Youth Ministry Nuts Bolts

Helps the busy youth worker organize and understand his or her ministry between meetings: preparation, prayer, personal commitment, building relationships with parents, goal-setting and time-management, evaluating, budgeting, recruiting, and training volunteers.

Youth ministry veteran and bestselling author, Duffy Robbins, offers an updated and revised edition of his book about the important, behind-the-scenes mechaincs of youth ministry. The tasks of budgeting, decision-making, time management, team ministry, staff relationships, conflict resolution, working with parents, and a range of other issues, are the things that keep a ministry together and functioning well. Nobody gets into youth ministry because they want to think about these things; but a lot of people get out of youth ministry because they didn’t think about them. All youth workers—whether paid or volunteer, full-time or part-time—will find Youth Ministry Nuts and Bolts to be a thoughtful, fun, practical guide to youth ministry administration.

Practical applications, theological foundations, and valuable information for the student beginning a youth ministry.

While most youth pastors are being regularly evaluated (or even scrutinized) for what they’re doing right now in the youth group, the reality is that the most important thing they are doing won’t actually be evident until much later. That’s because the biggest challenge for any youth ministry is helping teens embrace a whole-hearted devotion to God that lasts far beyond their years in the youth room. Unfortunately, much of youth ministry seems to be designed on the model of setting teenagers up for a “date” with God—a delightful evening that involves music, laughter, food, and light conversation. But what scripture calls us to is not a “one-night stand” with God, but a lifelong love of God that endures.Youth ministry educator and veteran, Duffy Robbins, offers youth workers a blueprint for building that kind of faith in teenagers. In this concise book, ideal for busy youth workers, they’ll be equipped to build a youth ministry that instills that lasting faith in its students.

Get ready for a crash course in effective communication. More than just a book on how to "do talks," Speaking to Teenagers combines the experience and wisdom of two veteran youth ministry speakers, along with insightful research and practical tools, to help you develop messages that engage students with the love of Christ and the power of his Word.Whether you1re crafting a five-minute devotional or a 30-minute sermon, Speaking to Teenagers is essential to understanding and preparing great messages.Together, Doug Fields and Duffy Robbins show you how they craft their own messages and give you the tools to do it yourself. They'll guide you, step-by-step, through the process of preparing and delivering meaningful messages that effectively communicate to your students.Fields and Robbins walk you through three dimensions of a message - the speaker, the listener, and the message itself‹and introduce you to the concept and principles of inductive communication. You1ll also get helpful tips on finding illustrations for your talk and using them for maximum impact, as well as insights on reading your audience and effective body language.As Speaking to Teenagers guides you toward becoming a more effective communicator, you'll find that this book's practical principles will positively impact the way you view, treat, and communicate to teenagers.

Many churches and Christian organizations have plowed money and resources into youth ministry programs only to see their initiatives wither along with their confidence and enthusiasm. As the longtime editor of Youthwork magazine, Martin Saunders has witnessed the fate of these programs but he also has observed programs with vitality and longevity that have made long-lasting differences in youths’ lives. In Youth Work from Scratch Saunders condenses his considerable experience into short, easily digestible chapters that address the nuts and bolts of a successful youth program. He uses case studies to illustrate his principles and addresses starting new programs as well as regenerating existing ones. Saunders tackles both practical issues—such as how to handle a first term as a leader, how to encourage young people to lead, how to build for the long term, recruiting and training volunteers, and what to do when leaders run out of steam—and strategic questions—such as formulating and communicating a clear vision, and identifying appropriate models of youth ministry. Additionally, the book doesn’t neglect attention to the spiritual essentials such as adopting strong spiritual disciplines and soliciting prayer support. Youthwork from Scratch is a must for any church leader involved in youth ministry.

In this thoughtful, comprehensive guide you will find ideas for encouraging spiritual growth in young people by one of the most authoritative voices in youth ministry today.