If a youth group fails the "friendliness test," teenagers won't come back. Yet building a friendship culture is easier than you think–especially with this in-depth and amazingly practical guide from renowned youth ministry expert Jeanne Mayo. Her three decades of in-the-trenches experience have been poured into this idea-filled book to help even the busiest youth workers create a truly magnetic ministry. You'll see both spiritual and numerical growth as a result of applying Jeanne's field-tested insights. See how even the busiest youth worker can create a truly magnetic ministry—and a true "youth family"
<ul>
<li>Filled with practical ministry-booster ideas that help youth feel welcomed, valued and loved!
</li> <li>Includes "Now What?" questions to help leaders evaluate their ministries and strategize how to make theirs magnetic!</li> <li>Gain both spiritual and numerical growth when you focus on real, authentic relationships!</li>
</ul>

Thriving Youth Groups: Secrets for Growing Your Ministry

Religion & Spirituality

Mayo, Jeanne

Group, Publishing

Christian Books & Bibles

Simply Youth Ministry

This book is for anyone who wants to renew the raw energy of Christ in his or her life, but it is written for youth pastors who have been at it awhile; who are ready to evaluate what they are doing...why they are doing it...and what impact their programs are having on youth. Readers will also find the results of exclusive research commissioned by Group magazine--thoughtfully explored by the editor of Group magazine. This research sheds light on how teenagers really feel about their faith...and how youth pastors really feel about their ministries.

Jesus-Centered Youth Ministry

Lawrence, Rick

"Do you own your cell phone…or does it own you? Interesting question to ask your teens. Ipods, computers, smartphones, flat screen TVs – we are a society of materialism. In this day, it is too easy to become numb to it, or – worse yet – expect it as a right. We lose sight of Christ. But start talking about this topic (if you can get your teens to stop texting) and the walls go right up. Stripped Clean, however, is a guilt free, thoughtful, and engaging look at what you have, what it means, and how to tread lightly in this world. Stripped Clean is a fresh approach to Bible study:<ul>
<li>It is designed to have pages folded, ripped, written on, and even burned, so that your teens are constantly engaged.</li> <li>Chapters are presented in fun, artsy ways that drive home sound bites and loads of truth.</li> <li>Lessons from Ecclesiastes relate directly with the world your teens live in today, causing them to rethink their priorities and refocus their lives on Jesus.</li> <li>The past and current struggles of "recovering materialoholic," Jeff Storm, show this is a process and it is OK to fail sometimes. Your job is to make sure the youth of today have a heart for Jesus, not a lust for the things of this world. Let Stripped Clean help you on this journey. Order enough for your group today and watch the importance of things give way to the importance of a relationship with Jesus.</li>
</ul>

Stripped Clean: Down to Nothing But the Cross

Teen & Young Adult

Help teens defend their faith in a world that challenges it...and them. With Confident Christian they'll investigate and respond to the doctrines of six different religious worldviews, including Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, New Age thought, Hinduism, and popular cults such as Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses. Includes discussion questions, Scripture references, and space for writing.

Confident Christian: 6 Lessons on Apologetics for Teenagers

Are you in a "small" church? Well, guess what--you're the majority. With the average church in America clocking in around 75 members, there's no reason why "small" has to equal "less" when it comes to healthy, thriving youth ministry. In this stereotype-busting examination of "smaller" (don't call 'em "small!") youth ministry, Rick Chromey and Stephanie Caro provide clear biblical and philisophical direction along with a host of practical ideas. You'll discover strengths you didn't know you had, and realize that what you thought were obstacles were only excuses. Today's teenagers move at the rapid pace of today's society. And a smaller youth ministry has the flexibility and qualities to be nimble and relational, two qualities that will serve your teenagers better than a kickin' stage or a big budget. Embrace your smallness and create a ministry teenagers will love to be a part of, no matter how many of you there are.

Thriving Youth Ministry in Smaller Churches: Secrets for Cultivating a Dynamic Youth Ministry

Chromey, Rick

Caro, Stephanie

We've never met a youth worker who wanted to be ineffective. Why would anybody enter the turbulent world of youth ministry unless they wanted to make a difference! But where to start, what to do, and how do you know if your efforts really are effective? In The 9: Best Practices for Youth Ministry, Kurt Johnston and Tim Levert unwrap nine characteristics of effective youth ministry. They specifically tackle this vital question: "What can churches and youth groups do to keep students from walking away from church after high school?" This book takes an up-close look at some "best practices" discovered in an extensive study led by leaders from seven different denominations. Researchers surveyed more than 6,000 lead pastors, youth pastors, paid and volunteer youth workers, parents, and teenagers who have found success in creating ministry settings that foster long-term Christ-followers, not just youth group attendees-and they found some solid, real-world answers. So, what are these nine practices? We're glad you asked! 1. Nurture Your Own Soul 2. Build an Awareness of God's Active Presence 3. Encourage Personal Spiritual Growth 4. Foster a Sense of Evangelistic Urgency 5. Increase the Congregation's Appreciation of Students 6. Provide Opportunities for Relationships 7. Develop Confident, Competent, and Committed Adult Leaders 8. Consistently Value Families 9. Create Contextualized Programs and Events This isn't a textbook-it's a practical guide for anyone who works with teenagers in a local church setting. If you're committed to effective, real-world youth ministry, this book will help you build, lead, and support the cause of helping teenagers own their faith and maintain that faith once they graduate from high school.

The 9: Best Practices for Youth Ministry

Johnston, Kurt

Levert, Tim

Each week, you look at the girls in your church, and you dream about the opportunity to make a bigger impact in their lives. You envision a team of women coming alongside you, investing their time and talents to help teenage girls discover how beautiful and valuable they truly are. You imagine groups of girls gathering to talk about their life experiences and offering support and encouragement to one another. You picture moms and daughters experiencing healed relationships and new beginnings.It’s just a dream—for now. But you can turn that dream into reality with the tools, tips, and training you’ll find in Girls Ministry from Start to Finish.This resource is divided into two parts.Part 1: The Strategy Who will lead your girls ministry? How will you structure it? How will it benefit your church? What impact can you have on the girls in your congregation and community? This section takes you from “big picture” thinking all the way to hitting the ground running.Part 2: The Tools and Resources This includes stuff that will save you tons of times: event ideas, sample Bible studies, and suggestions for curriculum. Use them as-is or customize them for your ministry. They're all yours. We've also tossed in some extra training resources on the challenges facing girls in today's culture that you can distribute to your leaders. You're welcome.Unlock the passion and potential of your young women by launching a girls ministry committed to spiritual health, personal growth, and biblical definitions of beauty and character. It’s a great way to serve the girls in your church—and an incredible opportunity to have an impact on the girls in your community. And nothing will help you get one started quicker than Girls Ministry from Start To Finish.

Girls Ministry From Start to Finish: How to Launch and Maintain a Vibrant Girls Ministry

Bradford, Rebecca

Charles-Goad, Meghan

Lohr, Kristy

Here's an incredible resource that you can use to make an incredible challenge to your students. Give them a copy of 10-Minute Moments - Smart Stuff, and ask them to give God 10 minutes a day, for one month, to see if the book of Proverbs can't make a difference in their life. In this installment of the 10-Minute Moments series, students will get short but focused daily devotions that look at the life-giving words found in Proverbs, aka "The Smart Stuff." Part devotional and part journal, it's a non-threatening way for them to crack open their Bible and start to see how God's love letter applies to their lives today. Get 'em a copy and let God do the rest.

10 Minute Moments: Smart Stuff: Exploring Proverbs Ten Minutes at a Time

Ever seen a boring, dull, lame skit at church? How's therapy going? We're convinced church should be a place where creativity goes to thrive, not die.Acting Out combats dreary dramas, with the in. Bryan Belknap has crafted 20 user-friendly sketches that will help drive home the point of your message-or get students talking about the tough moments and choices of teenage life.Your students don't want spiritual propaganda-they want and need stories that help them to explore the human experience. For teenagers, experience supersedes cold, hard "facts," and stories facilitate an encounter with truth that applies directly to their own life situation-meanings that might be vastly unique. Each script will challenge different people in different ways. That's why we've included two sets of discussion questions with each script to fuel student conversation and application.Here's a bonus with this resource: We've included some training videos to help you transform a skit into a video. You'll find this particularly helpful if you don't currently have a drama team in your youth ministry, you want to inspire students with filmmaking aspirations, or if you'd just rather use a video in your youth service.Every skit is editable and reproducible for the students in your ministry. Change the skits, add some characters, drop some lines, rewrite it in Elizabethan English-whatever best connects with the students in your ministry.These skits will give you the tools for building a drama team, encouraging creativity among your students, generating meaningful discussions, and effectively communicating God's timeless truths to teenagers hungry for real-world wisdom and guidance in a language that connects and sticks with them.

Acting Out: 20 Skits for Teenagers to Illustrate God's Word

Belknap, Bryan

Good leaders are always looking for ways to become better leaders. They attend seminars, workshops, and conferences. Their bookshelves are filled with words written by successful leaders. Put simply, they're hungry. Get the inside scoop on leadership with 99 Thoughts on Leading Well and its healthy blend of practical training and insights on personal growth for leaders in youth ministry. Drawing on his years of experience as a staff pastor, Reza Zadeh delivers a mix of challenging, inspiring, and thought-provoking ideas to help you become a more effective leader. Like other books in our 99 Thoughts series, Reza's book provides ideas, tips, and suggestions for leaders. When put into play, these easily consumable nuggets of wisdom can help leaders "knock it out of the park" and set them up to win. And we've actually included more than 99 thoughts-just call it a freebie from your friends! If you're the point person in your youth ministry or organization, this book will equip you for leading others, building a healthy team, and developing into a stronger leader. And if you're a part of the team, this book will give you tools for helping your team reach the next level of success and impact. Chapters in the book include:
<ul>
<li>Your inner life</li> <li>Courage of a leader</li> <li>Building a team</li> <li>Time management</li> <li>Communicating and connecting</li> <li>And more!</li>
</ul>

99 Thoughts on Leading Well: Insights for Leaders in Youth Ministry

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Books by Simply Youth Ministry