Things have changed. The Truth has not. The 1950's are gone forever. The days of the Sunday school attendance award and the much-loved Sunday school picnic have faded into oblivion. Yet some youth ministries still operate as if today's kids are living in a vacuum, unaffected by the changing morals of today's society. How can we reach these kids with the truth of the gospel? More than fifty of America's youth experts give advice and encouragement to those who long to see this generation kno...

For more than two centuries, youth ministries have either strengthened teenagers after a special encounter with God or tried to retain them until such a moment when God shows up. Here veteran youth ministry expert Mark Senter provides the first substantial history of the phenomenon of American Protestant youth ministry. More than a history, this book highlights the evolution of adolescence and adolescent spirituality, outlines three distinct cycles in the history of youth ministry, describ...

On Christmas Eve in 1985, a hunter found a young boy's body along an icy corn field in Nebraska. The residents of Chester, Nebraska buried him as "Little Boy Blue," unclaimed and unidentified-- until a phone call from Ohio two years later led authorities to Eli Stutzman, the boy's father.Eli Stutzman, the son of an Amish bishop, was by all appearances a dedicated farmer and family man in the country's strictest religious sect. But behind his quiet façade was a man involved with por...

If there is "nothing new under the sun," perhaps the main task now facing the Western church is not to reinvent or be relevant, but to remember. The truth of the gospel is still contained within vintage faith statements. Within creeds and catechisms we can have our faith strengthened, our knowledge broadened, and our love for Jesus deepened.In The Good News We Almost Forgot, Kevin DeYoung explores the Heidelberg Catechism and writes 52 brief chapters on what it ha...

Broaden your spiritual horizons.How has spirituality changed in the last 500, 1,000, or even 2,000 years? How can ancient approaches to faith help my relationship with God today?In The Sacred Way, popular author and speaker Tony Jones mines the rich history of 16 spiritual disciplines that have flourished throughout the ages and offers practical tips for implementing them in your daily life. Find encouragement and challenge through time-tested disciplines such as:•Silence and solitude •The...

The Seven Checkpoints for Student Leaders is more than a book; it is a ministry plan. It goes far beyond the "how to" of youth ministry and provides youth ministers, youth works, and parents with the content that students need to equip them for 'life beyond youth group." The material in this book and the companion book The Seven Checkpoints Student Journal reveals what Stanley calls "the irreducible minimum"--the essential principles upon which an entire ...

Many people run scared from the middle school youth room. But (thankfully!) there are people out there who are actually drawn to those young teens. Although often times they’re not equipped to deal with the unique challenges that middle school ministry presents, or they’re just not sure what to do when a room full of young teens (who are “part child, but not quite adult”) are running around the youth room. Finally, there’s a comprehensive guide to middle school ministry, from two veterans ...

When youth work becomes crisis managers.Anyone who stays in youth ministry for a while will encounter significant crises. Family break-ups, substance abuse, sexual assault, eating disorders, cutting, suicide, gun violence.But without proper and immediate care, crises like these can cause years of emotional pain and spiritual scarring in students.Rich Van Pelt and Jim Hancock want to help you prevent that from happening.Through their experience and expertise, you¹ll learn how to:-Respond qu...

How often have you struggled to help your students really grasp God’s love? How often have you been frustrated by their Sunday school answers when you try to draw them into the depths of God’s story? You’re not alone. Many students (and even youth workers brave enough to admit it) are experiencing emptiness, lack of passion, and a growing inability to hear from God.But there is hope. Just use your imagination…God created our imaginations. Why not harness them to encounter our creative God ...

The idea of this book is to talk about what we go thru mentally as Misfits. When we are trying to make a difference in the world, we can prevent ourselves because of negative thoughts, unbelief or our circumstance. The idea is to relate it to “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde”, and keep the theme through out the book. You are your own worst enemy and hardest critic. We have to learn to get ourselves out of our own way s we can allow God to use us the way he wants to. “Inside every man there is a batt...

“An intimate, revealing and sometimes wrenching family memoir of the journalist and social advocate who is now being considered for canonization” (The New York Times), told with illuminating detail by her granddaughter.Dorothy Day (1897-1980) was a prominent Catholic, writer, social activist, and co-founder of a movement dedicated to serving the poorest of the poor. Her life has been documented through her own writings as well as the work of historians, th...

You loved Would You Rather…?and asked for more. Inthe tradition of the Quick Questions line, More WouldYou Rather…?offers another 465 provocative questionsthat will get your students laughing, debating, and thinking(and they’ll learn a ton about each other in theprocess). Get ready for more fun as you ask:Would you rather…• Live without your thumb or your big toe?• Be famous or inspirational?• Flip burgers or deliver pizza?It’s amazing what can happen when you ask a silly question.Most of ...