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Beyond the Event: A Youth Ministry PodcastAuthor: Christ In Youth
Bringing together influential voices from the CIY community to walk alongside you in your journey to maintain momentum between the mountaintop experiences of youth ministry. Language: en-us Genres: Christianity, Education, Religion & Spirituality, Self-Improvement Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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BTE 5.12 Phones on Trips vs. No Phones on Trips: Part 1 with Caleb DeRoin and Matt Tibbit
Episode 12
Sunday, 15 February, 2026
Mailbag questions or topic suggestions? Text us!What if a single boundary could transform your next youth trip? We sit down with Arkansas youth pastor Matt Tibbit, who has led students for 20 years without allowing phones at camp. His reasoning is simple and sharp: protect attention, protect safety, and give students a rare chance to belong without the pull of a screen. Matt walks us through the practical side—how his team handles parent communication using leader phones, why bright ID bracelets include staff numbers, and how a strict buddy system turns a big campus into a safer, smaller community.The surprising part isn’t the policy. It’s the fruit. Van rides become instant mixers full of card games, jokes, and stories that set up small groups for depth. Free time shifts from solo scrolling to shared memories. Anxiety over losing a “lifeline” eases within days as students discover they can navigate with a paper schedule, ask a leader, or simply follow their group. Parents get on board quickly, often because they see noticeable change when their kids come home—more present, more joyful, and more connected.We also dig into the bigger picture: how constant connectivity fuels distraction and comparison, why Gen Z and Gen Alpha are increasingly open to analog moments, and where phone discipleship best fits into a ministry calendar. Matt argues camp is for eternal work—scripture, repentance, calling, and unity—while the other 51 weeks are ideal for teaching wise tech habits. If you’ve wondered whether a phone-free week is possible, this conversation delivers both conviction and a clear blueprint you can adapt, from paper maps to nightly group movement rules.Subscribe for part two, where we explore the other side: the case for allowing phones and coaching students to use them well. If this episode helped you think differently about trip policies, share it with a leader friend and leave a review so more youth workers can find it.
