Giving Up on Giving Up with Jose Rodriguez of Rescue a Generation

27/11/2025 48 min
Giving Up on Giving Up with Jose Rodriguez of Rescue a Generation

Listen "Giving Up on Giving Up with Jose Rodriguez of Rescue a Generation"

Episode Synopsis


Jose Rodriguez went from gang life in North Tulsa to helping transform cities through Jesus, coaching, and the power of presence. In this episode, Zach sits down with Jose, founder and CEO of Rescue a Generation, to talk about what it actually looks like to love and disciple kids from hard places for the long haul.You will hear Jose’s wild story of growing up around drugs, gangs, and chaos, finding unexpected family through a bus ministry, and how a youth worker named Nancy refused to give up on him. Together, Zach and Jose unpack:How to have thick skin and a soft heart with studentsWhy “giving up on giving up” matters in mentoringHow gangs often disciple better than churches and what we can learn from thatThe ministry of presence and earning the right to be heardWhy changing a young person’s mind can change their entire lifeThe power of calling out identity and potential, even in the “worst” kidIf you mentor or work with urban or at risk youth, this conversation will fill your tank and sharpen your approach. Learn more about Jose and Rescue a Generation, and walk away reminded that love is a universal language, relationships change lives, and yes… you can mentor.--To find out more about Rescue A Generation, check out their website - https://www.rescueageneration.com or @rescueagen--If this podcast has encouraged or equipped you, would you take 30 seconds to leave a 5-star rating? On Apple Podcasts, scroll to the bottom of the You Can Mentor page and click “Write a Review.” On Spotify, go to our page, click the three dots next to the settings wheel, and hit “Rate Show.” It helps us reach more mentors like you.Want to go deeper?• Join our Learning Lab for mentoring resources and community• Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop• Come to our annual You Can Mentor GatheringYou can find everything at www.youcanmentor.com or follow us on instagram @youcanmentor

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