Youth Religion

If you're tired of youth ministry that fails to change lives, it's time to change youth ministry. Building on two decades of the Fuller Youth Institute's work and incorporating extensive new research and interviews, Faith Beyond Youth Group identifies the reasons youth ministry often flops both short-term and long-term, and offers five ways adult youth leaders can cultivate character for a lifetime of growing closer to Jesus rather than drifting away.

An expert on youth and youth culture, McKee shares his own heart-rending story and offers a sobering glimpse into the rapidly changing world of bullies, bystanders, and the bullied while providing helpful ways to connect with these kids, open doors of dialogue, and give them the encouragement they need and the validation they're searching for...too often in all the wrong places.

Youth pastors often burn out, bail out, and are pushed out of ministry. In this book, you'll be given practical insights and action steps to help you build fences against failure.

There is simply no value put on words. Words, however, are the reason that one person lives a life of abundance while another person lives a life of lack. In this book, I want to share with you the correct way to harness the power of your words, so instead of holding you back, they propel you towards the life that you desire - the life that you were destined to live.

The loss or disaffiliation of young adults is a much-discussed topic in churches today. Many faith-formation programs focus on keeping the young, believing the youthful spirit will save the church. But do these programs have more to do with an obsession with youthfulness than with helping young people encounter the living God?

Whether you’re a Christian parent, youth leader, or educator who works with Generation Z, this book was written for you. As powerful ideas in our increasingly secular culture shape more of this generation, trusted leaders must share what they know about Jesus in ways that will reach them. But how? Backed by the latest research and first hand experience, this powerful book shows how to share biblical truth with a generation that desperately needs to hear it in a way that draws them in instead of pushing them away.

Following Jesus has never been harder. In a culture that glamorizes sex, chases fame, and shames those who don't fall in line, it takes a rebel to be a Christian. In this book, Sean McDowell aims to encourage and inspire a generation of rebels who will dare to stand up to the madness in a just and loving manner. A Rebel's Manifesto offers clear guidance to help people navigate the many moral issues that plague this generation.

The strong and spicy heat of the gospel is the secret to effective and exciting ministry—just look at the early church! Gospel advancement was at the heart of the early believers’ discipleship, and the book of Acts gives us a vibrant picture of God’s plan to use us to build His kingdom. In Gospelize Your Youth Ministry, Greg unpacks the model found in the book of Acts, unveiling the seven key ingredients present within the early Church.

In the epic Mahabharata, when Arjuna stood reluctant and indecisive on the battleground of Kurukshetra, struggling with similar issues, Lord Krishna’s sage counsel helped him emerge victorious. Will the Bhagavad Gita help the youth of today to find the right answers and the courage and conviction that they lack? Win over Everyday Battles: The Gita Way helps answer these questions and more by using the trope of conversations and deliberations between Akhil and Nikhil, who share a passion for the teachings of the scripture.

In Sticky Faith, the team at FYI presents youth workers with both a theological/philosophical framework and practical programming ideas that develop long-term faith in teenagers. Each chapter presents a summary of FYI’s quantitative and qualitative research, along with the implications of this research, including program ideas suggested and tested by youth ministries nationwide. This resource will give youth pastors what they need to help foster a faith that sticks with all the teenagers in their group long after they’ve left the youth room.

In a world consumed with quick-fixes, superficial romances, and "hookup" relationships, maybe you're asking: What's the benefit to actually waiting for God's best? Is there a perfect plan for my future - or is it just a fairy tale? Should I just settle like everyone else? With all-new insights from Jackie Kendall, a new generation will answer these questions and discover what made Lady in Waiting a life-changing encouragement to over half a million people worldwide.

When building a children’s ministry at a church, there is so much to consider: Which curriculum should we use? How many volunteers do we need? How do we keep parents in the loop? And that’s before we run into stalled check-in computers, missing activity sheets, and floors that need to be vacuumed. Writing from personal ministry experience, Jared Kennedy shares a four-fold approach for gospel-centered, missional children’s ministry: hospitality, teaching, discipleship, and mission.

This book offers a measured Christian response to the diverse gender identities that are being embraced by an increasing number of adolescents. Mark Yarhouse and Julia Sadusky offer an honest, scientifically informed, compassionate, and nuanced treatment for all listeners who care about or work with gender-diverse youth: pastors, church leaders, parents, family members, youth workers, and counselors.

The pressure of being a teenager can be overwhelming. School, sports, jobs, and relationships all press in at the same time. But the hardest thing can be feeling alone, that you have no one to share your most difficult problems with. In The Jesus I Wish I Knew in High School, thirty authors from many different backgrounds come together to say, “We get it―and Jesus gets it too. Here’s who Jesus is and how he wants to meet you in this intense time.”

The number of Christians leaving the church today is significant. Many feel there is no place for them within the faith—they no longer feel at home in their church community or tradition. For various reasons, they are unsettled by the version of Christianity they've inherited. Stripping away the nonessential aspects of Christianity, Sean McDowell and John Marriott will help you navigate the jarring questions and cultural challenges that lead many to walk away from the faith.

Parenting teenagers is one of the biggest challenges parents face. New realities make becoming independent more difficult. Teens are traveling a different road and are moving at a different pace than those of previous generations. Today's cultural environment is more complicated and confusing than ever. But fear not! Family expert Jim Burns provides a handy guide for parenting teens.

Youth With A Mission (YWAM) is a Christian missions movement like no other. Since 1960, it has launched wave after wave of young missionaries now into the millions who have impacted every nation on earth by simply listening to and obeying the voice of God. In Values Matter, YWAM Co-founder Darlene Cunningham shares inspiring stories of how God shaped YWAM into what it is today—a large and effective wave-maker for missions through the spiritual DNA carried within its Core Beliefs and 18 Foundational Values.

This book explores issues of character facing Christian artists who want to use their gifts more effectively in church ministry.

As a young Christian woman, do you struggle with insecurities and feel bogged down by the pressures and expectations of society? Do you find it challenging to take care of yourself and be a faithful daughter of God? Emily Wilson Hussem used to feel the same way. In Go Bravely, the Catholic musician and speaker offers 20 bits of advice that will equip you to tackle your deepest concerns about relationships, self-esteem, and dating while strengthening your faith at the same time.

Many people today, especially among emerging generations, don't resonate with the church and organized Christianity. Some are leaving the church and others were never part of the church in the first place. Yet often they are still spiritually open and fascinated with Jesus. This is a ministry resource book exploring six of the most common objections and misunderstandings emerging generations have about the church and Christianity.