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Within Reach: The Power of Small Changes in Keeping Students Connected
A few small changes can make a big difference.
As your students graduate high school, are they graduating from church too?
Research shows that the majority of teenagers who are active in church during high school stop attending shortly after. In a new study, Lifeway Student Ministry and Lifeway Research have partnered to identify the factors that are contributing to this disturbing trend as well as those factors that contribute to teens staying in church. In his first book, Student Ministry That Matters , Ben Trueblood laid out a clear approach to creating a healthy student ministry in any context. In this book, Ben points student ministry leaders to the hope found within this startling statistic. The solution is not a full-scale revamping of student ministry. Rather, the hope for helping students build lifelong faith and keeping them connected to the church after high school is just a few small changes away.
Benefits
Ben Trueblood serves as the Director of Student Ministry for Lifeway Christian Resources. Ben has eighteen years of student ministry experience, fourteen of which were spent in the local church as a student pastor. In addition to his role at Lifeway Ben is involved in training, consulting, and speaking to student ministries throughout the U.S.
He is driven by a desire for student ministries to expand God’s Kingdom, to see the lives of students transformed by the gospel, and to develop students who shape the culture in which they live. Ben is also the author of Student Ministry That Matters and A Different College Experience .
Ben and his wife, Kristen, have four children. In his free time Ben enjoys family, hunting, is a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan, and is an affiliate streamer on Twitch under the name of Flashbang_CSN.
Connect with Ben on twitter
As your students graduate high school, are they graduating from church too?
Research shows that the majority of teenagers who are active in church during high school stop attending shortly after. In a new study, Lifeway Student Ministry and Lifeway Research have partnered to identify the factors that are contributing to this disturbing trend as well as those factors that contribute to teens staying in church. In his first book, Student Ministry That Matters , Ben Trueblood laid out a clear approach to creating a healthy student ministry in any context. In this book, Ben points student ministry leaders to the hope found within this startling statistic. The solution is not a full-scale revamping of student ministry. Rather, the hope for helping students build lifelong faith and keeping them connected to the church after high school is just a few small changes away.
Benefits
Ben Trueblood serves as the Director of Student Ministry for Lifeway Christian Resources. Ben has eighteen years of student ministry experience, fourteen of which were spent in the local church as a student pastor. In addition to his role at Lifeway Ben is involved in training, consulting, and speaking to student ministries throughout the U.S.
He is driven by a desire for student ministries to expand God’s Kingdom, to see the lives of students transformed by the gospel, and to develop students who shape the culture in which they live. Ben is also the author of Student Ministry That Matters and A Different College Experience .
Ben and his wife, Kristen, have four children. In his free time Ben enjoys family, hunting, is a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan, and is an affiliate streamer on Twitch under the name of Flashbang_CSN.
Connect with Ben on twitter
128 pages, Paperback
Published January 15, 2019
26 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 23, 2019
"66 % of students drop out of church after High School." Not necessarily a new problem; however, it is gaining more attention and focus. Such an alarming thought that 2 out of 3 teens who were attending church, connected in youth group, even serving will stop going to church once they graduate. "Within Reach" through research compels youth pastors, pastors, parents, church family that this is not a lost cause, there is hope.
The statistics throughout the book were very helpful (at times they did seem overwhelming - but I get the point, to help show the seriousness of the problem.) and numerous. Ben Trueblood not only used statistics to help others see the big picture, but also his personal experience as a youth Pastor helped him with relatability. Overall this is a very good read and needed. If there was any wishes or cons it would be that of wanting more info on how to cultivate change as well as testimonies of ministries who have addressed this problem and have seen progress.
The statistics throughout the book were very helpful (at times they did seem overwhelming - but I get the point, to help show the seriousness of the problem.) and numerous. Ben Trueblood not only used statistics to help others see the big picture, but also his personal experience as a youth Pastor helped him with relatability. Overall this is a very good read and needed. If there was any wishes or cons it would be that of wanting more info on how to cultivate change as well as testimonies of ministries who have addressed this problem and have seen progress.
November 14, 2019
Great resource for ministry staff, primarily those serving in youth ministry. Only issues with the book are the format it was printed in (think it would have served better as a hardcover or paperback rather than the faux-coffee table style of book) and there were several misspellings and grammar issues that give the appearance the book may have been rushed out.
All in all, well worth the read that offers some helpful tips on how to reach students and their parents more effectively so that they continue in the faith instead of graduating out of it.
All in all, well worth the read that offers some helpful tips on how to reach students and their parents more effectively so that they continue in the faith instead of graduating out of it.
June 2, 2021
Good data for student and college pastors.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews