Reinventing Youth Ministry Again

Reflecting on four-decade-long a career marked by wild social turbulence and remarkably creative and innovative ministry--including game-changing initiatives such as Youth Specialties and the Wittenburg Door--Wayne Rice turns his eye toward those who are to come. What does the future of youth require of the future of youth ministry? For three-dimensional people at the greatest cusp of change in their lives, set against a backdrop of a constantly changing world, it requires youth, parents, congregations and youth workers alike to undergird the activities of their ministry with a commitment to reality--to remember that the gospel is always, ultimately, a matter of a flesh-and-blood God pouring his life into his flesh-and-blood children.

Mel Walker passed away on December 2, 2021. This book contains his final thoughts, lessons, and answers to some of the most important questions related to youth ministry. His goal was to leave as many resources as possible for those seeking to reach the next generation for Christ. If you have questions about youth ministry, it’s likely that this book has answers!

A holistic approach to reaching Generation Z in your local church To disciple the youth in our student ministries today, we have to understand the unique characteristics of Generation Z, and apply lessons learned from recent decades of youth ministry. In this thoroughly revised second edition of Raising the Bar: Student Ministry for a New Generation, pastor and professor Timothy McKnight brings a wealth of new insights, resources, and guidance for reaching today's adolescents. Following an overview of the beliefs, attitudes, and practices of Generation Z, McKnight provides youth pastors and volunteers with a complete plan for discipling adolescents through the local church. This includes practical advice on topics such as: • Engaging parents in youth ministry • Holistically guiding students in their beliefs, behavior, and affections • Equipping adult leaders who can serve as role models • Working with pastors, staff, and church leaders • Helping parents develop rites of passage for their children as they move into adulthood • Raising expectations for adolescents to encourage them to grow toward maturity Based on years of personal experience and practice, Engaging Generation Z provides everything youth ministers need to equip, grow, and encourage today's generation of young people to follow Christ, and to take their student ministry to the next level.

There are many philosophies and strategies that drive today's youth ministry. To most people, they are variations on a single goal: to make faithful disciples of young people. However, digging deeper into various programs, books, and concepts reveals substantive differences among approaches. Bestselling author Chap Clark is one of the leading voices in youth ministry today. In this multiview work, he brings together a diverse group of leaders to present major views on youth ministry. Chapters are written in essay/response fashion by Fernando Arzola, Greg Stier, Ron Hunter, Brian Cosby, and Chap Clark. As the contributors present their views and respond to each of the other views, they discuss their task and calling, giving readers the resources they need to develop their own approach to youth ministry. Offering a model of critical thinking and respectful dialogue, this volume provides a balanced, irenic approach to a topic with which every church wrestles.

This is not a book about youth ministry. Well, it's not entirely about youth ministry. This is a book about the church and her relationship with teenagers. And it's a book about leadership. These pages offer an invitation for anyone who loves teenagers. This is a story, a calling, a vision for the church to be more whole, more cohesive, and longer lasting than the six or seven years that make up most youth ministries. In part, this book is a case study about one church who became captivated by a bigger vision for their teenagers and decided things needed to be different. Quite different. And it's a stake in the ground that things must be different in our churches and cities for the sake of this generation and the ones to come. Birthed in the cauldron of frustration and possibility, youth worker and author April Diaz took a big risk when a staff position opened in youth ministry at her church. She led her church by asking some tough questions: What if we changed this position from a Youth Pastor to Student Integration Pastor? And what if this was more than a job title, but a change in the way our church views its relationship with teenagers? What if we don't just hire a youth ministry Pied Piper to isolate our teenagers, but hire a youth ministry champion who won't let the congregation forget about her responsibility for the spiritual formation of the teenagers in our midst? Equal parts intervention, idealism, memoir and guide, this tiny book packs a punch you'll be thinking about and wrestling with well beyond the final page.

If we are going to have a victorious church tomorrow, we must focus on the youth today. In this book, Comiskey lays out the biblical base for youth ministry, highlights the felt needs of today’s youth, and then shows why small groups are the most effective way to make youth disciples today. Comiskey explains the difference between inter-generational cells and student-led groups, the equipping process for youth leaders, how to coach leaders, and how to get started in youth cell ministry. Comiskey also describes common errors in youth ministry and how to avoid them. This book is a must-read for all those wanting to make youth disciples through cell ministry.

Parents are the biggest influence on the lives of teenagers— a fact that research has proved again and again. Yet interactions with parents can be one of the trickiest areas for a youth worker to navigate well. Great youth ministries are passionate about helping parents— the key influence on teenage faith—succeed in their God-given roles. That’s the foundational message of The Skinny on Parents, which will lead you toward a place where you focus a little bit more of your energy on resourcing, equipping, partnering with, and empowering parents. Parents are not the enemy. Ignoring them will diminish the impact of your ministry. Most parents struggle with fears but also want help. And you can come alongside them to partner in helping teenagers fully step into a life of faith. This book is filled with practical ideas that will energize your ministry to parents and families. And if you as a youth worker provide help in a way that allows parents to feel more equipped and confident, then everyone wins: families, teenagers, and your youth ministry!

Your heart aches for your grandchildren, even if you don't get many chances to see them in person. You deeply want them to know how much God loves them, to grow in their relationship with him, and to make wise, God-honoring decisions. The good news is, just because you can't spend as much time with them as you'd like, that doesn't mean you can't have a huge impact on their lives! In Long-Distance Grandparenting you'll learn how to make the most of the opportunities you do have to connect with your grandchildren, including using technology to keep your relationship strong and taking advantage of the time you have together. But going beyond your relationship with your grandkids, this book emphasizes something that matters even more--your grandchild's relationship with God. Find the encouragement and guidance to connect with your grandchildren and invest in their faith like never before!