Joey Orlando is a youth evangelist and passionate communicator dedicated to helping middle school and high school students discover hope and purpose through a relationship with God. With over 15 years of youth ministry experience, including seven years as a youth pastor, Joey has seen more than 270 first-time salvations and over 140 water baptisms in his local church, and has spoken at 24 youth events in the past seven months, leading 146 students to respond to the gospel. A North Central University graduate, he brings a unique perspective after leaving a successful corporate career to pursue his calling in full-time youth ministry.

The challenges facing today's youth aren't subtle anymore. When anxiety, isolation, and confusion seem louder than ever, where do young people turn to rediscover hope and purpose?

For Joey Orlando, the answer starts with recognizing a deep hunger beneath the noise. Drawing from his decades of experience walking alongside teenagers, he explains that the darker the cultural moment becomes, the more powerful the light of faith is when it finally breaks through. His perspective points to a generation that isn't apathetic but searching and ready to respond when offered something real and life-giving.

In this episode of the Align & Abide podcast, Dr. Kim Tran is joined by youth evangelist Joey Orlando to discuss restoring hope and purpose in today's youth. They explore why anxiety and depression are rising among students, how technology has shaped a generation's struggles, and why faith-based communities are more important than ever. Joey also shares practical ways parents, churches, and mentors can step up and make a lasting impact.

Darby Voeks is the Area Director at Crosstown Young Life, an organization dedicated to mentoring and supporting middle and high school youth in the Richfield, South Minneapolis, and Northeast Minneapolis areas. Under his leadership, Crosstown Young Life serves over 1,500 youth, partnering with multiple local churches and impacting countless young lives through mentorship, retreats, and community support initiatives. Beyond his work in youth development, Darby is passionate about leadership training, is an avid surfer and marathon runner, and is committed to helping people reach their fullest potential.

Real change doesn't always come from big stages or distant places. Sometimes it starts with ordinary people showing up consistently, right where they live. What would happen if generosity and mentorship became the heartbeat of our own neighborhoods?

For Darby Voeks, the answer is clear: transformation happens when adults choose to invest deeply and personally in young people before they're written off. Drawing from his experience walking alongside middle and high school students, he explains that mentorship isn't about fixing kids, but about being present long enough for trust to take root. When communities commit to that kind of local generosity, it doesn't just change individual lives; it reshapes the future of the community itself.

In this episode of the Align & Abide podcast, Dr. Kim Tran is joined by Darby Voeks, Area Director at Crosstown Young Life, to discuss mobilizing local generosity and mentorship to empower youth. They explore why investing in your own backyard matters, how consistent mentors can change a young person's trajectory, and the role businesses and churches play in sustaining youth-focused work. Darby also shares advice on practical ways anyone can start supporting and mentoring youth today.

Kelsey Kamerman is a writer, stay-at-home mom, and Co-leader at Radiant Life Omaha, a pediatric chiropractic office in Omaha, Nebraska, helping families reach their health potential. She's the author of Dating Stupid, a faith-based book on relationships, identity, and healing from generational trauma. Formerly a cosmetologist, Kelsey shares her journey from a "party girl" to embracing God's grace, inspiring others to find redemption and wholeness. Her work encourages parents, singles, and anyone seeking to break generational cycles and discover their identity in Christ.

The patterns we inherit don't always announce themselves. Sometimes they show up quietly in the way we chase approval, settle for less than we deserve, or confuse performance with love. What if the cycles you've been repeating weren't meant to define you, and what if freedom starts with reclaiming who you are meant to be?

For Kelsey Kamerman, the answer begins with identity. She believes that breaking generational cycles requires shifting where we place our worth, moving it away from relationships, performance, or family expectations and rooting it firmly in God. She explains how growing up feeling the need to earn love shaped her dating choices, emotional boundaries, and even how she viewed God as a Father. Over time, she realized that healing didn't come from trying harder or fixing herself, but from letting God redefine who she already was.

In this episode of the Align & Abide podcast, Dr. Kim Tran is joined by Kelsey Kamerman, author of Dating Stupid, to discuss breaking generational cycles by finding your identity in God. They explore how family dynamics shape future relationships, why knowing your God-given worth changes the way you date and parent, and how healing past wounds can stop unhealthy patterns from being passed down. Kelsey also shares insight on building relationships rooted in freedom rather than performance.