The field of youth ministry is often driven by fads and trends as leaders attempt to reach students by chasing the ever-changing tides of teenage culture. This short-sighted, though often sincere, approach not only produces superficial and misguided disciples, it leaves youth leaders and parents drained and disappointed by the lack of authentic spiritual transformation despite their heartfelt and painstaking efforts. Student Ministry by the Book addresses these and other common missteps by providing a concise, yet thorough, Biblical philosophy and practical guide for youth ministry. By establishing a spiritual perspective of a student’s identity and exploring the Scriptural precedent for student ministry, the authors refute the culture’s view of teenagers that often sabotages the church’s approach to discipling them. In addition, this book provides youth leaders and parents with an accessible resource full of useful insights to reach the families of teens, build relationships with students, integrate them within the church, and recruit workers as effective partners in ministry. It also offers helpful direction in leading youth in the process of spiritual formation and grounding them in the foundational truths of the faith. Student pastors, youth leaders, and parents of teens will all benefit from this thoroughly biblical and practical approach designed as a handbook for starting, strengthening, and sustaining a youth ministry in the local church.

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.

Why Teenagers Matter in the Life of the Church

This essential book provides clear, proven, step-by-step instructions to help youth workers change their youth group into a dynamic student ministry, as well as establish strategic approaches to growth at each level or size of youth ministry.

Simple Student Ministry fine tunes the proven methods of #1 best seller Simple Church for the unique field of youth discipleship.Coauthor Eric Geiger, who contributed to the latter, takes a step forward here, neatly unpacking the key ideas of Clarity, Movement, Alignment, and Focus that will transform any over-stimulated youth program into a simpler, more results-oriented spiritual development process. Fun is still allowed, by all means, but the ultimate emphasis on maturing faith is simply essential. The anecdotal comparisons are current and on-target (Starbucks' well-publicized decision to retrain baristas in coffee making introduces the idea that youth leaders might also be wise to revisit the gospel essence of their ministry). And case study data gleaned from small to mega churches and parachurch ministries will give every youth leader a relatable reference point from which to begin the successful metamorphosis to Simple.

Is student ministry accomplishing what we think it is? Roughly two-thirds of students leave the church after graduation. Baptisms are down, and student pastors are walking away from ministry at startling rates. It's time to rethink student ministry. This book pairs the most up-to-date research available with an overview of a biblical framework for ministry. It will arm you with facts, Scripture, and real ideas that will help you find new ways to invite parents back into the equation and help you escape the busy, bigger-and-better, number-driven model of student ministry.

Walk through the process of becoming an effective student minister and building a sustainable ministry.

The field of youth ministry is often driven by fads and trends as leaders attempt to reach students by chasing the ever-changing tides of teenage culture. This short-sighted, though often sincere, approach not only produces superficial and misguided disciples, it leaves youth leaders and parents drained and disappointed by the lack of authentic spiritual transformation despite their heartfelt and painstaking efforts. Student Ministry by the Book addresses these and other common missteps by providing a concise, yet thorough, Biblical philosophy and practical guide for youth ministry. By establishing a spiritual perspective of a student's identity and exploring the Scriptural precedent for student ministry, the authors refute the culture's view of teenagers that often sabotages the church's approach to discipling them. In addition, this book provides youth leaders and parents with an accessible resource full of useful insights to reach the families of teens, build relationships with students, integrate them within the church, and recruit workers as effective partners in ministry. It also offers helpful direction in leading youth in the process of spiritual formation and grounding them in the foundational truths of the faith. Student pastors, youth leaders, and parents of teens will all benefit from this thoroughly biblical and practical approach designed as a handbook for starting, strengthening, and sustaining a youth ministry in the local church.

Author and pastor Jeff Lovingood believes to be successful in youth ministry, pastors need to embrace and understand certain enduring principles that will strengthen and carry them through the tough times when they are tempted to give up. Make It Last outlines these values and provides practical guidelines to encourage youth workers to reflect on why they are called to the ministry. An invaluable resource for anyone working with students in the church, Make It Last tackles important issues such as: Establishing a vision for youth ministry Creating a culture that balances evangelism and discipleship Building effective relationships with students and other ministries Celebrating what God has done

Teenagers are not a lost cause; they need wise leaders to help them along in their faith journeys. In Navigating Student Ministry, veteran student ministers with more than one hundred years of combined experience guide others through the often-challenging aspects of ministering to young people. This multi-contributor introductory textbook helps both those discerning a call to student ministry and those already invested in students. Editor Tim McKnight has crafted a book that can serve as both a topical resource and a comprehensive manual for those in the fun, exhausting, and eternally rewarding realm of student ministry.