Friday, January 20, 2012

Books I've Read In Preparation for Youth Ministry (And Some that Are on My Reading List)

I feel a strong call to youth ministry. A quick glance at some of my posts will probably give you that impression. As a result, I do a lot of reading in preparation for the day that I am working with a youth group. Here are some of the books that I have read or will be reading that deal with youth ministry.

Purpose Driven Youth Ministry by Doug Fields. This is probably the best book on youth ministry I have ever read. I can honestly say that I have read and reread this book about 10 times. It is full of great information and how-to's of getting a youth ministry going. I haven't looked at it in a while, but I may do that soon...just as soon as I finish The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller. (it's due back at the library next week.)

The Seven Checkpoints by Andy Stanley. Andy Stanley is the pastor of North Point Community Church and an incredible communicator. This book is full of seven broad topics that are designed to help youth leaders understand the important topics that should be discussed with teens as they navigate the ever-changing areas of life. You can also check out Max Q, also by Andy Stanley.

Outbreak by Greg Stier deals with helping the teenagers develop viral evangelism. As youth workers, we only have so much influence. The teens in the youth group have a much greater reach. The book was based off of a scene from the movie Outbreak, showing how far reaching something small can be.

Unchristian is based on research that shows what many young people think about the church today. This information is vital to know if we wish to speak into the lives of those who may be seeking, but are not willing to trust the church.

The books that I am hoping to read in the near future are listed below. If you are interested in knowing more about these books, please click through on the link to get a description of the product on Amazon.com.

Almost Christian by Kenda Creasy Dean

Starting Right is a youth ministry textbook with articles from a large number of youth ministry workers.

Think Orange by Reggie Joiner.

Sticky Faith by Kara Powell and Chap Clark.

What youth ministry books have you read that you would recommend?

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