Rebooted: Reclaiming Youth Ministry For The Long Haul - A Biblical Framework

by Tim Gough

Youth work . . .
Time for a reboot?

We need youth ministry that

· has the Bible at its heart
· offers firm foundations
· is designed to outlive the youth worker

‘May this book contribute to the revival of biblical youth ministry.’ Ajith Fernando

‘Essential reading for every Christian youth worker.’ Andy du Feu

‘Combines a vast knowledge of the Bible and youth ministry with an easy-to-read and witty style.’ Ruth Jackson

‘An important read and worth reading for the sake of our young people.’ Phil Moon

‘Encouraging, constructive, challenging and provocative . . . A must-read, this book will captivate and stretch you.’ Neil O’Boyle

‘This book is 100% fresh, and it shouldn’t be. Read it and you will see what I mean!’ Mark Oestreicher

‘Argues powerfully why we need to encourage young people to love God and love his word.’ Mark Russell

‘Tim’s passion to ensure that the Bible shapes – rather than just informs – our work is both admirable and infectious.’ Martin Saunders

‘Shows us how youth ministry is . . . about living out the biblical story.’ Graham Stanton

Tim Gough is Director of Llandudno Youth for Christ, Wales, UK, and the editor of the multi-award-winning blog www.youthworkhacks.com.

188 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 20, 2018

Reviews

[Molly Piper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fair play to Tim for coming to (mostly) sane conclusions through some completely insane Bible handling

[Joseph Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent resource for those in youth ministry! A lot of what Gough argues I have found to be true in ministry, and unfortunately, I learned that through trial and error. There is a deeper calling and way to understand the role of a youth ministry leader according to Scripture, and it is VASTLY different than the cultural expectations. I wish I had this book when I first started in youth ministry!

[Emma Lanzon · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 I loved every single part of this book. I'm a Catholic and I felt his insights were universally applicable to the Church. It's gounded, practical, but deals with the reason for youth ministry which then lead to the how-tos. It deals with basics we all need reminding about. I'd happily read it again to take notes and hand it to every youth leader I know.

[Vincent Tee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the Bible is not explicitly a handbook for youth ministry, Tim Gough uses the word to bring out how faith is passed on in the Bible and draws out foundational truths (sufficiency of scripture, necessity of worship, serving) to build upon. Gough emphasises discipleship that is familial, intentional and Christ-centring. Being able to dialogue and expound several ideas while being practical, I highly recommend this read!

Some takeaways:
- "We do not create God in young people, we don’t lead God to them, and we don’t make faith happen. We look for where God is already at work in their lives and we name it"
- "Our job is to 'speak God' into places where he hasn't been welcomed yet, and then facilitiate that all-important relationship without getting in the way of it"
- "The Bible has its own gravity it draws everything together, keeps you on the right track and holds your ministry accountable."

Final thoughts
- Gough does talk a lot about raising the bar, but there is a constant emphasis on mercy and meeting youth where they're at - how do we balance this without compromising truth or mercy?
- speaking 'God' into youth's lives through discipleship requires the guidance of the Holy Sprit and time spent in knowing the character of God - how am I allowing others to do the same in my life so that I can model that for a youth?

[Thomas Creedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glad to have finally got to this - it's excellent, and I will start recommending it even when I'm not working. Tim lays out an actually biblical framework for youthwork - which resonated with my own positive experiences in different places and different times. I hope that many read this book and being to transform youth ministry.

[Oliver Deeks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book youth pastors, no, I mean, ‘youth facilitators’. Well done Tim. Wish I read something like before I started working in Youth Ministry.