Help Center
Welcome to the Help Center. Here you’ll find answers to Frequently Asked Questions. Don’t see the answer you’re looking for? Select the most relevant topic you can find and there’s a simple form for your question.
Is your topic not covered? No problem, contact us.
Online Store
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Question: I want to buy one of your books from Amazon but the status says that it’s temporarily out of stock, what should I do?
Answer: There are a few options. Understand that what happens at Amazon is out of our control, they are a major distribution partner for us, but we don’t control how they operate.
First, you can order the book from our online store. Second, you can order the book from one of our other retailers.
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We know there are a lot of great places to buy youth ministry resources. So why should you buy from us and not someone else?
Support the Cartel
“I love what you guys are doing.” We hear that all the time and we are really humbled by that. Thank you for noticing!
At the same time, we need you to express that in practical ways by buying stuff from us so we can continue the mission of The Youth Cartel. We’re a small business, not a ministry funded by donors.
The bottom line is that your order helps us keep going. (And growing!)
It Stays in the Family
By placing an order on our store, you are building our business. The Cartel is a family-business, literally!
Join the community
Join our Facebook group where you can ask questions directly to our editorial team and/or author. So you can see how other people are using a specific curriculum, post your questions, share ideas, and otherwise connect with people who are reading or using the same stuff as you.
Don’t see a topic that fits your needs? Ask it!
We Can’t Compete
We know that there are sites out there that can beat our prices. Heck, no one can compete with Amazon because of their economies of scale. Just know that when you spend a few pennies more it makes a big difference for us.
Actually, Buy it on Amazon!
All that said, when it comes to stuff from our publishing line, it helps us just as much to buy it from Amazon or one of our other distributors. So do what’s best for you… all we care is getting great youth ministry resources into your hands.
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You can add a coupon code on the cart page. (https://deer-clover-p4xm.squarespace.com/shop/cart/)
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Orders placed during the day usually go to the post office between 4-5 PM. And orders that come in after that trip to the post office just ship the next day.
Sometimes, like when we have a new product release and things are a bit loco… there’s multiple trips to the post office per day.
If you pick a shipping option other than First Class mail, you’ll get a tracking number in your order completion email. Of course, if you have an account you can also look that information up from your account page.
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Q: In my haste to place my order last night I forgot to put in my coupon code ___. Is it too late to make that adjustment?
A: Technically, yes. But if you ask nicely and we haven’t already shipped your package, we’ll be happy to refund the difference.
Just drop us a note below, making sure to mention your order number, and we’ll hook you up.
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Online Store
Orders placed via our online store may require an additional charge for shipping/handling. Our online store software calculates shipping costs via USPS or UPS to give you, the consumer, the ability to pick the shipping option that best suits your needs. We do not set shipping rates as they come from USPS or UPS directly. Our software only adds a small per item fee on top of the shipping companies rates to cover package handling and shipping supplies.
Orders are typically shipped the same day or the next business day. Orders are picked up daily from our office and we typically make an additional delivery to the post office before they close.
Shipping information, such as tracking numbers, are added to orders at the time of shipping. If such information is available, customers may visit the link at the bottom of their receipt to view their receipt online, which will include links to the corresponding shipments.
International Orders
We do ship internationally via the United States Postal Service (USPS) and United Parcel Service (UPS). We use the same shipping procedure as above. If your order is more that 64 ounces, expect to pay handsomely for non-US shipping. We will contact you if we require any additional information for customs/tariff charges. You are 100% responsible for any additional charges we incur in shipping your product to you outside of the United States.
Canadian customers may ship to a U.S. address. Many Canadian orders are shipped to the United States and customers cross the border to collect their order. This saves you lots of money if you live reasonably close to a U.S. border. To do this, simply specify the U.S. shipping address when placing your order.
Special Orders
If placing a special order we will charge you the actual shipping costs we pay, this will be reflected on your invoice. If you are worried about the cost of shipping please let us know and we can provide an estimate.
Pre-ordered and Backordered Items
If your item is a pre-order, we will ship it as soon as we receive that item in stock in the order your order was placed. In other words, if you pre-ordered a new product first, your order will be packed first. We think that’s fair.
Our online store keeps a live inventory. In other words, if you can order an item that usually means it is in stock and ready to ship. Occasionally, especially with new products, we may have to backorder your item. We will communicate that to you with updated shipping information.
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Physical product ordered directly from our online store may be returned to us within 30 days in new, unused condition for a full-refund, less any shipping costs. Refunds will be processed in the manner you paid. For instance, if you paid via PayPal your PayPal account will receive the refund.
Digital products may not be returned. If you are not pleased with the quality of the digital product you have purchased, please contact us. In some cases, if the product did not meet your expectations, we may issue a partial or complete refund.
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Question:
I can’t find my receipt, can I get a new one?
Answer:
Absolutely! Send in a request via our Help Center below and tell us as much about your order as you can remember. Things like: When you ordered, what the total was, what you ordered, what email address you used, what the name on the order was… anything that’ll help us find it in our system.
When we find it, we’ll send it back as a PDF.
Solution:
For future orders, make sure you login or create an account with our store. That way, any future order will be right on your My Account page.
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Purchase Orders
You may submit to us a purchase order for products you’d like to sell. Please include the name of the item, it’s ISBN, the quantity of the item you are ordering, as well as any shipping information or requests. (Specifically, we need to know if this is a rush order or if you need us to ship via your UPS/FedEx account, etc.)
If your company doesn’t have a purchase order system in place, simply email in those orders to adam@theyouthcartel.com and we’ll confirm them with an invoice.
Invoices
Most often, we will fulfill the order and then issue an invoice that has the full costs of the transaction listed. (See Standard Terms)
Your invoice will include the quantity of items shipped as well as the shipping charges due. If you’ve issued us a Purchase Order number we will do our very best to include that on the invoice, if we’ve not done that and you receive an invoice without a purchase order, please let us know. We can easily edit and resend an invoice.
Purchase History – Our invoicing system, Freshbooks, keeps all of your companies purchase history together. If you need access to your purchase history with us, please let us know and we’d be happy to give an individual within your company access to that.
See Online Payments and Account History
Payments
All invoices include the following payment options:
Check
PayPal
Visa
Mastercard
American Express
We do not accept payments over the phone
Still need help?
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Most of the items in our store include a free sample you can download. (PDF)
Typically, this is the first chapter of a book or first lesson of the curriculum.
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This Privacy Policy governs the manner in which The Youth Cartel, LLC collects, uses, maintains and discloses information collected from users (each, a “User”) of the http://theyouthcartel.com website (“Site”). This privacy policy applies to the Site and all products and services offered by The Youth Cartel, LLC.
Personal identification information
We may collect personal identification information from Users in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to, when Users visit our site, register on the site, place an order, subscribe to the newsletter, fill out a form, and in connection with other activities, services, features or resources we make available on our Site. Users may be asked for, as appropriate, name, email address, mailing address, phone number. Users may, however, visit our Site anonymously. We will collect personal identification information from Users only if they voluntarily submit such information to us. Users can always refuse to supply personally identification information, except that it may prevent them from engaging in certain Site related activities.
Non-personal identification information
We may collect non-personal identification information about Users whenever they interact with our Site. Non-personal identification information may include the browser name, the type of computer and technical information about Users means of connection to our Site, such as the operating system and the Internet service providers utilized and other similar information.
Web browser cookies
Our Site may use “cookies” to enhance User experience. User’s web browser places cookies on their hard drive for record-keeping purposes and sometimes to track information about them. User may choose to set their web browser to refuse cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If they do so, note that some parts of the Site may not function properly.
How we use collected information
The Youth Cartel, LLC may collect and use Users personal information for the following purposes:
– To improve customer service
Information you provide helps us respond to your customer service requests and support needs more efficiently.
– To personalize user experience
We may use information in the aggregate to understand how our Users as a group use the services and resources provided on our Site.
– To improve our Site
We may use feedback you provide to improve our products and services.
– To process payments
We may use the information Users provide about themselves when placing an order only to provide service to that order. We do not share this information with outside parties except to the extent necessary to provide the service.
– To run a promotion, contest, survey or other Site feature
To send Users information they agreed to receive about topics we think will be of interest to them.
– To send periodic emails
We may use the email address to send User information and updates pertaining to their order. It may also be used to respond to their inquiries, questions, and/or other requests. If User decides to opt-in to our mailing list, they will receive emails that may include company news, updates, related product or service information, etc. If at any time the User would like to unsubscribe from receiving future emails, we include detailed unsubscribe instructions at the bottom of each email or User may contact us via our Site.
How we protect your information
We adopt appropriate data collection, storage and processing practices and security measures to protect against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure or destruction of your personal information, username, password, transaction information and data stored on our Site.
Sensitive and private data exchange between the Site and its Users happens over a SSL secured communication channel and is encrypted and protected with digital signatures.
Sharing your personal information
We do not sell, trade, or rent Users personal identification information to others. We may share generic aggregated demographic information not linked to any personal identification information regarding visitors and users with our business partners, trusted affiliates and advertisers for the purposes outlined above. We may use third party service providers to help us operate our business and the Site or administer activities on our behalf, such as sending out newsletters or surveys. We may share your information with these third parties for those limited purposes provided that you have given us your permission.
Third party websites
Users may find advertising or other content on our Site that link to the sites and services of our partners, suppliers, advertisers, sponsors, licensors and other third parties. We do not control the content or links that appear on these sites and are not responsible for the practices employed by websites linked to or from our Site. In addition, these sites or services, including their content and links, may be constantly changing. These sites and services may have their own privacy policies and customer service policies. Browsing and interaction on any other website, including websites which have a link to our Site, is subject to that website’s own terms and policies.
Changes to this privacy policy
The Youth Cartel, LLC has the discretion to update this privacy policy at any time. When we do, we will post a notification on the main page of our Site, revise the updated date at the bottom of this page. We encourage Users to frequently check this page for any changes to stay informed about how we are helping to protect the personal information we collect. You acknowledge and agree that it is your responsibility to review this privacy policy periodically and become aware of modifications.
Your acceptance of these terms
By using this Site, you signify your acceptance of this policy. If you do not agree to this policy, please do not use our Site. Your continued use of the Site following the posting of changes to this policy will be deemed your acceptance of those changes.
Contacting us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, the practices of this site, or your dealings with this site, please contact us at:
The Youth Cartel, LLC
http://theyouthcartel.com
The Youth Cartel, LLC 8511 Victory Road La Mesa, CA 91942
help@theyouthcartel.com
This document was last updated on December 19, 2012
Privacy policy created by Generate Privacy Policy
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At The Youth Cartel… we take all kinds of money!
In all seriousness, we do our best to make it as easy as possible to place an order from our online store.
Credit cards
The default method on our online store is to use a credit card. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.
Amazon
On the cart and checkout page you may pick the option to pay with your Amazon.com account. Simply click the “Pay with Amazon” button and follow the instructions.
PayPal
If you’d prefer, when you visit the checkout page of our store you may select to pay via PayPal. To use PayPal, scroll to the bottom of the checkout page and follow the instructions. There are no additional fees for using this method, we offer it simply because some customers prefer PayPal.
Invoice/checks
If you don’t have a credit card or Paypal account, you can still place an order with us. Please contact us and we’ll put together an invoice for you.
Cash
We only accept cash payment in person, such as at an event. If you live locally (San Diego area) and would like to pay cash, please contact us.
Bartering for small farm animals, produce, etc.
Hey, we told you we were a little different, right? We will absolutely consider legitimate offers from local buyers in the San Diego area. Please contact us if you are interested in paying for your order with meat, produce, or live animals.
We’re absolutely serious.
Site security
We take your privacy and personal data seriously. We wouldn’t exist without your trust. Our online store transactions are secured using industry standard SSL certification. Credit card information is transferred directly to our credit card processor and not stored on our website.
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Q: I entered the wrong shipping information when I checked out… can you change it?
A: So long as we’ve not shipped it already, changes are no problem. If it’s already shipped via USPS than there isn’t really anything we can do. But if it’s shipped via UPS we might be able to change an address mid-shipment for an additional fee.
A couple ways to change the shipping address on a current order:
Drop us a note (below) and ask us to edit it. Having your order number, email address, or name on the order will really help.
On the bottom of your order confirmation is a “Contact Customer Support” link.
TIP: If you login to your Cartel account (or create one) you can store your billing, shipping, and payment information. It makes it easier to place orders and lessens the chance that you’ll mess up.
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When you purchase a downloadable product you have a few ways to download your purchase.
Upon order completion, the store software will forward you to a page to see your order. There will be download links on this page, simply click on the link and the download will begin automatically.
Your email receipt will have download links. You can click on the links directly in the email and save them as you would any other download.
If you have a member account, all of your previous orders are stored on your My Account page. (Don’t have an account? Create one. It’s free and we can even link your previous orders to your account for you. Plus, next time you place an order we’ll already have all your info on file… makes everything easier.)
Common problem #1
“When I click on the link I get an error.”
Our downloads are delivered via Amazon.com’s servers. So if you see an error, like a bunch of weird lines of code, please let us know so we can fix it.
Common problem #2
“When I click on the link the store tells me I’ve exceeded my download limits.”
By default, each product can be downloaded 5 times. If for some reason you need to download it more than that, please let us know and we can add additional downloads to your order.
Common problem #3
“The zip file I’ve downloaded won’t open on my computer.”
Usually this happens because there was a problem with the download itself. Perhaps you have a slow internet connection and the download timed out or something like that.
Please try to download the file again. If that doesn’t work, please fill out the form below and we’ll be happy to send you an alternate download link.
Most common solution
Drop us an email and we’ll send you a direct link to the file on Dropbox. We don’t know why but this almost always solves the problem.
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Ah! Your expense report is due and you’re missing a receipt. We’ve got you covered.
Check your inbox (or spam folder) Every transaction [invoice payment, event registration, store order] automatically sends a receipt. Search your inbox or spam folder… it’s probably there.
Check your account. (Login to your account here) If you were logged in when you placed your order it’s already in your account waiting for you to print.
Drop us a line. (See form below.) Please make sure to give us some info so we can find it. We’ll try to get back to you as quickly as we can. You’re not bothering us!
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Yes.
We will ship your product wherever you indicate is the shipping address. Our online store calculates the actual cost with live shipping rates from the United States Postal Service.
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Unless it is a pre-order item all our inventory is live on the store. This means that the store won’t let you buy a product we don’t have ready-to-ship immediately.
In order words, if it’s a regular product and you buy it, you won’t get a back-order notice from us.
Since our store is pretty small and all of the inventory is stored in Adam’s house, we don’t keep mass quantities of books on hand. We do offer case quantity discounts which allow us to ship your order directly from the publishers warehouse.
See Case Quantity Discounts
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Question:
I’d like to pay for my order on the phone, can I call you?
Answer:
We do not receive any phone orders or have a mechanism for creating or paying for orders over the phone. Our staff is simply too small.
All of our current pricing, availability, bulk order discounts, and shipping rates are built right into our online store.
Solution
We are happy to accommodate you in a lot of ways. Drop us a line via the form below and we can usually find a solution.
Please see our Privacy Policy if you are concerned about placing an order over the internet.
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Question: I have an invoice from you, how do I go about paying it?
Answer: Special orders, Youth Ministry Coaching Program cohort payments, and a variety of other payments to The Youth Cartel are paid via invoices issued by our accounting system, Freshbooks.
Invoices you receive via email may be paid by sending a check to the address on the invoice or using one of the online payments available by clicking the link in the invoice email to pay online.
Note: Larger invoices might not be eligible for payment via PayPal or credit card by default. If you need to use one of these payment methods and they aren’t currently available for your invoice, please let us know.
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Most of our books are available in paperback from Amazon.fr, Amazon.de, Amazon.it, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.es. So we’d recommend you check there first.
If you’d like to order a physical product from our online store, we certainly do ship anywhere. We wish the shipping rates were better, though. Unfortunately, the rates that our store shows are what we really pay.
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We may be small, but here at The Youth Cartel we run a tight shipping department.
Each new order is logged in our online store. After we receive it, we print the orders and seal the packages to be shipped that day if possible.
When we print your shipping label, if a tracking number is available, we add it to your receipt and email you an update.
Also, if you have an account with our store you’ll get access to all of your previous orders / receipts on the My Account tab.
At any time you can go to the link on the bottom of your receipt and see your shipment information. If the order has been shipped and a tracking number is available, the link will be in your online receipt and an email “should” be sent to you.
If you have any question about your order, please fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
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Unfortunately, some orders get damaged in shipping. (About 1% of our orders. Yikes!)
Relax. We’ve got you covered! We will replace damaged items at no cost to you.
Here’s what you need to do:
Fill out the form below.
Please let us know the order number and which items were damaged.
Please take a photo of the damage with your phone or camera, usually we’ll ask to see photos of what went wrong so we an go yell at the post office.
We will let you know what to do with the damaged items, more often than not we’ll have you keep them or throw them out rather than returning them to us.
Why do I need to send pictures? Sending pictures of the damages really helps us out. Not only does it help us package stuff better so that stuff like this doesn’t happen in the future, it also informs us about what types of shipping materials to buy, what levels of shipping to offer, etc. We also have a relationship with the local post office and they need to see what types of damage is occurring to our shipments so that they can better serve us. A picture really is worth 1000 words!
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If you are trying to complete a transaction on our online store but are receiving an error related to your credit card, here are some steps you can take to try to resolve it yourself.
Pay attention to what the error tells you. Generally, it is telling you exactly what the problem is. (Incorrect card number, phone number, zip code, CCV#.)
Make sure your browser isn’t blocking the transaction. If you have private browsing or a setting that’s blocking Javascript, you may get an error. If those are enabled, try the transaction on another browser or change the settings. (Our transactions are secure, the form is transmitted via an SSL connection between our site and our credit card processor, Stripe.)
Pick another payment option. If the problem persists, we offer three additional payment options. We offer payments via check, PayPal, or your Amazon.com account at no additional cost to you.
If you need help completing a transaction, please don’t hesitate to ask us.
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Question
Do you support your products if they are purchased at another retailer?
Answer
Absolutely! If you purchased one of our products from one of our retail partners, you’re a customer of ours. If you have any questions about the product you’ve purchased or have a problem with it in any way, please drop us a line by filling out the form below.
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Most of our books are available in paperback from Amazon.co.uk. So we’d recommend you check there first.
If you’d like to order a physical product from our online store, we certainly do ship to the UK. We wish the shipping rates were better, though. Unfortunately, the rates that our store shows are what we really pay.
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Question:
Do you offer digital copies of your books?
Answer:
So here’s the scoop on this question.
We sell some products that are completely created as digital. (See downloads category in our store.) You are basically getting a ZIP file with a PDF, maybe some videos, maybe some other digital good. That’s a digital product through and through.
For books made for print, our digital version of choice right now is for the Amazon Kindle. We originally tried to offer books for the Kindle and iBooks but we found that iBooks simply didn’t sell as well as Kindle versions. Plus, Amazon adds some powerful incentives for making our products digitally exclusive to Amazon. (Read… they pay us more money!)
As time goes on we know this will change. But as of right now that’s our official answer.
Still need help?
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Question:
Do you offer bulk discounts?
Answer:
Bulk orders are usually baked right into the set-up of an individual item, they aren’t a special deal… just a normal bit of awesomeness we do. 🙂
Bulk pricing varies by product, sometimes you start getting a discount with as little as 5 copies. But for most of our books the bulk rate is added when you purchase 20 or more copies of a book.
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From time to time we allow customers to backorder a product via our online store.
A couple things to know about backorders.
Backorders are only available for products that we can replenish rapidly. We set-up the ability to backorder on a product-by-product basis, so if you are allowed to backorder something it means we can get it to you rather quickly.
We might split your order, but feel free to tell us what you want. In general, since the store software alerts you that you are ordering a backordered item, we assume that you can wait a week or so for that item to become available. If that’s not the case, please put a note on your order when completing your order or otherwise let us know. Usually, if we think it makes sense to split the order into multiple shipments, we’ll just do that and send the rest of the stuff on when it becomes available. But if you HAVE TO have other non-backordered items pronto… please let us know.
Backorders for The Youth Cartel publishing products happen most often when we have a surge in demand for one of our books. Our printer is local (San Diego, CA) so we usually can have things replenished in a week. Obviously, we try to stay ahead of it… but sometimes a surge on a title is such that it takes a little bit to recover.
Still need help?
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Question:
Do you really offer free shipping?
Answer:
Yup.
Question:
How do I get free shipping?
Answer:
Just add more than the minimum amount of product (any product type, including downloads) to your shopping cart. Then, when you get to the shopping cart or checkout page just select FREE SHIPPING as your shipping option.
Question:
Do I have to select free shipping if I’m eligible?
Answer:
Yep.
Question:
What class of service do I get with free shipping?
Answer:
We chose what’s cheapest & easiest for us. Usually, that means your order will be shipped USPS Media Mail. But we’ll price it out, it’s actually cheaper to send some orders USPS Priority Mail if it fits in one of their provided boxes/envelopes.
Question:
Why is free shipping restricted to U.S. orders?
Answer:
Unfortunately, it’s crazy expensive to ship anything outside of the United States. Even in the off chance that it’s not expensive, the additional paperwork and special trips to the post office/UPS make it impossible to offer free shipping.
Any other questions? Contact us via the Help Center and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have about free shipping.
Cartel Courses
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Visit the My Courses area.
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Visit the My Courses page.
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On the front lines you’ll be interacting with Adam McLane, a partner at The Youth Cartel. (Read his bio here) If you’d like to ask a question about something in the course or want to go deeper in the learning, just click “Contact Course Teacher” and send us a message. For most things, you’ll interact directly with Adam, but don’t be surprised if he forwards it on to the person in the video.
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When the last lesson in your course has been graded you’ll receive a printable certificate.
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Absolutely. Feel free to offer us feedback and ideas.
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As many as you’d like.
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In the description of each course you will see a time estimate for each individual lesson. Some people will take the entire course in an afternoon while others will take several weeks. Complete the course at your pace.
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As of right now we don’t have an automated way to share your quiz answers or the teacher feedback with a third-party. Feel free to do that with screenshots or copy/paste. This is something on our wish list and we hope to have a feature in the future that’ll make it easier for you to share what you’re learning.
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Question: How can I get a discount for my whole team?
Answer: We are happy to offer a discounted rate if you want to register 5 or more people for the same class that is 20% off of our regular rate.
To receive this discount just send us a note and we’ll send you an invoice and get people registered for the right course.
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Select a course you want to take and click Purchase the Course. If you don’t already have a Cartel account you’ll be prompted to create one. After you’ve completed your purchase, return to the course where the first lesson will be available to you.
For most lessons you’ll watch a short video then take a short quiz which may involve thought questions, points of application, or even an assignment to read an article or watch a video dealing with the subject matter in depth. You can wait until the quiz has been graded before continuing or just move right along to the next lesson. Once you’ve watched all of the videos, taken all the quizzes, and they’ve been graded, you’ll complete the course and receive a certificate.
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Cartel Courses are designed for individual learning. But if you’d like to show a video from the course to your volunteers or in a staff meeting we’ve got no problem with that. We only ask that you not publicly distribute the content of the course or share your password to allow other people to take the class without paying. If you’ve got any questions about the specifics of that or want to ask permission, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help.
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Absolutely. Cartel Courses are about your individual learning and development. Watch the videos as many times as you’d like. Even if you’ve already completed the course, feel free to go back and answer the questions again.
Youth Ministry Coaching Program
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If you can’t pay for the cohort in full right away, welcome to the club! We’ve seen people get very creative about when and how to pay for the entire cohort cost. Here’s a few best practices:
Pray! If you’re supposed to be a part of it, God will find the money for you.
Ask your church, denominational conference, or another organization to help you fund the cohort cost and/or travel expenses.
Split the cost of the cohort over two budget years.
See if your church will allow you to cover the cost from multiple line items in your budget.
We will really do our best to help you make it happen. Let’s talk!
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Youth Ministry Coaching Program
Whole-life coaching focusing on transformation and youth ministry development
Overview
Critical thinking and theological reflection are extremely important for youth workers who don’t merely want to perpetuate the way things have been done in the past. However, thinking and reflection are merely one portion (though a significant one) of what will help youth workers stay true to their calling and also grow in maturity and effectiveness. Emotional, relational, and spiritual health are essential to long-term impact. YMCP is designed to provide both an opportunity for critical reflection and discussion of youth ministry issues, but also to provide a safe place to experience holistic growth.
In most ways, this program will surpass the training that can be offered by seminars and conventions. It will even surpass the experience of formal education. This is specifically due to the structure of the program (a small cohort with accountability, safety and shared shaping of the content), as well as the content of the program (thoughtful youth ministry dialogue, real life application, customized personal development, emotional honesty, and spiritual direction).
Since YMCP launched in 2010, we’ve seen over 650 youth workers from more than a dozen denominations graduate from the program, and the results of have been astounding. Regardless of their age (from 20-65 years old) or experience in youth ministry (from one year to three decades), the ramifications of YMCP have resulted in profound personal and Kingdom impact.
Expected Outcomes
After completing Youth Ministry Coaching Program, participants will have had the following experiences and opportunities:
Participants will grow in understanding their strengths and weaknesses, how these
impact their leadership, ministry, and personal life, and how to lead in their
strengths and manage their weaknesses in healthy ways.
They will experience new spiritual growth and insight as they safely process their own journey and the integration of their personal lives with their professional lives.
Cohort members will receive training on a wide variety of youth ministry issues, with
an opportunity for dialogue and contextual application.
Cohorts are customizable based on participants’ input and unique needs.
Participants will develop life-long youth ministry peer relationships of trust and accountability.
They will read books in preparation for every gathering, discuss them, and determine action steps for their lives and ministries.
Each member will have opportunities to share ministry questions and needs to the group in areas of their own choosing, with feedback and recommendations from the group.
They will work through a series of self-selected homework assignments, with input from the group, and report back on their progress.
Participants will have one personal coaching session per month with their cohort coach (some in person and some via phone).
Some cohorts include provide spiritual direction sessions at every cohort gathering with a trained spiritual director.
Each participant will receive a Certificate of Completion upon finishing the program. YMCP graduates will join the growing community of intentionally developed youth workers and will have access to ongoing relationship, training, and opportunities.
Application Process and Costs
You can review the application process and costs, and complete your application at www.youthcartel.com/coaching.
Structure of the Cohorts
Accepted participants will have an opportunity to speak into the actual meeting dates, but once set, the dates will not be flexible.
Each face-to-face meeting will be two days. DAY 1: begins at 8am and continues through dinner. DAY 2: begins at 8am and ends by 3:30pm.
In addition to the group meetings, participants will be provided a private social networking site for updates, prayer, questions, and dialogue. This will also be a place for active participation in helping each other with practical issues in youth ministry, and your coach will be involved regularly in giving input and feedback.
Each participant will be scheduled for a 30-minute coaching session with their coach at each of the group meetings, and will schedule a phone coaching session in between the group meetings.
Note: To download a PDF of this document as well as a sample 2-day schedule, click here.
Still need help?
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This 9-month online cohort is for newer youth workers to grow in essential ministry skills. We’ll have 6 meetings (3 hours/meeting) plus four 1-on-1 coaching calls.
Format: 6 monthly meetings for 3 hours each plus four 1-on-1 coaching calls
Price: $900
Coach: Wes Trevor and one of our Certified Coaches, plus special guests including Mark Oestreicher
Launch Date: Date determined by when we reach 8 participants, currently aiming for Fall 2020.
Location: Online
What are the essentials you need to thrive in ministry and leadership? This 9-month online cohort is for newer youth workers to grow in essential ministry skills. We’ll have 6 meetings (3 hours/meeting) plus three 1-on-1 coaching calls.
In this Onramp cohort you’ll receive practical training from youth ministry experts in…
Identifying important mile markers your first year and second year of youth ministry
Building a programming calendar, including developmentally appropriate events
Teaching holistically and effectively
Building a volunteer team
Communicating with parents, volunteers, and staff
Taking care of yourself
Cohort outcomes are: creating a personal development plan, determining necessary programming and key events, identifying communication rhythms and content, and discovering critical techniques and practices for holistic teaching in addition to all your customized homework.
This cohort meets online with 8 youth pastors from all over the country and will include some of the best aspects of YMCP including 1-on-1 coaching, required reading and book discussion, quick input blocks, and customized homework. You’ll also have access to ALL of our online Cartel Courses while you are participating.
Program cost is $900. For more info and questions, contact us. Apply for the Onramp Cohort at https://theyouthcartel.com/coaching/.
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Overview
Nonprofit leaders serving youth ministry organizations find themselves in critical and unique leadership positions, dealing with complexities and issues that are foreign to most church-based youth workers. These leaders often struggle to find meaningful growth opportunities that acknowledge the uniqueness of their roles, as most youth ministry training and growth opportunities are focused on youth workers employed by churches.
Critical thinking and theological reflection are extremely important for nonprofit leaders who don’t merely want to perpetuate the way things have been done in the past. However, thinking and reflection are merely one portion (though a significant one) of what will help leaders stay true to their calling and also grow in maturity and effectiveness. Emotional, relational, and spiritual health are essential to long-term growth and impact. YMCP is designed to provide an opportunity for critical reflection and discussion of youth ministry and leadership issues, but also to provide a safe place to experience holistic growth. And the Nonprofit Ministry Leader Cohort will provide a space where learning and growth occurs with a group of other leaders who face similar contexts and issues.
In most ways, this program will surpass the training that can be offered by seminars and conventions. It will even surpass the experience of formal education. This is specifically due to the structure of the program (a small cohort with accountability, safety and shared shaping of the content), as well as the content of the program (thoughtful youth ministry and leadership dialogue, real life application, customized personal development, emotional honesty, and spiritual direction).
Since YMCP launched in 2010, we’ve seen over 400 youth workers from a dozen denominations graduate from the program, and the results of have been astounding. Regardless of their age (from 21-60 years old) or experience in youth ministry (from one year to three decades), the ramifications of YMCP have resulted in profound personal and Kingdom impact.
Expected Outcomes
After completing Youth Ministry Coaching Program, participants will have had the following experiences and opportunities:
Participants will grow in understanding their strengths and weaknesses, how these impact their leadership, ministry, and personal life, and how to lead in their strengths and manage their weaknesses in healthy ways.
They will experience new spiritual growth and insight as they safely process their own journey and the integration of their personal lives with their professional lives.
Cohort members will receive training on a wide variety of youth ministry and leadership issues, with an opportunity for dialogue and contextual application.
Cohorts are customizable based on participants’ input and unique needs.
Participants will develop life-long peer relationships of trust and accountability.
They will read books in preparation for every gathering, discuss them, and determine action steps for their lives and ministries.
Each member will have opportunities to share ministry questions and needs to the group in areas of their own choosing, with feedback and recommendations from the group.
They will work through a series of self-selected homework assignments, with input from the group, and report back on their progress.
Participants will have one personal coaching session per month with a trained and certified 1on1 coach (some in person and some via phone).
Some cohorts include provide spiritual direction sessions at every cohort gathering with a trained spiritual director.
Each participant will receive a Certificate of Completion upon finishing the program. YMCP graduates will join the growing community of intentionally developed youth workers and will have access to ongoing relationship, training, and opportunities.
Structure and Details of this Cohort
Keeping in mind the busy schedules of nonprofit ministry leaders, this cohort will follow our “hybrid” approach: three in-person meetings of two full days, and three online meetings of three hours.
We’re tentatively thinking that our face-to-face meetings will take place in Nashville, chosen for its central location; but we are open to shifting the location if a predominance of participants is weighted to a particular geography.
Accepted participants will have an opportunity to speak into the actual meeting dates, but once set, the dates will not be flexible.
Each face-to-face meeting will be two days. DAY 1: begins at 8am and continues through dinner. DAY 2: begins at 8am and ends by 3:30pm.
In addition to the group meetings, participants will be provided a private social networking site for updates, prayer, questions, and dialogue. This will also be a place for active participation in helping each other with practical issues in youth ministry, and your coach will be involved regularly in giving input and feedback.
Each participant will be scheduled for a 30-minute coaching session with their coach at each of the group meetings, and will schedule a phone coaching session in between the group meetings.
Mark Oestreicher, partner in The Youth Cartel, and the creator of the Youth Ministry Coaching Program, will function as the lead coach for this cohort.
We hope to launch this cohort in August or September of 2018; but actual launch date is dependent on filling the cohort with 10 participants.
Application Process and Costs
The full program cost for this cohort is $2500. Costs not included are: travel, meals, accommodations, and a handful of books. The Youth Cartel is very flexible with payment plans. To complete your application and lock in your spot with a $100 deposit, go to www.youthcartel.com/coaching.
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Women’s cohort
Format: hybrid cohort –Two in-person meetings of two days each + four online meetings of 3.5 hours. Seven 1on1 coaching sessions.
Price: $2250
Coaches: Charlie Conder
Launch Date: hoping for a fall 2022 launch
Location: Atlanta, for the in-person meetings
Denver
Format: full cohort –Six meetings of two days each. Ten 1on1 coaching sessions
Price: $3000
Coaches: Mark Oestreicher and Wes Trevor
Launch Date: hoping for a fall 2022 launch
Location: Denver
Dallas/Fort Worth
Format: full cohort –Six meetings of two days each. Ten 1on1 coaching sessions
Price: $3000
Coaches: Mark Oestreicher and Kevin Libick
Launch Date: hoping for a fall 2022 launch
Location: Fort Worth
Northern IN
Format: full cohort –Six meetings of two days each. Ten 1on1 coaching sessions
Price: $3000
Coaches: Mark Oestreicher and Joel Demott
Launch Date: hoping for a fall 2022 launch
Location: likely in Goshen
Northern IN Level 2
Format: full cohort –Six meetings of two days each. Ten 1on1 coaching sessions. Open to any graduate of a Level 1 cohort.
Price: $3000
Coaches: Mark Oestreicher and Joel Demott
Launch Date: TBD, still collecting interest
Location: likely in Goshen
TENx10 Pilot cohort, San Diego
NOTE: this cohort is unique, combining the values and form of the Youth Ministry Coaching Program with the proven content of Fuller Youth Institute and the TENx10 Collaboration.
Format: hybrid cohort –three in-person meetings of two days each + three online meetings of 3.5 hours. seven 1on1 coaching sessions
Price: $2500; but thanks to the help of gracious donors, the price per person will be only $900.
Coaches: Mark Oestreicher and a TBD Certified Coach
Launch Date: hoping for a Fall 2022 launch
Location: San Diego
Just reach out to us if you have location questions, as we always have new sites percolating.
Still need help?
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As of 2017, the Youth Ministry Coaching Program has graduated over 410 youth workers all over the US and Canada.
Here’s a history of past cohorts
2010
2010 San Diego cohort (9 participants)
2010 Nashville cohort (10 participants)
2011
2011 NC, UMC cohort (10 participants)
2011 Nashville cohort (10 participants)
2011 San Diego cohort (10 participants)
2011 Texas, Episcopal Church cohort (10 participants)
2012
2012 Online cohort, west (5 participants)
2012 Online cohort, east (5 participants)
2012 Nashville cohort (10 participants)
2012 Calgary cohort (6 participants)
2013
2013 Detroit, custom cohort for a local church (4 participants)
2013 Online cohort, west (5 participants)
2013 Online cohort, east (5 participants)
2014
2014 SC, UMC cohort (10 participants)
2014 Women in Youth Ministry cohort (9 participants)
2014 NC, UMC cohort (10 participants)
2014 Pittsburgh, Presbyterian cohort (11 participants)
2014 Nashville cohort (9 participants)
2014 SoCal, Presbyterian cohort (10 participants)
2015
2015 San Diego cohort (10 participants)
2015 Women in Youth Ministry cohort (9 participants)
2015 Post-Christian Context cohort (7 participants)
2015 NC UMC (20 participants in 2 cohorts)
2016
2016 Women in Youth Ministry Cohort (9 participants)
2016 Nashville Level 2 Cohort (10 participants)
2016 North GA UMC Cohort (10 participants)
2016 SC Cohort (11 participants)
2016 NC UMC Cohort (12 participants)
2017
2017 Ministry Architects Cohort (10 participants)
2017 VA Cohort (10 participants)
2017 Northern IN Cohort (10 participants)
2017 Multi-Site Church Cohort (12 participants)
2017 NorCal Covenant Cohort (11 participants)
2017 Pittsburgh Cohort (11 participants)
2017 West Coast Level 2 Cohort (9 participants)
2017 NC UMC Cohort (11 participants)
2017 NC Level 2 Cohort (10 participants)
2017 North GA UMC Cohort (11 participants)
2017 Onramps Cohort (9 participants)
see a list a current and currently forming YMCP cohorts
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Most cohort participants will require travel to/from the face-to-face meetings. We know that can be complicated but we make it as easy as possible. Here’s what you need to know.
Travel – The first day of meetings start at 8am, so you’ll need to arrive the evening before. The second day of meetings ends at 3:30pm so you can get on the road that night.
Accommodations – Every cohort is different but we will either have a specific place for you to stay at a reasonable cost or make a couple suggestions for you. You’ll pay for your room on your own.
Scheduling – We select the dates of our face-to-face and online meetings (where applicable) together using an online scheduler called Doodle. It’s very important that each participant selects every date remotely possible – not just convenient – so we can get us all together in a given month. But the cool part is, everyone has a voice in selecting the dates.
Event Policies
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Yes, absolutely. Please contact us and we’ll make any needed changes to any event registration. Unfortunately, this is a manual process.
From a price perspective, you will be charged the current rate for that date. But if you buy 1 now and then add 2 more later that’ll knock you down into the group price, so we’d refund the difference.
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Do you have a refund or cancellation policy for your events?
Yes. Generally speaking, registrations are non-refundable. However, we will review event refund requests on a case-by-case basis.
We will work with you. Refunds are granted on a case-by-case basis. Such as, if you buy 2 tickets for an event and are not able to attend because your board changed their mind… if it’s 3 weeks out and you let us know we are more likely to refund your money. But if you don’t show up and don’t let us know why we are less likely to extend that refund.
We’re in ministry, we get it. We have spent our lifetime working with people in ministry. We know stuff comes up. So if you suddenly have to bail on an event because of an emergency at home, we’ll work with you to do something fair. (A death in the family, something at church blew up, etc.) But if you just didn’t feel like coming at the last minute or you forgot to plan, we’re less likely to offer the refund.
Whenever possible we will be generous. Please understand we are a small business. We produce our events on a shoestring budget and every dollar really matters. For instance, if it is so close to the event that we’ve already spent money because we were planning on you being there we will likely offer you a partial refund, store credit, etc. But, if it’s still several weeks away and we’ve not committed to spending money on your behalf, we are more likely to offer a full refund.
Exceptions
Event deposits are non-refundable. If you’d like, we can apply your funds to another attendee.
No call, no shows are non-refundable. So if you registered for an event but forgot to come, that’s not our fault.
FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW TO REQUEST A REFUND
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If you are a denominational / organizational leader interested in bringing a group to one of our events, contact us and we can discuss some options.
If you are a member of a denominational group or a large ministry organization, contact your denominational / organizations office to inquire about a discount.
Still need help?
Middle School Ministry Campference
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Here’s a link to current registration prices:
http://middleschoolministrycampference.com/registration/
Bear in mind that MSMC is an all-inclusive price. Meaning the cost of registration includes meals and housing at camp.
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It’s camp!
Our accommodations will be in Country Lake Christian Retreat’s clean and comfortable cabins, each with restrooms and showers very nearby. If you come with a group, you’ll be housed together with those of your gender, and others from your group (of the other gender) will be as close as possible.
Youth Cartel Missions
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Yes, absolutely. Please contact us and we’ll make any needed changes to any event registration. Unfortunately, this is a manual process.
From a price perspective, you will be charged the current rate for that date. But if you buy 1 now and then add 2 more later that’ll knock you down into the group price, so we’d refund the difference.
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Do you have a refund or cancellation policy for your events?
Yes. Generally speaking, registrations are non-refundable. However, we will review event refund requests on a case-by-case basis.
We will work with you. Refunds are granted on a case-by-case basis. Such as, if you buy 2 tickets for an event and are not able to attend because your board changed their mind… if it’s 3 weeks out and you let us know we are more likely to refund your money. But if you don’t show up and don’t let us know why we are less likely to extend that refund.
We’re in ministry, we get it. We have spent our lifetime working with people in ministry. We know stuff comes up. So if you suddenly have to bail on an event because of an emergency at home, we’ll work with you to do something fair. (A death in the family, something at church blew up, etc.) But if you just didn’t feel like coming at the last minute or you forgot to plan, we’re less likely to offer the refund.
Whenever possible we will be generous. Please understand we are a small business. We produce our events on a shoestring budget and every dollar really matters. For instance, if it is so close to the event that we’ve already spent money because we were planning on you being there we will likely offer you a partial refund, store credit, etc. But, if it’s still several weeks away and we’ve not committed to spending money on your behalf, we are more likely to offer a full refund.
Exceptions
Event deposits are non-refundable. If you’d like, we can apply your funds to another attendee.
No call, no shows are non-refundable. So if you registered for an event but forgot to come, that’s not our fault.
FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW TO REQUEST A REFUND
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If you are a denominational / organizational leader interested in bringing a group to one of our events, contact us and we can discuss some options.
If you are a member of a denominational group or a large ministry organization, contact your denominational / organizations office to inquire about a discount.
Still need help?
Job Bank
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When a new listing is added to the job bank it automatically gets added to the queue to go out in the next job bank email.
To join the job bank email list, go here.
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Jobs are posted on our site for 90 days. They automatically expire on the 91st day.
If you are still looking for a candidate, please resubmit your job listing.
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Jobs are posted on our site for 90 days. They automatically expire on the 91st day.
If you are still looking for a candidate, please resubmit your job listing.
Still need help?
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Job bank postings automatically expire after 90 days. In most cases, you can just let it expire. If you need us to take it down fill out the form below and we’ll remove it.
Publishing Retailers
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Question: What types of products can I sell?
Answer: We offer two different product types:
Books
Downloadable curriculum
See our full line-up of products here.
Both product types are available for retailers to resell.
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Please see Returns
If we agree to accept returns on your order, we will credit your account for the items returned which are in sellable condition.
If your returns are not received in sellable condition we will provide documentation, photos of the damages, notifying our contact person of the problem.
We will then credit your account accordingly.
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Question: We’re interested in carrying your products in our store, what are your standard terms?
Answer: We’re a small, independent publisher. As a result we do direct sales and manage our own inventory. So we don’t have a sales team, distribution center, or a trade partner: You’re dealing directly with the publisher.
Consequently, we keep our terms very simple:
Our wholesale discount is 50%.
30 days net. (5% late fee automatically applied to your account and every 30 days afterward)
If you ask, we’re happy to quote shipping for you. Otherwise, we will ship USPS Priority Mail or UPS and add those fees to your invoice.
Our minimum order quantity for first time orders is 20. After we have an existing relationship we’re happy to work with your needs as much as possible.
We will accept returns if pre-authorized.
Ready to get started? Fill out this form or contact us.
Have more questions about our terms? Contact us and we’ll be happy to set-up a call.
Still need help?
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Question: What are your shipping options for retailers?
Answer: We usually ship via United States Postal Service (USPS) or United Parcel Service (UPS). We get a morning pick-up from the USPS and a late afternoon pickup from UPS.
Most of our outgoing packages go out via UPS Ground, USPS Priority, or USPS Media Mail.
Large shipments will most likely ship via a freight company directly from our printer, located in the San Diego, California area.
We’re more than happy to work with you!
If you’d like us to use your preferred shipping method or bill your account directly with your shipping account number, please provide those details on your purchase order.
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Question: How do you handle returns?
Answer: We do not typically accept returns from retailers, as per our Standard Terms.
If you’d like to discuss this with us, please contact us.
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Purchase Orders
You may submit to us a purchase order for products you’d like to sell. Please include the name of the item, it’s ISBN, the quantity of the item you are ordering, as well as any shipping information or requests. (Specifically, we need to know if this is a rush order or if you need us to ship via your UPS/FedEx account, etc.)
If your company doesn’t have a purchase order system in place, simply email in those orders to adam@theyouthcartel.com and we’ll confirm them with an invoice.
Invoices
Most often, we will fulfill the order and then issue an invoice that has the full costs of the transaction listed. (See Standard Terms)
Your invoice will include the quantity of items shipped as well as the shipping charges due. If you’ve issued us a Purchase Order number we will do our very best to include that on the invoice, if we’ve not done that and you receive an invoice without a purchase order, please let us know. We can easily edit and resend an invoice.
Purchase History – Our invoicing system, Freshbooks, keeps all of your companies purchase history together. If you need access to your purchase history with us, please let us know and we’d be happy to give an individual within your company access to that.
See Online Payments and Account History
Payments
All invoices include the following payment options:
Check
PayPal
Visa
Mastercard
American Express
We do not accept payments over the phone.
Still need help?
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Question: How do I get product information or marketing collateral for my store?
Answer: In general, you can find things like the book’s cover image, back cover copy, endorsements, and author information on the individual product page for each item.
We’re happy to resize any images, provide more information about the book, or put you in contact with our authors.
If you need something specific or different, please let us know.
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Question: Do you have ____ in stock and ready to ship?
Answer: The quickest way to know if something is in stock is to visit our online store and add the quantity you are interested in to your shopping cart. (No login required, you don’t have to make a purchase there) The online store inventory is pretty accurate.
Feel free to send us an email about product inventory levels.
Our printer is local and has all of our products on file. If you’d like to order more of a product than we currently have available, we can usually get more within 2 weeks.
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Question: Do you accept online payments?
Answer: Yes, you may pay for your invoice online. In your invoice notification email, click the link to view the invoice online then select the option to make a payment online via Credit Card or Paypal.
Question: Can I see my account history?
Answer: Yes, if you’d like to have access to your account history please contact us and we will provide you with a user account for our accounting software, Freshbooks. We don’t do this by default but are happy to provide it for any retailer/customer upon request. (We can provide multiple access accounts per company, also upon request.)
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Fantastic!
We are building a team of distribution partners for Cartel products around the world. If you have a retail location, ecommerce website, or just have a desire to sell Cartel products, we want to hear from you.
We have particular interest in non-US distributors. If your business is in Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, or any other country… let’s connect!
More information can be found here.
http://theyouthcartel.com/become-a-retailer/
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Question: I’d like to sell digital products from The Youth Cartel’s publishing line, how does that work?
Answer: We do allow retailers to sell our sell our digital goods. Here are our terms:
The retailer will provide TYC with a sales report quarterly. We do not require a detailed, customer level, report of actual sales. All that is required is a summary statement with the quantity of each ISBN sold and the net sales.
In concert with our Standard Terms, the retailer will pay TYC 50% of net sales on a quarterly basis.
The retailer will store TYC digital goods in a secure manner. In other words, we want to make sure you’ve taken every effort to prevent our products from downloaded without purchase.
The retailer will not severely discount TYC digital goods without the permission of TYC. We are happy to be part of your promotions, but we want to make sure that customers can find our products similarly priced.
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Question: How do I get access to digital files for my online store?
Answer: We have a shared Dropbox folder for all of our online retailers. When a new product is made available, we add the product files to that folder.
Are you a retailer who needs access to the digital goods folder? Let us know.
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Question: Can I Place an Order via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)?
Answer: Yes, we are set-up to receive orders that way, but since no one has ever done it we’d love it if you followed up your EDI order with an email to verify that we’ve received it.
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Question: Do you provide ASN? (Advanced Shipment Notifications)
Answer: Yes. We will convert your purchase order to an invoice, we will not send the invoice to you until your shipment has been created. If tracking information is available, we will include this on your invoice along with any associate shipping charges.
Still need help?
Miscellaneous Help
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From time-to-time we may offer Cartel gear. Since we’re pretty small we don’t normally stock clothing items. But if we are ordering stuff for an internal purpose and we have the opportunity to extend that to others, we’ll do that.
Join our Facebook group. If we’re going to offer something we’ll definitely offer it there.
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