Student Ministry by the Book: Biblical Foundations for Student Ministry

Hobbs College Library

by R. Scott Pace, Ed Newton, Heath A. Thomas (Editor)

The field of youth ministry is often driven by fads and trends as leaders attempt to reach students by chasing the ever-changing tides of teenage culture. This short-sighted, though often sincere, approach not only produces superficial and misguided disciples, it leaves youth leaders and parents drained and disappointed by the lack of authentic spiritual transformation despite their heartfelt and painstaking efforts.   Student Ministry by the Book addresses these and other common missteps by providing a concise, yet thorough, Biblical philosophy and practical guide for youth ministry. By establishing a spiritual perspective of a student’s identity and exploring the Scriptural precedent for student ministry, the authors refute the culture’s view of teenagers that often sabotages the church’s approach to discipling them.   In addition, this book provides youth leaders and parents with an accessible resource full of useful insights to reach the families of teens, build relationships with students, integrate them within the church, and recruit workers as effective partners in ministry. It also offers helpful direction in leading youth in the process of spiritual formation and grounding them in the foundational truths of the faith. Student pastors, youth leaders, and parents of teens will all benefit from this thoroughly biblical and practical approach designed as a handbook for starting, strengthening, and sustaining a youth ministry in the local church.

Genres: Christian

137 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2019

Reviews

[Shay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is essentially my four year undergrad in 128 pages. It provides a good biblical overview of youth ministry, while giving some helpful insights into training up leaders, discipling young people, and even protecting the pastor's home so his wife and children are not neglected. At times the book is quite theological, which I actually very much appreciated. There's both simplicity and depth here that make it accessible for all youth leaders while diving into the tough issues. These guys know student ministry well and I'm thankful to have read it.

[Chrys Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Student Ministry by the Book by Ed Newton and R. Scott Pace will help you build, rebuild, or maintain a healthy student ministry. You won’t find trendy techniques or statistics for stacking your student ministry. Newton and Pace write solely to display God’s plan for your student ministry.

A commitment to a biblical foundation doesn’t mean student ministry should have a stained glass feel to it. Knowledgeable of the complex and digital world of our students, Newton and Pace address our students' identity confusions and crises with ancient truth that is steadfastly contemporary.

Student Ministry by the Book is laid out in three distinct and fitting sections. The first section sheds light on issues that plague all of our lives, but especially today’s students. As I pictured the students in my classroom, their struggles didn't seem so foreign to the person I see in the mirror each day.

The second section is all about sustainability through discipleship and delegation. Away with the bug zapper model of youth ministry where everyone flows to the charismatic youth pastor only to be stung by the electric jolt of idolatry. The biblical model is to fill cups that overflow into other cups until all the cups are full—this is discipleship.

The final section puts boots on the ground. For student ministry to be effective, our students have to develop their own spiritual disciplines and biblical worldview. Without these, student ministry will impede their spiritual progress and send them into a volatile world without the necessary tools to fight the world, flesh, and Satan.

I devoured this book in an afternoon, marking page after page with “amen!”, circles, illustrations, and underlines. If I ever get the chance to assist in selecting a student minister or developing a student ministry for a local church, I’ll be consulting this short volume as a foundational part of the process. If you need to build or rebuild a student ministry, let Student Ministry by the Book serve as a blueprint!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Miguel Benitez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gives a good introduction and overview of student ministry. I’ve not someone who has been very sympathetic to the idea of youth ministry, but this book makes a solid case that there are “biblical foundations of student ministry” as the subtitle suggests. I gave it 3 stars and not 4 because it’s just an overview. It also seems to work on an assumption of big church and that the reader is a full-time youth pastor, as opposed to a volunteer or part-time youth minister/director at a small church. For this reasons, at times there was a bit of a disconnect when reading. That said, if you’re new to youth ministry, I think this is a good place to start.

[Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Student Ministry by the Book, Newton and Pace provide a concise, readable introduction to student ministry. As a work meant to train ministers, it succeeds in providing important insight into the lives of students and the work of ministering to them. However, this work could easily be given to parents, other ministers, and student ministry leaders and volunteers. Anyone working with students, especially in Christian ministry, or raising them will learn something valuable in this work.

[Jaegon Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, simple, and easy to follow.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

SM by the Book is an interesting approach to youth ministry. It claims to bring the teachings of Scripture to bear on the practice of youth ministry and, while Newton and Pace certainly lean into Scripture well and often, that is not what I found interesting about the book. Newton and Pace take three swings at YM. First, they define its purpose as helping youth develop a Christ-centered identity. Second, they describe the three targets of youth ministry (youth, families, adult workers). Finally, the address the teaching of youth ministry as having two foci--spiritual disciplines and core doctrine. At the end, I didn't have a sense that they had gove me a philosophy or a strategy for youth ministry. Rather, the book reads like a set of axioms that the authors want us to believe. The book certainly has good things to say, but it is not an easy book to read or digest.