and trains youth workers and students throughout North America. He has been involved in youth work for more than 12 years as a youth pastor, coach and high school teacher. Chris consults with churches and youth ministries on issues of leadership, reculturing (change), systemic thinking and resolution, big-picture ministry philosophy and strategies, staff chemistry, and ministry mission and vision development or assessment. Chris lives with his wife, Gina, and three children near Chicago, Illinois. You can interact with Chris on his blog at anewkindofyouthministry.com.
As a senior search consultant with People Management Minneapolis, Rick serves churches and faith-based organizations. Before that, he spent many years in youth ministry, including time as an area director for Young Life, and more than 11 years as a pastor to students and families at a church in Minneapolis. He also held the position of vice president of youth leadership, overseeing a graduate theological student internship program and serving as an adjunct faculty member at Bethel and Luther Theological Seminaries. Rick assists churches, faith-based organizations, and youth ministries in the staff search process. This includes a comprehensive plan and process, along with tools that ensure an excellent job fit. Rick lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Elaine.
Scott has been working in youth ministry for over 20 years and offers ministry consulting for Youth Specialties at all of their National Youth Worker Conventions as well as in local church settings. He is currently serving as pastor of student ministries at Piedmont Community Church in the Bay Area of California. Scott specializes in consulting with churches on youth ministry start-ups or restarts, including major directional changes or breathing new life into a youth ministry.
Tiger is the president of Youth Leadership, in St. Paul, Minnesota, which offers a unique youth ministry certification program, youth ministry intensive classes, as well as training for parents and volunteers. He also teaches at Bethel Seminary and is the author of The Student Leadership Training Manual for Youth Workers. Tiger has been consulting with churches for many years and specializes in churches and ministries that are working through issues of conflict, as well as assessment and evaluation of youth ministry programs, and coaching in the midst of defining moments.
President of Youth Specialties, Marko has been in youth ministry for about 25 years, working primarily with middle schoolers. Marko has authored dozens of books for youth ministry, and he’s a volunteer middle school small group leader at a church in San Diego. Marko is married to Jeannie, and they have two kids: Liesl and Max. Marko specializes in helping ministries develop a vision and structure, evaluate their program, as well as staff evaluations.
Ginny is co-director of North Park University's Center for Youth Ministry Studies in Chicago. Before teaching undergraduate and seminary students, she was involved in youth ministry for more than 20 years at various churches and camps, including Willow Creek Community Church. She is a co-author of Youth Ministry Management Tools, with Diane Elliot and Mike Work, and the author of the best-selling Teenage Girls: Exploring Issues Adolescent Girls Face and Strategies to Help Them. Ginny helps churches and youth ministries walk through the hiring process and with processes for evaluating the current youth pastor, and she also consults on strategic planning for youth ministries.
Mark is an entrepreneur, speaker, writer, and owner of the Riddle Group, a consulting firm that helps churches promote and develop sustainable ministries that impact early and mid-adolescents and their families. With more than 15 years of experience in vocational ministry, Mark leads a team of consultants from across the country who are changing the way people think about youth ministry. Mark specializes in the assessment of youth ministries, coaching and training, and leadership issues.
Jeanne has been working with students for the past 14 years. She is Youth Specialties’ director of training and leads the CORE team. Jeanne is also the author of the newly released Soul School: Enrolling in a Soulful Lifestyle for Youth Ministry. She specializes in consulting on leadership development, conflict resolution, small groups, and soul care.
As a Canadian, Matt Wilks is excited about what God is doing in youth ministry across Canada. Matt served for 12 years at a church in Calgary, first as the youth pastor and then as the lead pastor. As the director of youth worker initiatives with Sonlife, a ministry of YouthFront, Matt trains youth workers across the U.S. and Canada. He lives in Calgary, Canada, with his wife, Michelle, and their two daughters. Matt specializes in consulting churches and youth ministries on staff dynamics, developing new youth pastors, recruiting and leading volunteers, and helping youth ministries determine what steps to take next. |
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Steve Argue 
Chris Brooks 
Chris Folmsbee 
Rick Heltne 
Scott Kail 
Tiger McLeun 
Mark Oestreicher 
Ginny Olson
Mark Riddle 
Jeanne Stevens 
Matt Wilks