One-on-one and group coaching for youth pastors and honest, outside assessments for churches, from someone who has run student ministry at a church of 200 and a church of 20,000.
Andy Bedford
Founder & lead coach
They quit because they're exhausted, isolated and stuck. You're expected to be a pastor, event planner, counselor, volunteer manager and parent liaison, often with no one who's done the job to help you think it through. So you keep running the same programs, hoping this semester feels different.
These are the tensions almost every student ministry feels. Each one is something we can work on together.
“My senior pastor and I aren't on the same page.”
How I help: We define what a win looks like, put it in writing and report on it in language your lead pastor cares about. For senior pastors, I'm an outside voice who can translate both ways.
“It's the same five volunteers every week.”
How I help: A simple system to recruit, train and keep leaders, so your volunteers become a real coaching staff instead of chaperones.
“We run a lot of programs, but are students actually growing?”
How I help: We look at every gathering through one question: what's the next step? Then we cut, fix or build until students have one.
“Some parents feel more like critics than partners.”
How I help: A communication rhythm parents can count on, plus a plan for the hard conversations before they happen.
“I have a leader problem and no idea how to handle it.”
How I help: From a tough one-on-one to letting a volunteer go, we walk through it together so you lead with clarity and care.
“I'm tired, and I'm doing this alone.”
How I help: Someone in your corner every month who has been in your seat, with a pace you can still keep ten years from now.
Senior or executive pastor? If you want an outside look at your student ministry, see the assessment.
If you nodded at even one, let's talk.
Every engagement starts with a free 30-minute call. We'll find the right fit for your ministry and your budget, including pastors paying out of pocket.
About 5 weeks from kickoff to findings meeting
Assessment + coaching. Add 3 months of coaching for your youth pastor after the assessment, so the plan actually gets carried out.
Ask about the bundleLaunching this season: the first five clients receive a founding rate in exchange for honest feedback. Ask about it on your call.
Good coaches watch the film before they change the game plan. Surveys tell us what people think. Listening sessions tell us why. Your report scores each area from 1 to 5 and leads with the three things to work on first.
Example scores for illustration only.
The assessment looks at the ministry, not whether to keep your youth pastor. Everything people share stays confidential.
Three minutes, 12 quick questions. See your own scorecard, and bring it to a free call so we can start with a game plan.
30 minutes on video. Tell me what's going on, and we'll see if coaching or an assessment would actually help.
You'll get a short proposal: what we'll work on, how often we'll meet, and a price that fits your budget. No long contracts.
Coaching calls start within a week. Assessments kick off with your senior pastor and youth pastor together.
I've served in student ministry for more than 15 years. I started as a volunteer, became a student pastor at a small church, led a regional church's student ministry, and then spent four years leading Transit, the middle school ministry at North Point Community Church.
Along the way I learned that most youth pastors don't quit because they stop loving students. They quit because they're doing it alone, without enough leaders, and without anyone in their corner. That's what I want to change.
Before ministry, I served six years in the Marine Corps. I later earned my Th.M. at Dallas Theological Seminary.
I'm also a coach in the other sense. I've coached baseball and basketball for 12+ years, and what works on the field works in ministry: run a good practice, develop your assistants and keep parents on your side.
I'm also a host. Since 2021 I've hosted live game shows with The Big Game Show for clients like Chick-fil-A, OpenAI, the Memphis Grizzlies and Milo's Tea, plus Battle for Bowl Week before the 2022 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Getting a room engaged in the first five minutes is a skill every youth pastor needs.
Since 2024 I've also hosted Lighthouse Family Retreat, which serves families walking through childhood cancer. Leading a room well matters just as much in the hard moments as in the loud ones.
Need help with what happens in the room? I speak at student nights, camps and retreats, and I host and emcee events from games to the whole program. I also write talks, message series and small group content, and create games your team can run. Priced per project. Ask about it on your call.
It depends on what you need. Coaching and assessments are built around your ministry and budget, and many churches cover coaching as professional development. We'll talk through options on the free call, with no pressure.
Yes. Youth ministry is where I started, but the same idea works anywhere: no leader should have to do it alone. I also offer leader development, team-building and event hosting for Christian schools, public schools and companies.
Coaching happens over video, so you can be anywhere. Assessments include an on-site visit for churches near metro Atlanta, and can be done virtually or with travel elsewhere.
Yes, and that's common. I can send an invoice to your church and a one-page summary you can share with your senior pastor or finance team.
Most churches I work with have between 150 and 1,500 people. I've led student ministry in churches from a couple hundred people to tens of thousands, so the principles carry across sizes.
Yes. Coaching conversations stay between us. In assessments, survey answers and listening sessions are anonymous, and the church decides who sees the final report.
You'll talk through what's going on in your ministry and I'll ask a few questions. If coaching or an assessment makes sense, I'll follow up with a short proposal. If not, I'll point you to something that will help.
Pick a time for a free 30-minute video call. Tell me a little about your church and what's on your mind, and we'll take it from there.
Youth pastor or senior pastor, either is a good place to start.