Church Youth

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 ministries through his coaching service called Youth Ministry Architects. So take heart: No matter what state the youth ministry at your church is in—in need of a leader and volunteers, full of battles and stress, large or small in number—it can be built to survive and to last for the long haul.

In the past few decades, the church has experienced rapid and distressing change. Hard-working pastors and leaders often know they need to embrace diversity, creatively engage younger generations, and equip their people to love their neighbors. But since they don't know how to make the changes needed, they feel stuck and wonder, "What do I do now? For these dedicated yet drained church leaders, this research-informed resource from the team at the Fuller Youth Institute offers a clear roadmap to faithfully and effectively navigate change that will revitalize your church.

To disciple the youth in our student ministries today, we have to understand the unique characteristics of Generation Z and apply lessons learned from recent decades of youth ministry. Pastor and Professor Timothy McKnight brings a wealth of new insights, resources, and guidance for reaching today's adolescents.

The loss or disaffiliation of young adults is a much-discussed topic in churches today. Many faith-formation programs focus on keeping the young, believing the youthful spirit will save the church. But do these programs have more to do with an obsession with youthfulness than with helping young people encounter the living God?

How can pastors preach the unchanging Word of God in a rapidly changing world? How can churches reach the next generation without losing biblical depth or pastoral authority? The Living Word in a Digital Age: Scripture, AI, and the Next Generation is a practical and deeply pastoral guide for ministers, preachers, and church leaders seeking to communicate the Gospel with clarity, imagination, and confidence in today’s digital culture. In an age shaped by screens, algorithms, and accelerating language, many pastors feel torn between the weight of tradition and the pressure to stay relevant....

It was now just five short years after George Bailey had his first miraculous meeting with a saving angel in Bedford Falls, and a new Bailey had come into town with his own great challenge that needed a miraculous solution! It was a wonderful life indeed when John Bailey and Anabelle Smith first came to be that otherwise perfect “match made in Heaven” shortly after they first met at the traditional New Year’s Eve Dance of Bedford Falls. It seemed so perfect, when Anabelle tragically died, and then far more surprisingly returned on that very next Christmas saying that she had come back...

If you long to reach kids and see their lives changed by God, this updated, comprehensive guide shows you how. Purpose Driven Youth Ministry will do for youth ministry what Rick Warren's Gold Medallion award–winning The Purpose Driven Church is doing for pastoral ministry. It's an...

Youth ministry isn't just meeting with students and teaching them God's truth. It also involves a myriad of administrative and operational details. Youth Ministry Management Tools 2.0 provides youth ministers and volunteers with helpful insights, advice, and practical resources to successfully...

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. This contemplative and well-researched book provides a careful critique of youth ministry along with practical guidance for those serving in ministry.

I have written this book to help people exercise God’s unshakable faith in their day-to-day living. Basically, I have used some of my own experiences to help people recognise the hindrances that can come into their lives; hindrances that set themselves up against God’s will and purpose for their futures. Some of these hindrances relate to specific troubles that can come against you; religious observation, financial difficulties, poor choice of friendships and fear and confusion; to name a few. I have therefore considered some of the attacks against my own faith, throughout my Christian ...

Here are only a few of the new friends you'll meet in TEENAGE CHRISTIAN: ASHLEY wins a songwriting contest and backstage passes to meet her favorite rock star, but discovers there's only one true Rock worthy of her love. MELISSA dreads attending a new high school, but learns that unknown roads are often mapped out by God. NICOLE and her best friend must spend Valentine's Day at a nursing home where both encounter real love when they least expect it. WHITNEY suffers from insomnia, but a heavenly cure brings sweet dreams. JESSICA feels like she's missing out on Halloween fun, then learns ...

Do you want your children to be actively serving in the local church when they turn 30 and beyond? Why They Stay can help! Much has been written about younger adults and their departure from church involvement. Concerned parents and church leaders want to know what has caused them to depart. Instead of asking why young adults are leaving the church, Parr and Crites conducted a national research project of those who grew up in church and are still serving faithfully.

After that first remarkable Christmas Day that Charles Dickens himself would call A Christmas Carol, an entire year had passed for Ebenezer Scrooge. A new Christmas Eve had now come, only to draw swiftly to an end with what was about to continue that Christmas tale of old. It was the unfinished business of making things right that moved Scrooge now, with the most pressing issue on his mind stemming from his greatest loss of all—his beautiful Belle! If only he had the chance to act with his present knowledge back in that time when choices mattered, he would surely fix things. He would have...

The Church doesn’t need more titles. It needs more truth. And it needs you. Lead Like a Saint, Act Like a Reformer is a bold and timely call to ordinary believers—young and old—to rise up as extraordinary leaders in today’s Church and world. Whether you're a teen on TikTok, a mom leading your family, a parish volunteer, or simply someone asking, "Can I really make a difference?" — this book is your answer. In a time of digital noise, division, and spiritual burnout, discover how to lead with clarity, courage, and compassion by learning from the lives of saints, reformers, and—...

Intentional Children’s Ministry will help you to establish the goal of children’s ministry, then practically walk you through how to lead with intentionality in every area: choosing the right curriculum, building a child’s worldview, recruiting and training volunteers, partnering with parents, effective teaching, sharing the gospel, growing as a leader, balancing hats in ministry, strategic programming, discipling children for life, and more. Serving in children’s ministry is one of the best jobs ever! You get to share the life-changing love of Jesus with boys and girls at church.

Here are only a few of the new friends you’ll meet in TEENAGE CHRISTIAN, Inspirational Short Stories for Guys: DAVID, proud to be the owner of his grandfather’s Civil War-era rifle—a family heirloom—discovers the hard way that only a fine line separates adoration and idolatry. TIM, caught in a fierce tornado, has nowhere to run, except straight into the loving, protective arms of the Lord. KYLE’S feelings for his best friend, Charlie, turn from love to hate when Charlie hunts and kills Jannie, the tame little doe that Kyle befriended. MIKE puts an opportunity to work at a popular ...

Jack o’ lanterns glow like smirking, wicked demons in the dark, velvety night. A full harvest moon spills its golden light on unsuspecting towns where each TEENAGE CHRISTIAN AT HALLOWEEN encounters spirits of good and evil. ALI catches “The Slitherer” lurking in her backyard as she unmasks dark deceptions beneath a shimmering October moon. CHERIF finds himself trapped all night inside a cemetery with high above ground vaults. In “the city of the dead” a fierce spiritual battle rages, threatening his life. JANA feels instant enmity with the Ouija board when her twin, Josh, ...

More than 60 percent of young people who went to church as teens drop out after high school. This is a striking and alarming statistic. Now the bestselling author of unChristian trains his researcher's eye on these young believers. Where Kinnaman's first book unChristian showed the world what outsiders aged 16–29 think of Christianity, You Lost Me shows why younger Christians, ages 16–29, are leaving the church and rethinking their faith. Kinneaman offers suggestions on how to help young people develop and maintain a vibrant faith....

Surf’s up! When teenage Christians go to the beach, exciting things start to happen! TEENAGE CHRISTIAN AT THE BEACH includes five short stories…five paths along a windswept beach that lead to or away from God…the choice is theirs—and YOURS—to make! MIA discovers a world she never knew existed behind the boardwalk when Daniel, the best looking guy at a Gulf Coast beach, offers her first aid, but suddenly she must choose between two different worlds, two different friends, and two different gods. KRISTEN is without a date for the Sandcastle Prom, so a feisty little girl named Posey ...

From a pioneering advocate for LGBTQ youth, a gripping, impassioned account of how an unhoused queer youth’s murder compelled him to create the nation’s largest housing program for homeless LGBTQ teens. “A gut-wrenchingly poignant real-life saga . . . Carl Siciliano has written an...