Tried and tested books to help your youth ministry

Recently I had a conversation with a youth and kids’ minister that crystalised something for me.

This minister was feeling a bit flat and ‘behind the eightball’. In the rhythms of a typical year, he would normally set aside some time for deeper thinking about ministry – Biblical reflection, listening to podcasts and reading relevant books or articles. But as we talked, he realised that his lack of momentum for the work of ministry was, in part, because he hadn’t had the chance for the deeper thinking part that year (because life happens) and as a result hadn’t carried that momentum into planning for the year and into the work of ministry.

The outcome of the conversation? He realised that he needed to prioritise input on his ministry because that helped him to be motivated for ministry planning  and the ministry itself.

This conversation helped me to realise something that I’d experienced but not really articulated before:

Input on ministry excites me for ministry

Whether it’s a practical training session, a deep dive on a theological topic or ministry principle that will drive my ministry, or a book about a skill that will help me with the myriad of important things in ministry (pastoral care, Bible teaching, leadership…), the through line for me is that learning drives me forward.

And it’s not just what I learn that drives me forward. It’s also that I am learning that drives me forward.

With that in mind, the youth ministry team at Youthworks Ministry Support has been doing a lot of reading recently, and we’ve reviewed a few books that we reckon might help you in your ministry.

Some will be good for youth ministers, some for leadership teams, some for new leaders, some for Bible teachers. But all of them will be helpful for input on your ministry.

You can browse all the books that the Ministry Support Team has reviewed by clicking here, but let me highlight just a few recent titles below:

Welcome To Youth Ministry – Graham Stanton

‘Welcome to Youth Ministry’ is an apt title for Graham Stanton's new book. Stanton takes his readers on a helpful bird's-eye-view journey across ministry to youth. He covers core areas of youth ministry, helpfully framed by the first two chapters. They consider how ministry to youth is grounded in the word and shaped by the gospel. Stanton helps new leaders consider family and church partnership, Bible teaching, and other important considerations like pastoral care and ministering safely. Each chapter is short and succinct and concludes with questions for reflection and further reading. It also offers a healthy mix of principles from scripture and practical tips.

Stanton’s work is best suited for new or aspiring leaders. While no chapter is exhaustive, this book will leave the enthusiastic or aspiring youth leader with helpful foundations, but likely hungry for more. It will provide the new leader with a fantastic conversation starter and partner. It will also be a useful tool for new leaders to read alongside an experienced youth leader or youth pastor.

Faith Beyond Youth Group - Kara Powell, Jen Bradbury, Brad M. Griffin

Faith Beyond Youth Group takes the extensive research and interviews of the Fuller Youth Institute to identify the key reasons youth ministries often fail to produce robust disciples of Jesus who are equipped to live out their faith in all areas of life. Five key ways in which youth leaders can cultivate godly character in the lives of the young people in their care are helpfully identified and explored, with practical implementation considered. Namely, youth leaders should seek to: cultivate trust, model growth, teach for transformation, practice together, and make meaning.

Whilst there is unfortunately no discussion of the role of the household or school in the faith development of young people, this book is a valuable read for those seeking to think through their ministry practices and to consider whether those practices are producing robust disciples of Jesus whose faith is exhibited in all aspects of life, or whether those practices are simply producing good, obedient teenagers.

10-25: The Science of Motivating Young People – David Yeagar

How do we help young people in our ministries be more than passive recipients of information? How do we help them develop ownership of their faith and their life in the body of Christ? These were the questions I was asking as I picked up David Yeagar’s book.

While not a Christian book, 10-25: The Science of Motivating Young People contains insights that can help us understand what motivates young people. As the author says, “if we want to engage, teach and support our young people, we need to tap into the basic neurobiological systems that drive their behaviour.”

Some of the core ideas from the book are:

- Young people are motivated by respect and status from both peers and mentors.
- They are particularly sensitive to, and motivated by, avoiding social pain such as humiliation and rejection.
- When young people are held to high standards while also given high support, they are more likely to feel respected and capable.
- Transparency with young people is crucial for gaining their trust and engagement. A statement like, “I know I've got high standards, but that's because I believe you can do this,” helps young people understand that criticism is not the same as rejection.

So how might the ideas in this book help us in youth ministry?

First, no matter how frustrating young people can be, we need to communicate in our ministries that we value and respect them.

Second, as members of the body of Christ, young people are not simply recipients of ministry; they can contribute meaningfully to the body. When we give them genuine opportunities to contribute and take responsibility, they are likely to become more invested and motivated disciples.

Third, this book helps us see that small adjustments in the way we interact with young people can remove unnecessary barriers to their growth in faith and service. We don't need to lower our expectations of young people. Instead, we can combine high expectations with high support, communicating both, “I believe you can do this” and “I'll help you get there.”

If you’re looking for some avenues for input into your youth ministry, these books may be a good starting point. Happy reading!

Here’s the book review page that includes other recently reviewed titles:

A New freedom: How God’s word equips you for life – Mike Snowdon

Evangelism in a Skeptical world – Sam Chan

The Trellis and the Vine – Colin Marshal and Tony Pain

Changing the world through effective youth ministry – Ken Moser