Andrew Zirschky

Andrew Zirschky (he/him/his), Research Advisory Board

Andrew is a Research Professor in Youth Ministry at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and the Director of the Master of Arts in Youth Ministry (Nashville Extension). In addition to his work as a professor and director, Andrew is also the chief strategist of the Lilly-funded Innovation Lab at the Center for Youth Ministry Training (CYMT), which is dedicated to helping congregations and community-based ministries develop new ways of meaningfully engaging young people, as well as the cofounder and former director of CYMT’s Theology Together Project. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary and spent more than 20 years as an ordained youth and young adult minister in congregations around the country.

Passionate about bridging the disconnect between young people’s religious faith and everyday life, Andrew says he is “committed to discovering how I can support faith formation that attends to both strong identity and self-esteem, while also being equally committed to self-giving love and justice for others and creation.”

Andrew is an avid traveler, having visited nearly 30 countries across five continents. Father of two teenagers, Andrew is also an advanced certified scuba diver, a dabbling woodworker, and he keeps a marine reef aquarium with a variety of fish and corals.

Thinking of this work with Springtide, Andrew reflects on the formative religious and human experiences of his own teenage years and recognizes the need for faith communities to meet and serve young people in this season of their lives. “I see Springtide’s research as vital for directing our attention and action toward ways that youth are being formed spiritually in today’s world so that religious communities can more effectively minister with them.”