Since the Youth Ministry Mentorship can only be as good as the mentors behind it, we work hard to find solid individuals who love youth workers and have a heart for training others. Every mentor on our team is:

• Spiritually mature.
• Able to listen and give wise youth ministry counsel.
• Flexible.
• Passionate about serving and developing new youth workers.
• Familiar with youth ministry resources to recommend.
• Available once a week for a phone conversation with the mentoree for about 10 weeks.
• An active veteran in youth ministry for at least 8 years.

The Mentorship Team

Tim Schmoyer serves as the youth pastor at Evangelical Covenant Church in Alexandria, MN. His passion lies in one-on-one discipleship and in training others to be effective in their spiritually intentional relationships with teenagers. He has been in youth ministry for 10 years. He is also the founder and author of this website, Life In Student Ministry.

Janelle Painter is a part of the Bridge Youth Ministries in Elizabeth, NJ. She’s been a youth worker for 8 years, serving as a youth worship leader, an all-girls small group leader, and is in charge of creating hands-on prayer/worship stations once a month for the youth church, the Sanctuary. She loves singing, creativity, clouds, thunderstorms, and making people smile.

Justin Ross has spent over 10 years working in youth ministry, his calling while still in high school. After graduating from college in his home state of Arkansas, he moved to Whidbey Island in Washington State to youth pastor at Whidbey Presbyterian Church in 2001. He is married to Nicole and their son Jaxson Isaiah was born in January 2008. Their life can be observed through Facebook, Twitter, and his blog.

Brett Hetherington has been working with teens for 8 years, since he himself was one. God called him into youth ministry right out of high school, working first with junior-highers. He graduated from Geneva College with a BA in Student Ministry, and works full-time with Corry First UM Church in Corry, PA. Brett has been married since 2005, and has been a dad since 2007.

James Tippins has one passion: Christ. His second is investing in the lives of others. He has over 12 years of experience working with teens and college students as well as having served as an executive, worship and children’s pastor. Married for 12 years and the father of four children, he is currently a Ph.D. candidate with Trinity Seminary and is authoring several books while serving as Sr. Pastor at FBC Newark, CA.

Mike Kupferer has been in youth ministry for over 7 years and still loves it. He loves students and desires to see their lives changed because of Jesus. The only thing Mike loves more than youth ministry (and God, of course) is his family.

Chris Day has been doing Youth Ministry for 10 years. He is passionate about leading students into a deeper relationship with Christ and developing leaders.

Brian Ford began his ministry as the Youth Director for a church in New Jersey over 12 years ago. In 2002 he and his wife Kim joined the ministry of Interim Youth Ministries, Inc. a ministry designed to equip and train youth workers. Brian is also a speaker for youth events as well as writer.

Kevin Twombly has been the Generations Pastor at Grace Capital Church in Pembroke, NH for the last 10 years. During this time the youth group has grown from 1 student (church plant) to a thriving group of over 150 students that meet weekly for a large group and small group setting. Kevin is a very relational leader who desires to equip others in Youth Ministry in order to continue to expand the Kingdom of God.

Rob Kashow was saved as a trouble teen. Ever since then, he has been burdened for youth ministry, serving in various capacities for a little over 10 years. He has a major in Bible and Youth Ministry from Philadelphia Biblical University and is currently a ThM student at Dallas Theological Seminary. Rob also founded the Facebook group Youth Pastors Only.

Ryan Nielsen currently serves as the Director of Student Ministries at St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Boerne, TX. Ryan has worked in youth ministry for 16 years in Colorado, Canada, Denmark, Oklahoma, California, and Texas and is currently working on his Doctorate from Fuller Seminary. Ryan is also the owner and president of Pastor2youth.com. Ryan is married to Christianna, his wife of 3 years.

Terrace Crawford has been in youth ministry for 13 years and serves as the Minister of Students at Cornerstone Church in Norfolk, VA. His passion in reaching people, encouraging and equipping people for the Kingdom. He is an advocate for mentoring and refers to it as “Life on Life,” which is theme of the blog he authors. Crawford is also the leader of a Youth Pastor Network in his area.

Tony Myles is a 16-year youth ministry veteran who now serves as lead pastor of Connection Church in Medina, Ohio. His love for the Church and its future has spilled out into writing, coaching, and conference speaking. He’s written the book Miracles of Jesus, is a part of the Emergent Village Coordinating Group, and helped produce Christian Endeavor’s Pray21 campaign. And he really, really likes smoothies.

Statement of Faith

As a team of teachers to teachers, it’s important that we’re all on the same page theologically. Every youth ministry mentor adheres to this statement of faith:

• I believe the Bible to be the inspired, infallible Word of God and that it is the authority and standard for every life.
• I believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary.
• I believe in the substitutionary atonement of Christ’s death. That His death was enough to pay for the penalty of mankind’s sin, and through faith in Him, sins are forgiven and eternal life is received.
• I believe in the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
• I believe in the literal return of Jesus Christ and that He will establish His eternal kingdom as He promised.

NOTE: Mentors are recruited on a personal level by Tim Schmoyer and a couple people he trusts, not by an impersonal web application or even phone interviews. If you’re interested in becoming part of the mentorship team, we appreciate your heart to serve, but the only way to join the team is by a personal recommendation by someone Tim Schmoyer knows and trusts.