Searching For The Perfect Youth Ministry

Thompson makes youth ministers aware of concerns and problems prior to their development. This allows each minister to evaluate his or her situation and search for practical and positive ways to either prevent these trials from happening, or at least diminish their potentially dangerous effects. (Christian)

Don't gamble on finding the right youth pastor for your church. Invest the time and energy in a deliberate, intentional plan for conducting the best search possible!Finding the right youth pastor for your congregation can be a daunting task. Where do you find the best applicants? How should you structure the search process? Which people from your church should interview the candidates?You'll find answers to those questions in Before You Hire a Youth Pastor, along with insights and strategies from Mark DeVries and Jeff Dunn-Rankin. These veteran youth workers and consultants know that the healthiest congregations take responsibility for their student ministries and hire youth pastors who can steward those ministries effectively.Avoid a "normal" search that produces predictable, normal results-a youth worker who isn't aligned to the church's vision, a youth pastor who doesn't stay around long, or any number of other outcomes that limit the vitality of your youth ministry. Instead, use this book as a guide for conducting an "abnormal" search that leads you to the right person for your congregation.

You're looking for a youth pastor. Again. What goes wrong? Why do youth ministries crumble? And what is the cost to students, parents, volunteers and church staff? Is a sustainable youth ministry possible, even after a youth pastor leaves? Youth ministry expert Mark DeVries knows the answer is yes, because he helps build sustainable youth minist...

Since forever altering the course of the youth ministry world with his best-selling, groundbreaking book, Purpose-Driven® Youth Ministry, Doug Fields’ mind—but especially his heart—has been focused on the many unique needs of new youth workers.Doug translated his passion, insight, and vision for his beloved “rookies” into what you’re now reading, Your Fist Two Years in Youth Ministry—hands-down the most comprehensive companion to not only surviving, but also thriving, during the most crucial phase of youth ministry. Employing his renowned wisdom and humor—as if you and Doug were chatting over a long, relaxing meal—the author disarmingly relates stories and principles from his own successes and failures over 20-plus years in youth ministry. In the end, he offers treasure troves of practical advice, all in the hope that new youth workers can travel a smoother path and achieve real longevity in a church culture that all too often chews them and spits them out.Doug covers all-important issues such as:· Dealing with discouragement· Establishing a solid spiritual foundation· Building effective relationships with students· Resolving conflict· Ministering to parents and families· Trailblazing change· Working with volunteers· Defining a realistic job description· And many others!In addition, a chorus of insightful sidebar voices joins your conversation with Doug, among them ministry veterans Jim Burns, Steve Gerali, Mike Yaconelli, Helen Musick, Chap Clark, Marv Penner, Rick Warren, Jana L. Sundene, Bo Boshers, Duffy Robbins, Tony Campolo, and Richard Ross, all who’ve composed extensive, topical essays for each of the dozen chapters.Your First Two Years of Youth Ministry is a must-have tool for new youth workers, volunteers, seminary professors and students, senior pastors, elders, church boards—even veteran youth workers who’ve been ministering in unstructured environments and are now asking, “What did I miss? What can I still learn?”The first two years of youth ministry are never easy. But never fear. Doug fervently assures us: “Hang on. Hope’s coming!”

What is youth ministry actually for? And does it have a future? Andrew Root, a leading scholar in youth ministry and practical theology, went on a one-year journey to answer these questions. In this book, Root weaves together an innovative first-person fictional narrative to diagnose the challenges facing the church today and to offer a new vision for youth ministry in the 21st century. Informed by interviews that Root conducted with parents, this book explores how parents' perspectives of what constitutes a good life are affecting youth ministry. In today's culture, youth ministry can't compete with sports, test prep, and the myriad other activities in which young people participate. Through a unique parable-style story, Root offers a new way to think about the purpose of youth ministry: not happiness, but joy. Joy is a sense of experiencing the good. For youth ministry to be about joy, it must move beyond the youth group model and rework the assumptions of how identity and happiness are imagined by parents in American society.

Have you tried all the new youth programs? Have you planned one too many wacky activities? Are you frustrated about the size of the youth group? Here's an approach to ministry that takes youth work seriously. Family-based youth ministry is about adults discipling teens one-on-one and in groups. It is about involving not just the nuclear family but the whole church family--from singles to older adults. More important, it's about incorporating youth into the life of your church. So stop worrying about the size of your youth group or your budget. Mark DeVries's refreshing approach to youth ministry will show you how your church can reach today's teens and how you can keep them involved in the life of the church. Whether you are a parent, a youth pastor or a church member who cares about teens, you will find in this book an entirely different approach to youth ministry that will build mature Christian believers.

Packed full of practical advice on everything from starting a youth group to recruiting volunteers, setting boundaries, and reducing stress, this book is a unique collection of many voices and viewpoints all speaking to encourage, challenge, and equip youth leaders to succeed.

Take a look around at the brokenness in this world and its spiritual poverty. Jesus wants to change all of that, and he’s looking for teenagers who want that change to start in them. Youth worker, that’s where you come in! When your students serve others, they’re serving Jesus. Serving helps teenagers draw closer to Jesus and become more like him. And serving creates opportunities to talk about Jesus and share his amazing good news. Ultimately, every act of genuine Christian service points to Jesus’ ultimate act of service on the cross. The Skinny on Service unpacks the powerful reasons why it’s important for you and your students to serve others, but you’ll also get page after page of practical ideas on how to serve. You’ll be equipped to help teenagers discover the joy of serving faithfully “before,” even if they don’t personally get to see the fruit “after.” Teenagers aren’t just looking for a great youth worker—they’re looking for a Christ-follower who is leaving footsteps they can step into. And when you lead the way by serving, that’s exactly what you’re doing.