Biblical Theology of Youth Ministry
Author
Michael McGarry
Who should read it
This book is designed for those who want to approach youth ministry from a biblical foundation. It presents a fairly comprehensive overview of the biblical and historical material regarding young people and their place amongst the people of God.
Why
Biblical Theology of Youth Ministry gives an overview of where and how ministry to young people has featured in the life of the people of God. It presents Five Pillars of Gospel Centred Youth Ministry which outline how the gospel shapes youth ministry. McGarry starts by outlining what he considers to be three foundational problems facing modern youth ministry - the dropout rate, the influence on teenagers that the broader culture of apathy towards Christianity has, and the fragmentation of youth ministry, family and church.
He then sets out on a tour of the Old and New Testaments, as well as church history and theology to show how God's people have traditionally approached ministry to young people. McGarry then outlines his 'Five Pillars of Gospel-Centred Youth Ministry':
gospel centrality
theological depth through expository, biblical teaching
relational discipleship
partnership with parents
intergenerational integration.
The book concludes with McGarry suggesting that given the transient nature of youth ministry, the nature of the Church and the biblical mandate for parents to have the primary role of discipleship, the place of youth ministry is to act as a bridge between the church and the home.
Publisher
Randall House Publications, 2019
Plugged In
Author
Daniel Strange
Who should read it
Plugged in is an excellent resource for Youth Ministers and Youth Leaders.
Why
Plugged in is a highly accessible introduction to Christian cultural engagement. The book aims to help Christians engage with culture wisely by providing some memorable and usable tools for understanding and responding to different elements of culture. The book builds from an introduction of culture, into a Biblical analysis of culture and cultural engagement, and finishes by presenting a tool for engaging with culture that will help people meet Jesus. The strength of the book is its clarity and simplicity, especially the theory and practice of confronting culture and connecting through culture. Each chapter is valuable for young people and their leaders as they seek to live in a complex world. This book grows a Biblical worldview and equips young people to take more opportunities to point people to Christ.
Publisher
Good Book Company, 2019
The Power of the Adolescent Brain
Author
Thomas Armstrong
Who should read it
All SRE Teachers - especially those teaching grades 5 and above.
Why
Drawing on neurological research into the development of teenage brains, Anderson outlines key "brain friendly" teaching techniques to use and several "brain hostile" teaching techniques to avoid.
Publisher
ASCD, 2016
Adoptive Church
Author
Chap Clark
Who should read it
If you're wanting to do some deep thinking about bringing youth ministry and the church together, I highly recommend this book.
Why
Adoptive youth ministry? What does that mean? Well according to Chap Clark in his 2018 book, the goal of Adoptive youth ministry is "To create an environment where young people are encouraged to live into their calling in Christ as agents of the kingdom within the household of God" (p60). Clark recognises three crises facing youth ministry today: 1. The church is losing young people, 2. Culture is increasingly secular, 3. Young people are hurting more than we realise. In the face of these crises, Clark argues that the whole church must be part of the answer. No matter how great your evangelism programs, or how compelling your ongoing discipleship, if young people can't find meaningful belonging in the household of God, flourishing in faith is an uphill battle. It is within a family of older and younger siblings in Christ where young people are encouraged to become who they already are in Christ, nurtured in their faith, valued in their contribution that they "live into" long lasting discipleship.
Publisher
Baker Academic, 2018
The Bible Story Handbook
Author
John H. Walton and Kim E. Walton
Who should read it
While written particularly with Primary School children in mind, The Bible Story Handbook is an excellent resource for every leader of children and youth (and even adult!) ministry as they prepare teaching times on narrative passages of the Bible.
Why
Husband and wife team, John and Kim Walton bring together John's expertise as a Bible scholar, with Kim's experience in writing and reviewing children's ministry curriculums, to prepare this excellent handbook. Each of the 175 narratives chosen explore the passage under 6 headings; (1) Lesson Focus, (2) Lesson Application, (3) Biblical Context, (4) Interpretational Issues, (5) Background Information, and (6) Mistakes to Avoid. The authors keep the big picture of the Bible at the forefront of their lesson guides, keeping the focus on God's meta-narrative of the Bible as central to each passage.
Publisher
Crossway, 2010