No Youth No Church

If your church’s older members stepped away tomorrow, who would still be standing in the building a year from now? That question drives a real, practical conversation with Alpheus Anderson, an author, music director, producer, and the founder of Pure in Heart children’s and youth choir. We talk about the quiet crisis many congregations feel after COVID: youth ministry numbers shrinking, fewer teens engaged, and churches losing the next generation without meaning to. The message is blunt but hopeful: no youth, no church, and there are solutions if we’re willing to change how we show up.

We dig into what effective discipleship looks like right now, especially when attention is competing with phones, headphones, and nonstop media. Alpheus breaks down how to teach the Bible OTL “on their level” without losing depth, using what he calls “enter train,” entertainment and training together. We also talk about why Sunday school, children’s church, VBS, and small groups still matter, because “faith comes by hearing,” and students simply are not hearing the Word enough to form a steady biblical worldview.

Then we get tactical about college ministry and outreach. Alpheus shares four things he sees college students looking for: care, cash, cause, and community. Instead of leading with “come to our church,” we talk about serving first by showing up on campus with practical help and consistent presence. We even explore creative ideas like a college pantry in unused church space, plus how service opportunities can open doors for long-term connection.

You’ll also hear updates on Pure in Heart, new music, Stellar nomination excitement, and how a youth-driven mission like singing for peace in China becomes a powerful picture of what happens when young people are trained and trusted. If this conversation helps you, subscribe, share it with a ministry leader, and leave a review so more churches can build a future with their youth.

Transcript

Welcome And Meet Alpheus

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Hello everyone. Welcome to Native Drums. I'm Jocelia Williams, your host for this evening or for today, because you know we will show Native Drums any time of the day, any time of the week. We're here for you. So we welcome you. Today I have with me one of my children. Yes, Alpheus Anderson. Alpheus is, okay, an author. He is a music director. He's the founder of a wonderful, wonderful youth choir, pure in heart, children's choir and youth choir. He is a musician, he's a producer, he's a recording artist, he's a youth, how can I say, guru. When it comes to youth ministry, he's he's all of that above, and just blessed by God, and the Lord God has his hands on him. When it comes to him walking in his purpose, he's doing that. Welcome to Native Drums, Alpheus. Let's go. I made it, Ma. You so oh my goodness, my goodness. It's great to have you here.

CCFM Rehearsal Turns Into Impartation

SPEAKER_00 1:15

It's good to be here. He's here for the CCFM conference. Of course, we had Bishop Blue on earlier. And uh so Alpheus is here uh with CCFM working with the youth, of course. The music. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:27

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

So tell us how that's going.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

It's it's it's going great. Today specifically was incredible. Okay. Um it was a rehearsal, and but we ended with an impartation. Oh, wow. And so it was CCFM environment, the CCFM leadership creates this environment where transformation can happen. And so, literally before my very eyes, I saw students coming one way and leave another way. What a blessing. I can go home now. Now, somebody may be mad tomorrow because the student's supposed to perform or sing a minister.

SPEAKER_00 2:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:06

But today was incredible.

SPEAKER_00 2:08

Oh, wow. Thank you, God.

SPEAKER_01 2:10

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 2:12

Oh, wonderful, wonderful. So, um, how long have you been walking in this the purpose of youth ministry?

Growing Up Serving Kids In Church

SPEAKER_01 2:20

Since I was I was working with kids as a kid. I remember here in South Carolina really coming to this ministry where we're taping this podcast. Um the South Carolina Baptist Congress of Christian Education. Yes. Being entrusted to be over the kids' choir. But I was a kid, technically a kid. And so as it relates to Pure and Heart, the Kids Choir that we started 22 years ago.

SPEAKER_00 2:52

It's been that long?

SPEAKER_01 2:53

About 24, maybe 20, going on 25 years. Um started Pure and Heart, I guess roughly 24, 25 years ago. And so I've been in this for a long time.

SPEAKER_00 3:06

For a long time. I think that's where I met you at the um Congress. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Uh that was uh uh the Congress, uh, a great place for children to um to grow and to yeah. So um you're still working with the Congress?

SPEAKER_01 3:31

I have not been um in a in a while.

SPEAKER_00 3:34

Well Anya is last time I when Anya was working, oh yeah, she's a great musician.

SPEAKER_01 3:40

She she is, but but you're right. I I got to blossom at the state congress and many local churches that took a chance on me as a young musician, looking at ministers of music like yourself, and even in my city, uh the Brenda Nichols and the Barbara Wilsons and the Kenny Watts. I'm just looking and soaking and remixing what they did and um and look at me today. Yes, I'm a product of you guys.

SPEAKER_00 4:11

Oh, and it's a blessing. You're a blessing to the world. A blessing to the world. And and Alexis is here with us as well, his wonderful wife, Alexis. 20 years. 20 years. So we're glad to have her sitting over there with cash, everybody. You know, I always talk about cash on camera.

Why No Youth Means No Future

SPEAKER_00 4:30

Uh, but let's talk about youth.

unknown 4:33

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 4:34

Now you you you've written several books, and this is one book that you presented to me today. Um, No Youth, No Church Solutions. No church. Oh, and these are solutions. The power of the missing piece to build a thriving youth ministry. And you're right, no youth, no church. It seems like COVID, after COVID, things just went south. Just went south. And and um there's so many churches that are um expressing uh the same situation that their their youth ministries are not what they used to be. Yeah. And so um, I was on the last um show we talked to Bishop Blue about this very subject. And so today, um, I think um what better person to talk about it than with you, Alfie? Yes, ma'am. Because that is what God has given you. You are that magnet for young people. You are.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

I may seem hip, but the mere fact I'm saying hip lets you know I'm not hip. Because I don't think the young people say hip these days. They don't. So I think that obviously there's a grace on me, and without the grace on me, I would be, they would be throwing tomatoes. Because it's every week I'm in front of either five-year-olds, and then it just increases, it fluctuates because I teach at USC Upstate.

SPEAKER_00 6:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 6:04

And this is my fourth, 14th year. Wow. So I have to code switch every week. So some some sometimes my voice is, hi, hey Takuicia, what's up? Hey, you good? Like in one week, my voice has to get high with the five-year-olds. Right. And then obviously with the you know, with the with the college students, you good to coast to bone? You good? And so um I am a practitioner, so I'm speaking from experience, from thousands and thousands and thousands of hours in front of students. Even though me and my wife, we don't have any kids, we can claim on our taxes. You can catch that tomorrow.

SPEAKER_00 6:45

But you do have children because you have touched so many children.

SPEAKER_01 6:48

Absolutely. Yes, absolutely, and so I have a lot to share. It's a lot on my heart as it relates to the state of the next generation, even why we wrote this book, No Youth, no church. Because that principle has no respect of person or organization, no youth, no girl scouts, no youth, no stellar awards, no youth, no church. So if you don't have youth flowing through a situation, if there's no legacy, if there's no secession, if you're not, I've all often say if the 50-year-olds retire from your church today, you're 50 and above, if they decide to go to Bahamas for the rest of their life, as they should, the six-year-olds, who's left?

SPEAKER_00 7:36

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

And when I do that experiment, uh, that survey, that live survey in churches, sometimes there's nobody left. I mean nobody left, because there's no 50 and there's no 49 and under in our churches. So no youth, no church is a real issue. But the book is no youth, no church solutions. So we don't get stuck in no youth, no church, but no youth, no church solutions. And so there's so many considerations in the book for our ministries.

SPEAKER_00 8:08

One thing Bishop Blue expressed was um having something for our youth to do. You know, they need their place, that place for them. Oh, yes. So let's talk about that.

Teaching The Word On Their Level

SPEAKER_01 8:20

Yes, I mean OTL is what I call it on their level, OTL. And so, you know, I love teaching the word of God, but it has to be OTL. Yes. On their level.

SPEAKER_00 8:34

Yes, he talked about that. That's exactly right.

SPEAKER_01 8:37

You know, and so, you know, I may talk about the synoptic gospels, but they're gonna look at it like, bruh, can you spell this? What? And so you if you make it on their level, I often say when you're teaching, enter train. It's entertainment and training mixed together. Great. So when you're training, make sure you're being entertaining. And then when you're entertaining, don't forget to train. So I often say fun and facts. And the facts is the word of God. And then you you have to have fun. I think our friend here talked about Sunday school and how he loved Sunday school because it was the first thing he lifted, it was fun. Fun, yeah. So fun and facts. In Sunday school is where I learned Psalm 1. Blessed is the man that walketh not. I learned that same version, walketh.

SPEAKER_00 9:31

See, I learned it in first grade. The KJV version. Because, see, during that time when I was in elementary school, you could do devotion and you could pray. And our teacher taught us Psalm 1, and that's where I learned Psalm 1.

SPEAKER_01 9:48

Miss Josephine Jita taught me. One, because she she promised me a big, a big uh fat candy bar the next week. So I learned that in one week, because I knew that Kit Kat or that Snickerbar was waiting on me. Yes. Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor sitteth. The KJV version sitteth in the seat of the scornful. For his delight is in the law of the Lord. And I mean, honestly, I don't remember learning it, but I just remember in college, just kind of just waking up one day and the Holy Spirit just brought it back. I mean, I was able to just, I'm like, where did I learn this? And then it blessed me at that time because the revelation was, or the takeaway, or the bottom line, Alpheus, you're gonna be blessed by what you don't do. As I mature, blessed as is the man that stays away from these things. And then obviously, when you meditate on the law of God, you will be rooted, you'll be planted. And so it's just amazing. Sunday school.

SPEAKER_00 11:03

Let's talk about Sunday school.

SPEAKER_01 11:05

That's where I learned that. Yeah. You want to talk about Sunday school?

SPEAKER_00 11:08

No, let's talk about Sunday school. Let's talk about Sunday school, and then I want to talk about um outreach when it comes to outreach. So, yeah, let's talk about Sunday school. So, do you think Sunday

Sunday School And A Faith-Filled Generation

SPEAKER_00 11:20

school is still relevant for this day and age?

SPEAKER_01 11:23

Well, think about Sunday school. Sunday school is code for children's church. I mean, children's church is Sunday school on steroids. Yeah. You know, and and VBS is a version of Sunday school. True. It's just not on Sunday. So the spirit of Sunday school, the purpose of Sunday school is needed. Because Sunday school is it's we're supposed to dig into the word of God. Amen. Learn that why I say amen.

SPEAKER_00 11:52

Like we I got Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 11:55

And so uh I'm a musician, I'm supposed to be talking like that. So y'all rub off on me. Pastors, y'all rub off on me. Amen. But the Bible says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So um we have a faithless generation because they're not hearing the word of God. Studies say, or statistics, or somebody lifted this. Students are, I'll use this church as an example. Students are at Savannah Grove Baptist Church less than 40 hours in 365 days. We work 40 hours a week. Well, you probably work about 70. You, you, you the hardest working minister. I'll take that.

SPEAKER_00 12:40

I'm gonna take that.

SPEAKER_01 12:42

So we work 40 hours a week, but studies say they are in our churches hearing the word of God less than 40 hours in one year. Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God. They are in our churches hearing the word of God less than 40 hours in a year. No wonder we're seeing a faithless generation shooting. They have to shut, they have to shut down the mall 10 minutes from our house. Teens showing out, shooting, shooting up the glass in the mall. Oh my goodness. Faith comes by hearing. So if they're not hearing the word of God, what are they hearing?

SPEAKER_00 13:22

Whatever's on those cell phones and those headphones that they're walking around with.

SPEAKER_01 13:29

And I yeah. Yep. And faith ain't the only thing that comes by hearing. You have you ever been angry? You were probably angry because of something you heard. I remember getting a phone call years ago. You may have remembered when my twin brother passed away. That was from a phone call, and from that phone call I was sad because of what I what. Occurred. Faith ain't the only thing that comes by hearing, depression normally is because of what I wanted to say students, but it's because of what we're hearing. So the devil knows that. That's why he's trying to influence the next generation with images and things in media, media, media, M E D, I, media, medium, uh, medicine, medical. That means the enemy is trying to get in the middle of what you got going on. In the middle, in your heart. In your heart. So we we have Sunday school is needed because that's where Sunday school, qua rehearsal, I'll add to it, Sunday school, cho rehearsal, small groups, dance practice, um, VBS, um, in the park, outside of the four walls, whatever it takes to get the word of God in front of the students so we don't have a faithless generation when me and you are 120 years old. Hallelujah. Who's gonna take care of us? I mean, I mean, we need them, we need them to be full of the word of God. We need their word worldview to be a biblical worldview.

SPEAKER_00 15:21

Right, right. Now, one thing I have experienced, well, here at Savannah Grove, we call it church school. So as to say it does not only have to be taught on Sunday. Amen. Now, when I was, when I worked at a church in Richmond, Virginia, it was church school. Sunday school was there was a class on Sundays, but there was also a class on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and they made it convenient for the family. They made it convenient for whatever day was convenient for you

Church School Beyond Sunday Mornings

SPEAKER_00 16:10

to come to get that word. And um, and actually, the um this was I felt was so unique. Whatever the pastor's sermon was that Sunday, that's what was taught in the church school the rest of the week, so that you would get that that word in you all week long. It would be taught during for Bible study, it was taught for the church school as well. So um, it is that, like you said, it comes by hearing. Yes. And however, whatever it takes for us to get it to our children, I think that we have their creative ways to do that. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 17:00

Enter train. Enter training. Intertraining, being entertaining while you're training. Um, because VBS without the word of God is, in my opinion, is just a party. It's just a circus.

SPEAKER_00 17:11

It is, and uh, we do a lot of crafts. That's a time where you do the little biblical crafts and what have you as well. But you're right.

SPEAKER_01 17:21

I I I'm I'm for the fun. I love to have fun, I love to be creative, but let's let's be creative and and make sure we keep the main thing, the main thing.

SPEAKER_00 17:31

The main thing, the main thing. Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 17:33

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 17:34

That's right. That's right. So now, college students, the college ministry. Many churches don't have college ministries. So let's talk about that. What are ways that churches can

Four Cs To Reach College Students

SPEAKER_00 17:50

attract college students?

SPEAKER_01 17:52

So last semester, I'll be 45, my birthday, by the way. We're getting younger, right? Yeah. So um I asked my students, I said, um, what did I say?

SPEAKER_00 18:06

You embarrassed at the same age. Go ahead. I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_01 18:09

My my student said, uh, Mr. Alpheus, we need a um, we need a teen, teen Bible study.

unknown 18:16

Oh.

SPEAKER_01 18:16

I'm like, okay, why why do we need what you want a teen Bible study? I said, why do you want a teen Bible study? I don't know why this just got past me. They said, because we're teenagers. And I said, raise your hand if you're 18, 12 hands. Raise your hand if you're 19, you know, 10 hands. Raise your hand if I'm older than your mama and daddy. And the hands went up. I said, I'm man, I'm not on, I'm, I'm, I'm on status now. And so when you say college ministry, you really still should think teen ministry, because the freshmen and even the sophomore, they're teenagers. And so it's somewhat a progression from youth ministry. And I've noticed throughout the years that my students, away from their home church, do not attend church in in the city. And it's really a great, um, it's so ripe for churches to come to college campuses, make their presence known. And I've I've I've reduced it to four four ways to attract college students. Okay. One, college students, I've noticed they just want somebody that cares. And these four elements just happen to start with a C. The second thing is they want a little cash. Yes. You know, college students, they, they, they'll they'll take that cash app or that $10 an hour. They want to, they won't care. They won't, they need cash. They also are looking for, you'd be surprised about this next C, they're looking for a cause. They my students seem to want to just save the world, change the world, plant gardens, go help the homeless, feed the poor. Sounds like something we do in our churches, right? They want to teach, they want to volunteer. Now, of course, they need you to you to sign that volunteer the service hours. Yeah. And then the fourth thing, I kept hearing this word just thrown around, and I'm like, okay, I get it. They want community. Care. La cash, a cause, and community. And so uh this is a I guess an I want to admonish churches to show up on a college campus and bring pizza, take pizza, um, take some noodles, take some tissue and leave. And then do it again. Take pizza, take tissue and leave. Don't even, this is how not to do it. Hey, can you come to my church? No, no, no, no, no. Just have a heart to serve that that generation, those college students, and leave. It's not what I, it's not what you can do for me. That's not what you can do for your country. Yes. But but but but then, and then what's going to happen is they're gonna want to know where your church is. Who do you represent? I mean, because now they see that you care. Right. And then when you say, yes, we have a we have an event coming up and we need volunteers because we have this health fair. Oh, I'll volunteer, Savannah Grove Baptist Church. Or um, I'll help you set up. Um, me and my wife, we we had a something we wanted to do in the city, and it was a college student that helped us raise $7,000 in seven days.

SPEAKER_00 21:58

My goodness.

SPEAKER_01 22:00

Whoa. Because we rented out the baseball stadium in Greenville, South Carolina, and it and it we didn't have an extra $7,000 laying around. It was a college student that helped make those cold calls. I mean, and she was like, We got another one. This person wants to donate a thousand. This person was I mean, it was a college student that volunteered. And so when we say college ministry, it is about serving. Um I'm sure this beautiful church has an extra room. And many churches have extra rooms. Let's turn one of these rooms into a college pantry. So we go to the college campus and we we give out a college pantry card to all of the students. So when they come to this church, they show it

Serve First: Presence Before Promotion

SPEAKER_01 22:50

to the ushers, and the ushers escort them after church to the college pantry, and they get the tissue in the in the toothpaste after the word.

SPEAKER_00 22:59

Oh wow. Is all that in this book?

SPEAKER_01 23:02

It is in the book. We emptied, we emptied ourselves in this book, and and it's, you know, of course, the s you know, the the nice and boring stuff like systems and how to structure things and and even with AI and we we have a lot of those. Um we have a lot in the book. And so the missing pieces for sure to build a thriving youth ministry are in their book.

SPEAKER_00 23:29

Tell our viewers how they can get this book.

SPEAKER_01 23:32

Yes. They can uh my address, no, I'm just kidding. Everywhere books are sold, you can you can purchase the book on our website, no youth no church.com, no youth no church.com. Of course, Amazon and um but um everywhere, everywhere books are sold.

SPEAKER_00 23:51

This is great. I will begin reading tonight. I will, I will. Um Pure in Heart. Yes. Let's talk about Pure in Heart. Stella?

SPEAKER_01 24:03

We're going back to the Stellas. Yes. I just saw um Melvin Crisbell last night here at the convention. And and there was a press conference maybe two weeks ago, and Melvin was the one at the press conference that announced Pure and Heart was nominated.

SPEAKER_00 24:22

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_01 24:23

And so we're excited, we'll take a few students to Charlotte to actually perform,

Pure In Heart And Stellar Recognition

SPEAKER_01 24:31

and um it doesn't get old, you know. So, I mean, when you see who all's nominated, right, and the stellars are still, you know, showing respect and giving space for the next generation in that platform.

SPEAKER_00 24:46

That's wonderful, that's wonderful. So, so what what new music you have out there? Because I don't have it.

SPEAKER_01 24:51

You don't have it? No, I don't. You will have it. We'll email you, text you the link. Um, great Easter music or resurrection weekend music, celebrate Jesus. A beautiful song we've written, Change the World. For sure, Change the World, which they are doing it everywhere. Um around the world, actually.

SPEAKER_00 25:14

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 25:15

And so those are the songs that are circulating these days.

SPEAKER_00 25:20

And so um this is Pure and Heart, the little one, tell the age group.

SPEAKER_01 25:26

So we started off with the younger age groups, five through twelve, or five through eleven. And that was the only age groups that we served.

SPEAKER_00 25:36

Right.

SPEAKER_01 25:36

And but those five-year-olds end up being 13-year-olds and threatened to flat my tire if we didn't start a team. A team choir.

SPEAKER_00 25:47

Right.

SPEAKER_01 25:48

But I felt like my grace was more so with the keys. And so I shifted, and we ended up with about a hundred and something teens. Wow. And then those teenagers, you know, got older, and then we flirted with another group that were college age groups, and we did some some extraordinary things with that group. But we're not starting a senior and adult. So we we right now we have a lawn.

New Music And Building Youth Choirs

SPEAKER_01 26:20

We have alumni. Okay, alumni. Okay, well, that's good.

unknown 26:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:23

That we took to China last year. We took many of the alumni to China last year.

SPEAKER_00 26:27

Oh for two weeks. Yeah, so I told me about the China trip. Yeah, yeah. But then I see you and Alexis on Facebook and all of your wonderful travels.

SPEAKER_01 26:37

We have so much going on. We have a lot going on. God, God has graced us to do a lot, but for sure, uh, pure in heart, our foundation was able to take 22 students to Fuzhiao in Beijing last year. And it was for a Sing for Peace initiative.

SPEAKER_00 26:55

Oh, really? Wonderful.

SPEAKER_01 26:58

And um we were we gossified every song as well. So we we we took the gospel to China in our own way.

SPEAKER_00 27:06

Amen. Amen. God used you. Oh, we thank God for you, Alpheus. You and Alexis. Yeah, Alexis told me she has retired, everyone. Oh my goodness. As young as she is, she has retired.

SPEAKER_01 27:23

But uh You know what that's code for. What? It's code for getting another job.

SPEAKER_00 27:30

Do something else, right? Because I'm gonna I I have a cousin who has retired three times already and about to do it again and moving into a and she said at the beginning of the year, next year, she's gonna be going to so hey, yeah, you got to keep moving, keep moving.

Taking Gospel Music To China

SPEAKER_00 27:50

Um, that that keeps all the Alzheimer's and all that stuff away. That's what I say. Gotta keep that brain working.

SPEAKER_01 27:57

Yeah. I can see your brains working because you every time I see you, I'm like, wait a minute. I'm I'm kidding. I don't know what's happening here. You look younger than me. Oh, you know, don't try. Miss Josiah, are we still filming? Yes. We are.

SPEAKER_00 28:14

I'm shifted. Oh, Alvis, it's always great to have you around, to see you and Alexis. Um, and I'm so glad that I was able to get you to come on Native Drums. Any drums? Yes, so that you can talk about um that that massive subject of our youth. And um, so come again whenever you're back in the area, when you're not on an airplane, yes, or a boat, or whatever. Uh, and always keep us updated as to what you're doing, okay? Alpheus is located in Greenville. Greenville, South Carolina. That's right, in the upstate. So, yes, he's here in South Carolina doing it. So we want it to spread out through the Petey, the Midlands, the low country, the upstate. We want it everywhere. South Carolina should be beaming with Alpheus and Alexis Anderson. Let's go. All right,

Final Encouragement And Farewell

SPEAKER_00 29:10

I'm ready. Again, thank you so much for being here on Native Drums with us. Again, everyone. Thank you so much for viewing. Cash is about to pass out over here because that is our little you the exact beat. Oh, really? Yes, go. Yes, yes. The Spirit of God is with us. Thank you so much for watching, everyone. And we'll see you next week. Be blessed.