Good youth ministry engages in youth culture, equips youth to participate in congregational life and ministry, nurtures spiritual growth, and fosters faithful relationships. Review these resources for strengthening your congregation's youth ministry.

SPECIALIZED MINISTRIES : Youth Ministry 

Book, Bath, Table, and Time: Christian Worship as Source and Resource for Youth Ministry (Book)
Fred P. Edie, Author.  Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim Press, 2007.
This text bases youth ministry on the Christian ordo, the ancient church pattern which ordered its life around the liturgical holy items of bath (baptism), book (Scripture), table (Eucharist), and prayerfully organized time.

Building Intentional Community in Youth Ministry (Web Resource)
In this interview, Paul Bowen explores creating intentional communities of youth through ministry, church camp, and educational enrichment programs. Community, worship, and formation programs help young people find God's love, grace, and hope.

Focus on Jesus: The Center of the Target (Web Resource)
In this interview, Rob Bacon shares his ideas for helping youth grasp the stabilizing, life-giving force Jesus can play in their lives. Rob offers a model of youth ministry based on adult mentors, music, real engagement, and affirmation.

The Godbearing Life: The Art of Soul Tending for Youth Ministry (Book)
Kenda Creasy Dean, Ron Foster, Authors.  Nashville, TN: Upper Room Books, 1998.
Claiming that we have sold our youth short by feeding them programs that isolate them from the rest of the congregation, the authors redefine youth ministry as a discipline that equips youth to participate in parish life and ministry—now, not later.

Practicing Discernment with Youth: A Transformative Youth Ministry Approach (Book)
David White, Author.  Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim Press, 2005.
David White asserts that youth group leaders must draw youth back to the deeper calling of the Christian life. He explains the importance of discernment in that process and describes ways to implement discernment with youth.

Search Institute (Organization)
Search Institute provides leadership, knowledge, and resources to support healthy children, youth, and communities. Congregational leaders will find this organization packed with helpful materials for nurturing young people.

Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers (Book)
Christian Smith, Melinda Lundquist Denton, Authors.  New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2005.
Reporting on the findings of the National Study of Youth and Religion, Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton explain the spirituality of present-day American teenagers and how that spirituality affects teenagers' behavior.

Sustainable Youth Ministry: Why Most Youth Ministry Doesn't Last and What Your Church Can Do About It (Book)
Mark DeVries, Author.  Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2008.
After examining the patterns of failed and stagnant youth ministries, Mark DeVries explains that successful youth ministries focus not on programs but on systems, structures, and the ethos of the church community.

Way to Live: Christian Practices for Teens (Book)
Dorothy C. Bass, Don Richter, Editors.  Nashville, TN: Upper Room Books, 2002.
Way to Live: Christian Practices for Teens empowers teens to understand their impact and the difference they make through everyday choices at school, with family, and at play.

When Kumbaya Is Not Enough: A Practical Theology for Youth Ministry (Book)
Dean Borgman, Author.  Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1997.
This book will help youth ministers develop a practical theology that engages the culture today's youth live in.

Youth Ministry in Small Churches (Book)
Rick Chromey, Author.  Loveland, CO: Group Publishing, Inc., 1990.
Author and youth minister Rick Chromey has created a practical collection of ideas to help volunteers, pastors, and youth ministers design, build, and evaluate a healthy ministry for the small church.

Youth Specialties (Organization)
Devoted to serving the needs to youth ministers and workers, Youth Specialties offers seminars, conventions, books, videos, a support network, a magazine, and a Web site with extensive resource links.

Big Questions, Worthy Dreams: Mentoring Young Adults in Their Search for Meaning, Purpose, and Faith (Book)
Sharon Daloz Parks, Author.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2000.
Arguing that young people today don’t have a good picture of what it means to be an adult, Sharon Daloz Parks defines the key task as of young adulthood as meaning-making: asking "big questions" and discovering "worthy dreams."

Blessing New Voices: Prayers of Young People and Worship Resources for Youth Ministry (Book)
Maren C. Tirabassi, Author.  Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim Press, 2000.
This unique resource from Maren Tirabassi seeks to enhance teenagers' worship experiences by presenting different forms of worship—including prayers written by teenagers themselves.

Bullying: A Spiritual Crisis (Book)
Ronald Hecker Cram, Author.  St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press, 2003.
Ronald Cram calls us to address the problem of bullying in and through our congregations. This book will be useful for congregational leaders who work with children, youth, and their families, many of whom face this spiritual crisis each day.

Choosing Church: What Makes a Difference for Teens (Book)
Carol Lytch, Author.  Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.
Carol Lytch observes that congregations offering teens a sense of belonging, a sense of meaning, and opportunities to develop competence are best able to keep students involved and engaged throughout their high school years.

Counseling Troubled Teens and Their Families: A Handbook for Pastors and Youth Workers (Book)
Andrew Weaver, John D. Preston, Leigh W. Jerome, Authors.  Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1999.
This handbook provides congregational leaders basic information and treatment guidelines for 22 problems related to teens, including addiction, family crisis, depression, and other problems. Includes a helpful listing of additional resources.

Growing Souls: Experiments in Contemplative Youth Ministry (Book)
Mark Yaconelli, Author.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2007.
Growing Souls is a collection of stories, experiences, and testimonies about an experiment exploring contemplative prayer and presence in youth ministry.

Postmodern Youth Ministry: Exploring Cultural Shift, Cultivating Authentic Community, Creating Holistic Connections (Book)
Tony Jones, Author.  El Cajon, CA: Youth Specialties, 2001.
The book is an exploration of the postmodern church and its implications for ministering with youth, most of whom know only the postmodern world. Includes both real-life and philosophical ideas.

Practicing Our Faith (Web Resource)
Valparaiso Project on the Education and Formation of People of Faith
The "Practicing Our Faith" Web site explores twelve practices, rooted in Christian tradition, that help people to thoughtfully and intentionally live their faith.

Practicing Passion: Youth and the Quest for a Passionate Church (Book)
Kenda Creasy Dean, Author.  Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2004.
Kenda Dean believes that ministry to adolescents must be based on a passionate faith ignited when the Passion of Christ is joined to the passion of youth. Attentive youth leaders may adapt her information to their own ministries.

The Price of Privilege: How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids (Book)
Madeline Levine, Author.  New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2006.
Based on extensive research and the author's many years of experience as a psychologist and parent, this book offers advice to affluent parents to help them raise children with a healthy sense of self.

Reclaiming Youth at Risk: Our Hope for the Future, Revised Edition (Book)
Larry K. Brendtro, Martin Brokenleg, Steve Van Bockern, Authors.  Bloomington, IN: National Educational Service, 2001.
Reclaiming Youth at Risk draws upon a Native American model to help readers repair the damage done to young people by themselves, their families, and the culture. It offers wisdom and advice on responding to delinquency.

The Sacred Selves of Adolescent Girls: Hard Stories of Race, Class, and Gender (Book)
Evelyn L. Parker, Editor.  Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim Press, 2006.
Through the stories of a diverse group of young women, this book explores the impact of various forms of oppression—including racism and sexism—on the spiritual formation of adolescent girls.

Single Digit Youth Groups: Working With Fewer Than 10 Teens (Book)
Marcey Balcomb, Author.  Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2004.
Marcey Balcomb discusses the value and strengths of a youth group that has fewer than 10 teens. The benefits and struggles of small youth groups are examined, along with the qualities of an outstanding youth leader.

Soul Shaper: Exploring Spirituality and Contemplative Practices in Youth Ministry (Book)
Tony Jones, Author.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2003.
Postmodern spirituality has recently sparked renewed interest in ancient forms of spirituality and their expression. In the context of youth ministry, Soul Shaper introduces a variety of spiritual disciplines and practices.

Soul Tending: Life Forming Practices for Older Youth and Young Adults (Book)
Kenda Creasy Dean, Ron Foster, Authors.  Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2002.
This book provides senior high school students and young adults a forum for exploring a variety of topics in the context of their faith. Materials for discussion on 43 topics are included.

Youthworkers.net (Web Resource)
San Diego, CA: National Network of Youth Ministries
This organization links youth workers with one another so that they might work together to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with all teenagers and disciple them to reach others with Christ's message.