Smaller Church Youth Ministry

Smaller Church Youth Ministry highlights the big impact small churches can have on the faith journey of their young people. It is designed to encourage and help small churches start, build, and lead effective disciple-making youth ministry. Topics include a biblical foundation, practical helps, tools and activities.

A small youth ministry has the flexibility and qualities to be nimble and relational, two qualities that will serve teenagers better than a big budget. This resource demonstrates how to create a ministry teens will love to be a part of. (Ministry & Pastoral Resources)

You have less resources - but you know every student's name. Attendance drops when one family takes a vacation - but you have flexibility. Celebrate the wonderful journey of ministry in the smaller congregation. While making parents your partners in ministry, more ministry with less money, finding/training volunteers, and appreciating the advantages of serving in a smaller youth ministry

Learn how to develop an effective youth ministry with only a few teenagers. And discover how to choose which activities will best help you meet your mission. BONUS: You get 28 ready-to-use activities for small groups!

"Wes is young, enthusiastic, and perhaps a little idealistic about his new position as the youth pastor of the largest church in his denomination. Running into the ministry at full-steam with the best of plans and intentions, Wes soon learns that all the idealism and plans can’t prepare him for the struggles he’s facing. When Doug, the star quarterback, stops coming to youth group, Wes is faced with questions and frustration from the parents and church leaders. When he tries to win Doug back, Wes becomes even more confused when he learns that Doug began attending the youth group at the smaller church in town. Britt is a seasoned youth worker who has been at the smaller church in town for too many years to count. Doug ends up at Britt’s youth group, and soon after, Wes comes to Britt for insight. Only months before, Wes thought little of Britt because of his small youth group, but now he comes to Britt for help. In this creative fable, you’ll be invited into the ongoing conversations between Wes and Britt as they explore what it takes to have an effective youth ministry. You’ll watch as they discover what it takes for students to have a long-term, transformative faith. As Wes changes the way he does ministry, you might find yourself with a new perspective as well."

Michael McGarry explores the foundation of youth ministry in the Old and New Testaments and brings that together with Church history in a compelling way. McGarry presents a thorough biblical framework to think about youth ministry as the church's expression of partnership with the family for co-evangelizing and co-discipling the next generation.

Insights, tips, and suggestions for small group of leaders. When put into play, these bite-sized, consumable pieces of wisdom help leaders "knock it out of the park" and set them up to win.

Provides those in small church ministry--including volunteer, part-time, and full-time youth workers--with a process and procedure that enables them to address their particular needs as a small church.