PODCAST · religion
The Launch Mission
by Tommy McGregor
The Launch Mission Podcast, hosted by author Tommy McGregor, focuses on helping teenagers liftoff on the journey of life after high school.
Episodes
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Know What You Believe Before You Leave Home
Leaving home for college brings new opportunities to grow, but it also means encountering new ideas and cultural pressures that may challenge what you believe. Brett Kunkle, founder of Maven, explains why a faith built only on what your parents or church have taught you isn’t enough—you need to...
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College Student Testimony
What does it look like to carry your faith with you when the routines and people you’ve always relied on are no longer right down the hall? Annabel Baker, a chemical engineering student at the University of Alabama, shares what she learned navigating college, from finding Christian community to...
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Following Jesus When You Get to College
What happens when you leave the routines, people, and structure you’ve known for most of your life? Austin Gentry talks about what he learned when he went from a Christian school to a state university and found himself navigating new ideas, new experiences, and new responsibilities. Together…
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Make Your Senior Year Count: Interview with Youth Pastor Russell McCrory
Russell encourages seniors to look beyond graduation and start taking ownership of the areas of life they will soon be responsible for on their own. Rather than coasting through senior year, students can be intentional with their faith, family, friendships, future, finances, and time. He also...
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The College Admissions Game Plan: Interview with Author Matt Douglas
Matt Douglas, author of Unlocking College Admissions: Your Step-By-Step Workbook For Finding The Right College And Getting In, joins Tommy to unpack the college admissions process and help students and families approach it with less stress and more intentionality. He explains how to identify the...
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A Parent's Guide to Senior Year: For Parents of the High School Class of 2027
Senior year can feel like a race to make sure students know everything they need before they leave home, but Tommy emphasizes that being ready and being prepared are not always the same thing. Students may be excited for independence while still needing to develop practical skills like managing...
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Season 5 Fall Trailer
Hear a preview of the Season 5, made specifically for the high school class of 2027. Season 5 will start with a special episode for parents on Labor Day and the first episode for students on September 14th.
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Ministry Spotlight: Church College Ministry
Finding community in college isn't just about joining a student organization—it can also mean finding a local church that invests in college students. In this episode, we're wrapping up our Campus Ministry Spotlight series by talking about church-based college ministries and how they differ from...
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Ministry Spotlight: BCM
Starting college comes with a lot of questions—including where you'll find community. In this episode, we're continuing our Campus Ministry Spotlight series by exploring BCM (Baptist Collegiate Ministry/Baptist Student Ministry). We answer questions like: What is BCM? What does it offer college...
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Ministry Spotlight: RUF
College is full of new opportunities, but finding a community that helps you stay grounded can make all the difference. In this episode, we're continuing our Campus Ministry Spotlight series by exploring RUF (Reformed University Fellowship). We answer questions like: What is RUF? What makes it...
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Ministry Spotlight: InterVarsity
Starting college means stepping into a completely new environment, and finding the right community can make all the difference. In this episode, we're continuing our Campus Ministry Spotlight series by sharing highlights from past conversations about InterVarsity. We answer questions like: What…
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Ministry Spotlight: Chi Alpha
In this episode, we're continuing our Campus Ministry Spotlight series by sharing highlights from past conversations about Chi Alpha, a Christian ministry found on college campuses across the country. We answer questions like: What is Chi Alpha? What makes it unique? And how does it help students...
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Ministry Spotlight: Campus Outreach
College is about more than earning a degree—it's also a time when many students grow personally, spiritually, and relationally. In this episode, we're continuing our Campus Ministry Spotlight series by sharing highlights from past conversations about Campus Outreach. We answer questions like…
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Ministry Spotlight: Navigators
Starting college means making a lot of decisions—including how you'll find community and continue growing in your faith. In this episode, we're continuing our Campus Ministry Spotlight series by sharing highlights from past conversations about the Navigators. We answer questions like: What are…
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Ministry Spotlight: Younglife College
College can feel like a fresh start, but it can also leave you wondering where you'll find your people. In this episode, we're continuing our Campus Ministry Spotlight series by sharing highlights about Young Life College and answering questions like: What is Young Life College? What makes it...
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Ministry Spotlight: Cru
Starting college can feel exciting, overwhelming, and sometimes lonely as you try to figure out where you belong. In this episode, we’re kicking off our Campus Ministry Spotlight series by sharing highlights and clips from past conversations about Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ). We answer...
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Best Advice Recap: Students
We’re ending the semester with one final recap episode featuring some of the best advice and insights shared by students throughout the season. From friendships and faith to independence and growth, these conversations are full of reminders you may need heading into your next season. Visit our...
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Best Advice Recap: Mentors
Join us for a special recap episode featuring some of the most insightful advice from this semester's mentors! It's the perfect opportunity to revisit key topics + insights you may have missed. Visit our website Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook
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My College Story (Part 2)
This episode is Part 2 of our College Stories series, where we read real stories from college students so you can learn from their experiences before you ever step on campus. In this episode, we dive into three new situations: settling for easy friendships instead of meaningful ones, falling into...
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My College Story (Part 1)
As you get closer to graduation, it’s easy to assume you’ll just “figure it out” when you get to college—but these stories show how quickly things can feel overwhelming without a plan. In Part 1 of this 2-part series, we’re reading real college stories from students so you can learn from what…
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Staying Safe on Your College Campus
You’re about to step into a new level of independence, and this episode walks you through how to stay safe while doing it. Scott Thurmond explains that campus police aren’t there to “catch” you—they’re there to help you succeed and make it to graduation. Most safety issues on campus come down to...
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Living on Your College Campus
You’re about to step into a completely new environment, and this episode helps you know what actually matters from the start. Orientation isn’t just something to get through—it’s your first chance to meet people, ask questions, and set yourself up well. Getting involved early and finding the…
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The Most Important First Step in College
Tommy sits down with John Decker to talk about the heart behind Every Student Sent and why so many students lose their faith in the transition to college. They unpack how early connection, intentional community, and a clear sense of purpose can completely change a student’s college experience—and...
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Career Highlight Series: Nursing
This Career Highlight episode breaks down the journey into nursing, from college to advanced roles like anesthesia. We discuss the different entry points into the field and how career paths can evolve over time. You'll get a realistic look at daily responsibilities, both as a bedside nurse and in…
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Career Highlight Series: Military Service
In this Career Highlight episode, Tommy sits down with a military colonel who built a 30+ year career in the service to explore what that path can look like after high school. You’ll hear how joining the military can help pay for college, provide structure, and open doors to long-term...
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Career Highlight Series: Accounting
In this episode, Tommy sits down with a Certified Public Accountant and managing partner of an accounting firm to learn what a career in accounting really looks like. He explains the difference between basic accounting and becoming a CPA, what college preparation involves, and what entry-level…
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Career Highlight Series: Business and Entrepreneurship
In this Career Highlight episode, we sit down with a coffee company founder and entrepreneur to explore what building a business can actually look like. He shares how an unexpected path after college eventually led him to launch a coffee company focused on community, relationships, and purpose....
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Career Highlight Series: Physical Therapy
In this Career Series episode, we sit down with a physical therapist to help you understand what this career actually looks like. If you’re interested in the medical field but not sure what direction to take, this conversation breaks down what physical therapy involves, how it’s different from...
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From Soccer Dreams to God's Call to Ministry
In this episode, Elean shares his journey from building his identity around soccer to discovering that only Christ could truly fill the void he was carrying. After multiple serious injuries, broken expectations, and seasons of anxiety and loneliness, he began pursuing a real relationship with the...
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Freshman Follow-up: Expectations Meet Real Life
In this episode, three college freshmen reconnect after their senior year of high school and reflect on what freshman year has actually been like. They talk honestly about homesickness, building friendships from scratch, learning how to study, managing time, missing assignments, figuring out...
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Student Testimony: Sutton (Auburn University)
College gives you the chance to decide who you’re going to be — and Sutton’s story shows how meaningful that choice can be. In this episode, Sutton shares her journey from navigating faith and temptation in high school to starting college out of state and rebuilding community from scratch. She...
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Student Testimony: Turner (University of Tennessee)
Starting college means starting over in a lot of ways — new people, new routines, and new decisions about who you want to become. In this episode, Turner shares what his first year at college has really been like, from staying rooted in faith to intentionally building community early. He talks...
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Student Testimony: Aubrey (University of Alabama)
Moving across the country for college can feel exciting and terrifying at the same time — especially when you don’t know a single person. In this episode, Aubrey shares what it was really like leaving a small high school, starting over at a massive university, and learning how to find community...
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Find Your People Before You Find Your Major
College doesn’t just bring new classes and freedom — it brings the question of who you’re doing life with. In this episode, the conversation centers on why finding the right community early in college matters more than almost anything else. From the shift away from structured youth group to the...
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Welcome to 2026
In this solo episode kicking off the second half of the season, Tommy welcomes the Class of 2026 and casts a vision for the year ahead. Rather than treating senior year as something to simply “get through,” he challenges students to see 2026 as a year of intentional preparation. The episode…
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Best Advice (Students Recap)
In this recap episode, we pull together some of the most meaningful moments from students who joined the podcast this semester. Through a collection of short clips, students reflect on faith, calling, gap years, college transitions, community, leadership, and what it looks like to follow Jesus in...
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Best Advice (Mentors Recap)
In this episode, we pull together some of the best clips from every mentor who joined the podcast this fall semester. These highlight moments revisit themes like finishing senior year well, overcoming burnout, strengthening faith, choosing community, discovering calling, and preparing for…
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Four Goals for College
In this solo episode, Tommy explains why preparing for life after high school matters so deeply—because most students enter their first major life transition without the support systems that shaped them. Using the parable of the prodigal son and his own college story, Tommy highlights the common...
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Purpose in the Pressure: Trusting God with Your Future
This conversation explores the pressure high school seniors feel as they face huge decisions—choosing a college, a major, and the direction of their future—often for the very first time. Eli talks about why this stage can feel so overwhelming, especially when students haven’t had to make major…
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Standing Firm: Navigating a Culture That Doesn’t Always Share Your Values
In this episode, Tommy and Eli dig into what it really means to stand firm in your faith once you step onto a college campus. Eli breaks down the cultural and intellectual pressures students face—whether at a Christian university or a public school—and why genuine, personal conviction matters…
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Faith That Travels: How to Take Your Beliefs with You To College
In this episode, Eli Byrd joins the conversation to talk about what it really means to own your faith as you move from high school to college. He shares his personal journey of learning to take responsibility for his relationship with God, emphasizing the importance of building consistent…
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Student Testimony: Rob Ashworth
High school senior Rob Ashworth joins the conversation to share how faith grows strongest in life’s in-between moments — between valleys and mountains. He reflects on how pressure and uncertainty can deepen spiritual connection, and why gratitude and trust in the Lord matter in every season, not...
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Life Skills For College Life
This week’s episode dives into the real-life skills every high school senior needs before heading to college. From time and money management to self-care and setting healthy boundaries, this conversation breaks down how to handle independence well and avoid common first-year mistakes. Visit our...
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The Gospel Way Catechism
In this episode, Tommy sits down with Thomas West to unpack The Gospel Way Catechism and how it shapes faith during the transition to college. They explore what it means to find identity in Christ, live out the kingdom of God, and stay rooted in the church. Thomas challenges students to recognize...
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Hacking College
In this episode, Tommy talks with Scott Carlson and Ned Scott Laff, authors of Hacking College: Why the Major Doesn't Matter―and What Really Does, about rethinking the traditional college experience. They explore the flaws in conventional pathways, the concept of “empty degrees,” and how aligning...
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College Student Testimony: Will Hardin
In this episode, Will Hardin shares his journey from high school to college, highlighting the gap year that shaped his calling to ministry. Through mission trips to South Africa and Uganda, Will experienced personal growth, deepened his faith, and learned the value of community and…
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Spotlight: Impact 360 Fellows Program
This episode dives into the Impact 360 Fellows Program—a nine-month gap year designed for students aged 18–20 who want to grow deeper in their faith before college. Built on the pillars of knowing Jesus, being transformed in character, and living with kingdom influence, the program blends…
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Preventing Senioritis & Avoiding Burnout
Senior year can feel like a blur of excitement, stress, and exhaustion. In this episode, Tommy and Richard Jones unpack “senioritis” and the burnout that often comes with the high school–to–college transition. They share stories, explore the role of faith in managing anxiety, and offer practical...
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Advice from a Professor
Starting college can feel like stepping into a whole new world—and it is! That’s why Tommy sits down with author and professor Alex Chediak to unpack what makes the transition from high school to college such a big leap. From time management and self-discipline to faith, community, and even...
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Encouragement to Seniors from Mark Hall
Mark Hall—member of Casting Crowns and longtime youth pastor—offers heartfelt encouragement to high school seniors as they prepare for life’s next chapter. He highlights the importance of building a personal relationship with Jesus, leaning on prayer for guidance, and surrounding yourself with a...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Launch Mission Podcast, hosted by author Tommy McGregor, focuses on helping teenagers liftoff on the journey of life after high school.
HOSTED BY
Tommy McGregor
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Launch Mission have?
The Launch Mission currently has 160 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Launch Mission about?
The Launch Mission Podcast, hosted by author Tommy McGregor, focuses on helping teenagers liftoff on the journey of life after high school.
How often does The Launch Mission release new episodes?
The Launch Mission publishes regularly with 160 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Launch Mission?
You can listen to The Launch Mission on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Launch Mission?
The Launch Mission is created and hosted by Tommy McGregor.
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