This book examines what Lutheran theology adds to the whole field of youth ministry that isn't found elsewhere. It begins with an introduction to Eutychus, who is a paradigm of adolescent development.

Teaching youth can be challenging and is often difficult. You need to know your subject but more importantly know your students. Do you like young people? Would you want to teach Bible lessons from the viewpoint of a teenager and encourage their faith? This forty-eight-lesson guide helps you focus as a religious teacher to youth. Youth Track identifies stories about young people in the Bible, including related scripture references for those stories. It presents suggested thoughts and current-day questions to involve your students. This is not a cookie-cutter guide but a solid place to start, since teaching kids can be hard work. Although this guide was written as a series of weekly lessons, it is also appropriate in other situations. Select just the New Testament stories for a shorter period. At special times of the year such as Christmas or Easter, use the stories about those celebrations. If you know your students, pick stories that you can relate to their day-to-day lives. Youth are very special. With the help of this guide, use your abilities, your knowledge, and your experiences in whatever way you can to encourage their Christian growth and faith.

Poor Eutychus might have tumbled off his perch in Acts 20, but it's humbling to notice that what took Paul many hours of preaching to achieve -- near-fatal napping in one of his listeners -- takes most preachers only a few minutes on a Sunday. Saving Eutychus will help you save your listeners from such a fate. Written by an Aussie and an Irishman with very different styles who share a passion for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, Saving Eutychus delivers fresh, honest, faithful and practical insights into preaching the whole Word of God, Sunday by Sunday, without being dull. - Back cover.

For centuries women, youth, and the poor have been seen as objects of Christian ministry, but rarely as those who do ministry themselves. This is so much the case that in some quarters today ministry and mission are bad words, reeking of older and paternalistic models of Christian "service." In this challenging book, Cheryl Sanders demonstrates how mission can be updated. Far from being regressive or irrelevant in a multicultural, nonpatriarchal world, Christian mission can come alive when it is not just ministry to but ministry by marginalized groups seeking justice. Ministry at the Margins is an important Christian ethicist's rousing call to "find grace to articulate a theology of inclusion and to establish inclusive practices and multicultural perspectives that harmonize with the gospel we preach and honor the Christ we proclaim." Essential reading for pastors, church leaders, students, urban missionaries, and campus ministers.

Young people have been leaving the church for several decades and are largely absent from many of our congregations. Most young people have no desire to embrace a church perceived as old fashioned, but remain interested in spirituality. How can young people be empowered to follow Jesus in a relevant and new way that is responsive to the challenges of the current context? How can real hope and opportunity be realised so that the next generation will approach faith without a Christendom mindset? By examining the influences of the past, exploring the stories of those young people who have been partaking in church and by considering the views of those not connected to Church, this book offers insights, theology, practical application and some hope for the future. Those charged with responsibility are encouraged to seriously consider passing on the baton to young people now for the sake of the future. Like it or not, the destiny of the church is in their hands.

Jesus talks about children often, and we quote him time after time. But are we correctly understanding the position of children as Jesus intended? In this thorough, nontechnical summary, Dr. Strange provides a wealth of cultural background that often challenges popular assumptions. Within this framework he also discusses key Bible passages, looking especially at the role Jesus ascribes to children in his Kingdom and in relation to church membership, baptism, and the Eucharist. He draws from the many sources available on the position of children in the ancient world, the writings of the New Testament, and the early church. The author concludes by encouraging us to be passionately involved with children and to imitate them in our adult discipleship, motivated by the example of Jesus himself. Anyone involved in children's ministry, in education, or with an interest in the doctrinal position of children in the church will find this book of interest and value.

Speaking to youth is challenging. Here’s the help you’ve been looking for. . . . How to Speak to Youth is packed with tons of tips to make you a better speaker with any size group large or small. You’ll enhance your communication skills with - A proven system for preparing dynamic talks - Exercises to improve your voice, gestures, and eye contact - Techniques to use the humor you find in everyday life - Ideas to make Scriptures come alive. And you’ll discover ways to- Prepare with focus - Speak with clarity - Communicate with power. Plus, you’ll enjoy the many humorous illustrations peppered throughout the book. You’ll discover your potential to speak to kids and keep them awake at the same time.

In his motivational sequel to Be Dynamic (Acts 1-12), best-selling author Warren Wiersbe skillfully explains the book of Acts to the layperson and the pastor alike. A respected pastor and a man whose study series has sold over 4 million copies, Wiersbe affectionately calls the apostle Luke "Dr. Luke" as he shows how Dr. Luke recorded Paul's missionary journeys. Readers travel through dungeon prisons, see the ancient world as if it were today, and witness the marvelous work God can do through a few souls fully surrendered to His purposes. They witness Paul's conversion and spot his imperfections, yet still they enter his successes as the Lord uses Him to preach Good News to the lost and dying. Because there are hardships today, places where God is unwelcome, and people whose hearts are unreceptive, both young and old will benefit from knowing that Paul's God is their God-the God of the ages. They will persevere till the finish line to "win the prize for which God [calls them] heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:13).

Highly respected New Testament scholar Craig Keener is known for his meticulous and comprehensive research. This commentary on Acts, his magnum opus, may be the largest and most thoroughly documented Acts commentary available. Useful not only for the study of Acts but also early Christianity, this work sets Acts in its first-century context. In this volume, the third of four, Keener continues his detailed exegesis of Acts, utilizing an unparalleled range of ancient sources and offering a wealth of fresh insights. This magisterial commentary will be an invaluable resource for New Testament professors and students, pastors, Acts scholars, and libraries.

Today's youth ministry is tomorrow's mainstream theology