Youth Group Chronicles

Latest Episodes:

253: The Living Nightmare (Sha Racks & Dustin Coe) Oct 21, 2026

Show notes

http://JohnCristComedy.com/tour, for tour dates and tickets

What happens when a mission trip to Mexico turns into a living nightmare? This week on the pod, Sam is joined by Sha Racks and Dustin Coe for a collection of hilarious, horrifying, and downright unbelievable ministry stories! From a late-night scream that sends an entire cabin into chaos to a church bus ride that takes a disturbing turn, a youth camp sleepover gone horribly wrong, and a graduation prank that goes way too far, nothing is off-limits. Add in some awkward misunderstandings, unexpected Christmas performances, and unforgettable camp disasters, and you've got an episode full of stories you truly have to hear to believe!

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252: Driven by Faith (John Scarborough & George Johnson) Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

To learn more about booking a Luke Robertson to perform for your Camp, Conference or Church event, go to http://lukerobertsonlive.com/contact

This week, Sam is joined by John Scarborough and George Johnson for an episode packed with stories that go completely off the rails. A quiet afternoon at church turns into chaos when a car comes crashing through the building in a bizarre story of being “Driven by Faith,” while a youth group shooting event goes painfully wrong, an unexpected visitor interrupts worship, and a suspicious device leads to a call to the police. Plus, youth camp leaders discover a major problem with their indoor game, two students get caught in a colorful youth group moment, and a group of conference attendees attempts one of the most questionable hotel-room repairs imaginable.

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251: Controversial Art (Sha Racks & Dustin Coe) Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

This week, Sam is joined by Sha Racks and Dustin Coe for an episode packed with church stories that spiral out of control fast. Leading the chaos is Controversial Art, where an unexpected piece of artwork creates a situation nobody was prepared for. Plus, a sermon illustration sends an entire congregation into panic, a youth leader nearly makes a very awkward mistake with the wrong woman, an eleven-year-old face painter causes some serious Easter-event damage control, a phone call to Mom reveals way too much, a ceiling fan takes on a youth leader, a game of sardines produces an unbelievable hiding spot, one church announcement gets shortened in the worst possible way, and a camp prank crosses a line nobody expected.

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250: Backroom Draft Picks | After Hours Series (Cole Clark & Buddy Jenkins) Oct 03, 2026

Show notes

Sam sits down with Cole Clark and Buddy Jenkins for an After Hours bonus episode packed with random debates, hot takes, and behind-the-scenes conversations. They get into Sam’s quirks, favorite food combos and celebrities, sermon preaching tips, whether dating in youth group is a good idea, thoughts on the new Narnia movie, DC vs. Marvel, and the terrifying world of the Backrooms—including which YGC cast member would get taken out first. Plus, they wrap it up with some of their favorite clothing brands and plenty of side conversations along the way.

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249: Signed, Sealed, De-briefed (John Scarborough & George Johnson) Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

JohnCristComedy.com/tour, for tour dates and tickets.

This week, Sam is joined by John Scarborough and George Johnson for another round of youth ministry chaos, including a Secret Santa gift that turns into a very unexpected Christmas mystery in “Signed, Sealed, De-briefed.” They also get into a student hiding someone’s prosthetic leg at a retreat, a six-year-old giving an unforgettable answer during a VBS Bible lesson, a youth lock-in prank that goes very wrong, a mysterious camp bathroom message that somehow happens twice, one student’s extreme battle against spiders, and a youth leader receiving a permanent surprise just days before his wedding. It’s another episode full of stories that prove youth ministry is never boring.

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248: E. coli Speedrun (Cole Clark & Gabe Cuomo) Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

To learn more about booking a Luke Robertson to perform for your Camp, Conference or Church event, go to http://lukerobertsonlive.com/contact

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.

Sam is joined by Cole Clark and Gabe Cuomo for an episode packed with youth ministry stories that somehow keep getting worse. A summer camp game involving a real cow tongue takes a disgusting turn when a group of middle school boys decide to keep the fun going long after the game is over. Plus, a VBS dunk tank creates an unfortunate wardrobe emergency, a massive game of cops and robbers goes horribly wrong, a missing camper takes an unexpected trip into town, one youth leader asks the absolute worst question at the worst possible time, an innocent attempt to serve the guys creates a very unfortunate nickname, and a cabin water-balloon war escalates way beyond anything the leaders were prepared for.

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247: The Pregnancy Announcement (Buddy Jenkins & Mackenzie Smolin) Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

http://JohnCristComedy.com/tour, for tour dates and tickets.

Sam is joined by Buddy Jenkins & Mackenzie Smolin for an episode packed with youth ministry chaos, unforgettable church moments, and stories that escalate way faster than anyone expected. The main story starts with a girl pulling up after Bible study and announcing in front of a group of students, “I’m pregnant and it’s your fault,” leaving everyone stunned and one youth pastor scrambling to figure out what she could possibly mean. Plus, a burping contest goes horribly wrong, a pastor makes an unfortunate mistake while sharing a prayer request, a homemade watermelon slingshot turns dangerous, a church scare gets an unexpected response, a worship night takes a bizarre turn, a hidden shoe leads to an ER visit, and a student’s presentation puts something on the projector that definitely wasn’t part of the lesson.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

246: Twin Towers (Cole Clark & Gabe Cuomo) Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Sam is joined by Cole Clark and Gabe Cuomo for an episode packed with youth ministry stories that somehow keep getting more unhinged. Leading the way is Cole and Gabe’s unforgettable “Twin Towers” story, followed by everything from a camp prank call that goes horribly off-script and an Axe body spray war with serious consequences to a four-day middle school lock-in, a very unfortunate underwear mix-up, a prank that gets badly misunderstood, and one youth trip that ends with an unexpected late-night visit to the emergency room. Plus, Sam revisits a story from Chris Estrada that turned out to be completely true—even if confirming it meant calling him while he was on vacation in Rome at four in the morning.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

245: The Sacrificial Lamb (LIVE at Uproar Conference NY 2026) Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

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.

244: Camp’s Got Talent (Buddy Jenkins & Mackenzie Smolin) Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

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.

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