Navigating the Heart of Youth Ministry (Feat. Marii Cruz)

In this episode, Pastor Kurt welcomes Marii Cruz, the Youth and Young Adult Pastor at Encounter Church. They have a great conversation about the changes of youth ministry. Pastor Marii shares her personal story—from her Puerto Rican roots and her time as a single mother in leadership to navigating marriage and ministry with her husband, Aaron. Together, they discuss the unique challenges of reaching everyone from middle schoolers to thirty-year-olds, the importance of protecting family time, and the powerful rewards of seeing young lives transformed by an encounter with Jesus.