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A Biblical Theology of Youth Ministry
Youth ministry today has fallen on hard times. Many churches continue to employ the same methods that have become entrenched over the last few decades, while others are questioning the need for youth ministry at all. Michael McGarry explores the foundation of youth ministry in the Old and New Testaments and brings that together with Church history in a compelling way. This contemplative and well-researched book provides a careful critique of youth ministry along with practical guidance for those serving in ministry. The author directs the reader toward a new era of youth ministry where parents and intergenerational ministry play a more significant role. McGarry shares five pillars of gospel-centered youth ministry and reminds readers of the spiritual priority of parents. This work includes an excellent list of essential building blocks for youth ministry along with practical advice for creating a bridge-building ministry connecting church and home.
180 pages, Paperback
Published May 30, 2019
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130 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
July 3, 2019
I would highly recommend this to other youth workers. It is truly a biblical theology of youth ministry and I found it to be challenging and practical. As a full-time youth worker, it convicted me to see many of the weaknesses in our ministry. It also encouraged me in some of the areas where I have been tempted to stray from a biblical model in pursuit of 'better' results.
I loved the powerful call to stay gospel-centered, the description of what this looks like, and the thinking behind the mantra: 'youth ministry is for adolescence, the family is for life, the Church is for eternity.'
My plan is to stew on things for a bit and then re-read this book for a second round of digestion.
I loved the powerful call to stay gospel-centered, the description of what this looks like, and the thinking behind the mantra: 'youth ministry is for adolescence, the family is for life, the Church is for eternity.'
My plan is to stew on things for a bit and then re-read this book for a second round of digestion.
February 21, 2025
I debated whether this book was deserving of 3 or 4 stars. I landed on 3, but I would probably put it at 3.5 if given the option. Here’s why:
1. Michael McGarry comes upon the scene of modern youth ministry as a coroner comes to a crime scene. He identifies the deceased body of youth ministry, points out what he suspects to be the fatal wounds, but when asked about what weapon could do this, he moved along to the next body. He identifies what has been harming youth ministry, he identifies why we should change it, but when it comes to how we should change it, he is vague and just says “parent involvement”.
2. His New Testament exegesis was backwards. He spends a good portion of his time talking about the age of the disciples, which scripture spends no time talking about, and spends little time talking about Titus 2, which gives a model for the older teaching the younger.
3. His big argument later in the book is to draw parents and youth workers together, which I agree is a necessity. He builds upon this idea for a few chapters, but in those chapters he just says “do it” but does not provide much in the way of help for youth ministers to aid parents. He makes the point that many parents were not themselves disciples by their parents or others, so they do not know how to disciple, but then spends no time talking about how to disciple parents. If this is the main solution to his problem, which I agree that it is, he ought to have devoted a chapter to speaking about how youth ministers can come alongside parents and disciple them.
Overall, I appreciated this book, but I found myself with questions as to his conclusions and assumptions. It is worth reading to broaden your baseline on youth ministry, but I was left wanting more.
1. Michael McGarry comes upon the scene of modern youth ministry as a coroner comes to a crime scene. He identifies the deceased body of youth ministry, points out what he suspects to be the fatal wounds, but when asked about what weapon could do this, he moved along to the next body. He identifies what has been harming youth ministry, he identifies why we should change it, but when it comes to how we should change it, he is vague and just says “parent involvement”.
2. His New Testament exegesis was backwards. He spends a good portion of his time talking about the age of the disciples, which scripture spends no time talking about, and spends little time talking about Titus 2, which gives a model for the older teaching the younger.
3. His big argument later in the book is to draw parents and youth workers together, which I agree is a necessity. He builds upon this idea for a few chapters, but in those chapters he just says “do it” but does not provide much in the way of help for youth ministers to aid parents. He makes the point that many parents were not themselves disciples by their parents or others, so they do not know how to disciple, but then spends no time talking about how to disciple parents. If this is the main solution to his problem, which I agree that it is, he ought to have devoted a chapter to speaking about how youth ministers can come alongside parents and disciple them.
Overall, I appreciated this book, but I found myself with questions as to his conclusions and assumptions. It is worth reading to broaden your baseline on youth ministry, but I was left wanting more.
March 27, 2020
McGarry’s Biblical Theology of Youth Ministry is an excellent piece of work. All the concerns I had about D6/Family Ministry approach were allayed here. McGarry covers the Landscape of Modern Youth Ministry, Old and New Testament teachings, approaches from church history and, crucially ecclesiology in Youth Ministry, before finishing with the family, the gospel and the bridging nature of youth ministry. There are some very helpful turns of phrase throughout, such as the repeated ‘Youth ministry is for adolescence. The family is for life. The church is for eternity.’ But the real strength is where McGarry walks the tension between church and family. Too often family ministry approaches have been rooted in 20th century nuclear family ideals and have ignored the inherent nature of the church as a deeper and wider family unit. While McGarry rejects and calls out many of the excesses of contemporary Youth Ministry, family ministry and intergenerational approaches, in no way does this come across as a polemic or in an aggressive way. Instead each of the strengths are also noted. Although this is an academic work, each section also has practical ideas of what each idea might look like. McGarry, is well read on key texts (Bengtson, Chap Clark, Bergler, Christian Smith) but these are not overbearing references.
The real guts of the book end up being in the final chapter, however, and this is where I would have love to have seen more working out of McGarry’s thinking: Youth ministry is a bridge, a temporary stage to get from one place to another not an end in itself. This is really helpful, and critical to avoiding Thomas Bergler’s thesis of Juvenalization. I would have loved to have seen deeper consideration of the existential nature of adolescence that requires this bridge as I think this cuts to the heart of a pedagogical method for youth. I had one or two other small niggles (I would take issue with his reading of Robert Raikes and the Sunday School movement), however in all this is going to become required readings for my students.
The real guts of the book end up being in the final chapter, however, and this is where I would have love to have seen more working out of McGarry’s thinking: Youth ministry is a bridge, a temporary stage to get from one place to another not an end in itself. This is really helpful, and critical to avoiding Thomas Bergler’s thesis of Juvenalization. I would have loved to have seen deeper consideration of the existential nature of adolescence that requires this bridge as I think this cuts to the heart of a pedagogical method for youth. I had one or two other small niggles (I would take issue with his reading of Robert Raikes and the Sunday School movement), however in all this is going to become required readings for my students.
July 20, 2020
Best philosophy of youth ministry I've read. Comprehensive but concise.
August 21, 2025
Not a lot that was new for me but his OT and NT background work on the family and ministry were helpful and had a few insights that I hadn't seen before. Some really good one-liners and I appreciated his emphasis on the Church. Some of the Greek work (especially about the Great Commission) was rough and there were parts where you could see that the book could have used more time from the copy editor, but on the whole I would recommend this book. It gives you a good lay of the land for biblical youth ministry and hits all the major themes and thoughts.
December 18, 2019
Solid exegetical analysis & clear biblical vision for youth ministry. Would like more practical tips of how to bring this vision to fruition but a useful read for any youth ministry & worth discussing with fellow leaders
October 4, 2021
Good look at the theology behind youth ministry. The content was excellent some of the writing was a little choppy but not glaringly so. I will return to this book for forming ministry ideas! Recommended
August 10, 2025
No notes. Definitely a must read for youth ministry.
June 9, 2021
This was a fantastic resource. The theological and historical foundation leads into extremely helpful practices for student ministry. My big takeaway: "Youth ministry is a bridge between the family and the church. Youth ministry is for adolescence. The family is for life. The church is for eternity."
May 16, 2020
Much needed, balanced approach to understanding teens and their relationship to church.
December 1, 2025
Michael McGarry legt mit A Biblical Theology of Youth Ministry ein durchdachtes und biblisch fundiertes Werk vor, das die Frage stellt, wie Jugendarbeit theologisch verantwortet und sinnvoll in das Leben der Kirche eingebettet werden kann. Das Buch ist gut strukturiert und führt in acht Kapiteln vom Problem der modernen Jugendarbeit über die biblischen Grundlagen bis hin zu praktischen Konsequenzen für Kirchen und Eltern.
Der Autor beginnt mit einer schonungslosen Bestandsaufnahme: Warum trägt Jugendarbeit langfristig so wenig Frucht? In den folgenden Kapiteln entfaltet McGarry dann eine biblische Theologie, die sowohl das Alte als auch das Neue Testament ernst nimmt. Besonders gelungen ist sein Blick auf Deuteronomium 6, Psalm 78 und andere Texte, die die Weitergabe des Glaubens als gemeinsame Aufgabe von Familie und Glaubensgemeinschaft beschreiben. Auch seine Auslegung des Jüngerschaftsmodells Jesu im Neuen Testament ist nachvollziehbar und legt eine wichtige Grundlage für heutige jugendpädagogische Überlegungen.
Im neutestamentlichen Kapitel zeichnet McGarry nach, wie Jüngerschaft im Umfeld Jesu funktionierte: weniger als Wissensvermittlung, vielmehr als formative Gemeinschaft. Er ordnet diese Beobachtungen in die Praxis der frühen Kirche ein, die sich selbst als oikos verstand – ein Begriff, der nach McGarry deutlich weiter gefasst ist als unser heutiges Verständnis der Kernfamilie. Hier verweist er mehrfach darauf, dass die Gemeinde als „Familie Gottes“ in die Verantwortung genommen wird, ohne die Rolle der leiblichen Eltern zu verdrängen. (Er belegt das u. a. in den Abschnitten, in denen er die neutestamentliche Verwendung von oikos erläutert und zeigt, wie Familienjüngerschaft des Alten Testaments in der Kirche einen kollektiven Ausdruck findet.)
Sehr stark sind zudem die Abschnitte, in denen McGarry die Rolle der Eltern in den Mittelpunkt rückt. Er zeigt überzeugend, dass Gemeinden Eltern nicht ersetzen, sondern befähigen sollen – und dass Jugendarbeit dann fruchtbar wird, wenn Kirche und Zuhause als Partner zusammenarbeiten. Das wird besonders sichtbar, wenn er betont, dass Gemeinden sowohl „co-evangelize“ als auch „co-disciple“ – ein Gedanke, den er mehrfach aufgreift. Auch seine theologische Reflexion zur Schöpfung, Ehe und Familie – etwa wenn er den Begriff ēzer aus Genesis 2 erklärt oder das christliche Zuhause als Ort ganzheitlicher Weltdeutung beschreibt – ist eindrücklich und für die Praxis relevant.
Hilfreich ist auch sein Blick in die Kirchengeschichte, insbesondere auf Katechese als tragende Säule einer glaubensprägenden Jugendpastoral. Und McGarry betont immer wieder: Jugendarbeit ist kein eigenes Biotop, sondern Teil der Kirche – und soll Jugendliche gerade in die Kirche hineinführen.
Trotz vieler Stärken bleibt eine kleine Leerstelle: Anthropologisch wird der Jugendliche als Mensch in seiner Entwicklungsphase kaum ausgeleuchtet. Themen wie Identität, Sinnsuche, Sehnsüchte, innere Kämpfe oder die besonderen Herausforderungen der Adoleszenz werden nur am Rand gestreift. Hier hätte eine etwas detailliertere Betrachtung der Lebenswelt von Jugendlichen dem Buch zusätzliche Tiefe verliehen.
Alles in allem bietet McGarry jedoch ein überzeugendes Plädoyer dafür, Jugendarbeit theologisch klar zu verorten und stärker mit Familie und Kirche zu verzahnen. Ein sehr hilfreiches, gut lesbares Buch für alle, die Jugendarbeit nicht nur organisatorisch, sondern biblisch durchdenken wollen.
Der Autor beginnt mit einer schonungslosen Bestandsaufnahme: Warum trägt Jugendarbeit langfristig so wenig Frucht? In den folgenden Kapiteln entfaltet McGarry dann eine biblische Theologie, die sowohl das Alte als auch das Neue Testament ernst nimmt. Besonders gelungen ist sein Blick auf Deuteronomium 6, Psalm 78 und andere Texte, die die Weitergabe des Glaubens als gemeinsame Aufgabe von Familie und Glaubensgemeinschaft beschreiben. Auch seine Auslegung des Jüngerschaftsmodells Jesu im Neuen Testament ist nachvollziehbar und legt eine wichtige Grundlage für heutige jugendpädagogische Überlegungen.
Im neutestamentlichen Kapitel zeichnet McGarry nach, wie Jüngerschaft im Umfeld Jesu funktionierte: weniger als Wissensvermittlung, vielmehr als formative Gemeinschaft. Er ordnet diese Beobachtungen in die Praxis der frühen Kirche ein, die sich selbst als oikos verstand – ein Begriff, der nach McGarry deutlich weiter gefasst ist als unser heutiges Verständnis der Kernfamilie. Hier verweist er mehrfach darauf, dass die Gemeinde als „Familie Gottes“ in die Verantwortung genommen wird, ohne die Rolle der leiblichen Eltern zu verdrängen. (Er belegt das u. a. in den Abschnitten, in denen er die neutestamentliche Verwendung von oikos erläutert und zeigt, wie Familienjüngerschaft des Alten Testaments in der Kirche einen kollektiven Ausdruck findet.)
Sehr stark sind zudem die Abschnitte, in denen McGarry die Rolle der Eltern in den Mittelpunkt rückt. Er zeigt überzeugend, dass Gemeinden Eltern nicht ersetzen, sondern befähigen sollen – und dass Jugendarbeit dann fruchtbar wird, wenn Kirche und Zuhause als Partner zusammenarbeiten. Das wird besonders sichtbar, wenn er betont, dass Gemeinden sowohl „co-evangelize“ als auch „co-disciple“ – ein Gedanke, den er mehrfach aufgreift. Auch seine theologische Reflexion zur Schöpfung, Ehe und Familie – etwa wenn er den Begriff ēzer aus Genesis 2 erklärt oder das christliche Zuhause als Ort ganzheitlicher Weltdeutung beschreibt – ist eindrücklich und für die Praxis relevant.
Hilfreich ist auch sein Blick in die Kirchengeschichte, insbesondere auf Katechese als tragende Säule einer glaubensprägenden Jugendpastoral. Und McGarry betont immer wieder: Jugendarbeit ist kein eigenes Biotop, sondern Teil der Kirche – und soll Jugendliche gerade in die Kirche hineinführen.
Trotz vieler Stärken bleibt eine kleine Leerstelle: Anthropologisch wird der Jugendliche als Mensch in seiner Entwicklungsphase kaum ausgeleuchtet. Themen wie Identität, Sinnsuche, Sehnsüchte, innere Kämpfe oder die besonderen Herausforderungen der Adoleszenz werden nur am Rand gestreift. Hier hätte eine etwas detailliertere Betrachtung der Lebenswelt von Jugendlichen dem Buch zusätzliche Tiefe verliehen.
Alles in allem bietet McGarry jedoch ein überzeugendes Plädoyer dafür, Jugendarbeit theologisch klar zu verorten und stärker mit Familie und Kirche zu verzahnen. Ein sehr hilfreiches, gut lesbares Buch für alle, die Jugendarbeit nicht nur organisatorisch, sondern biblisch durchdenken wollen.
August 9, 2019
Dr. Michael McGarry’s new book, “A Biblical Theology of Youth Ministry,” is an important resource for the youth ministry community. He powerfully addresses the need for, and the importance of, youth ministry from a number of perspectives.
An experienced youth pastor, McGarry opens the book addressing one of the fundamental concerns many youth ministry veterans and experts have identified; the drop out rate from church is far too high when young people graduate from the youth ministry. We can’t just keep replicating the approaches and systems that have contributed to this problem.
McGarry writes, “the emphasis of this book is on presenting a clear and simple but thoroughly biblical framework for thinking about youth ministry as the church’s expression of partnership with the family for co-evangelizing and co-discipling the next generation.” (p.3)
Towards that end, he does something I have seen done before; he works through the modern landscape of youth ministry, youth ministry in the Old Testament and New Testament, youth ministry in church history, the theology of youth ministry, and ultimately how this all connects to the family and the local church. For me, this systematic working through youth ministry in each of these contexts is what makes this book so important. He creates a backdrop of history and story that gives weight to his final chapters describing the important components of a healthy approach to youth ministry.
I love his quote, “Youth ministry is for adolescence, the family is for life, and the Church is for eternity.” (p.143) This theme is repeated throughout the book and plays a critical role in shaping a biblical theology of youth ministry.
At 164 pages, this is an easy read. While part of the Randall House Academic line, McGarry does a great job of balancing solid research and methodology with an approachable writing style making this a book for youth ministry professionals and volunteers alike. I highly recommend the book; it is definitely a must read for anyone who wants to see young people and families impacted for God.
An experienced youth pastor, McGarry opens the book addressing one of the fundamental concerns many youth ministry veterans and experts have identified; the drop out rate from church is far too high when young people graduate from the youth ministry. We can’t just keep replicating the approaches and systems that have contributed to this problem.
McGarry writes, “the emphasis of this book is on presenting a clear and simple but thoroughly biblical framework for thinking about youth ministry as the church’s expression of partnership with the family for co-evangelizing and co-discipling the next generation.” (p.3)
Towards that end, he does something I have seen done before; he works through the modern landscape of youth ministry, youth ministry in the Old Testament and New Testament, youth ministry in church history, the theology of youth ministry, and ultimately how this all connects to the family and the local church. For me, this systematic working through youth ministry in each of these contexts is what makes this book so important. He creates a backdrop of history and story that gives weight to his final chapters describing the important components of a healthy approach to youth ministry.
I love his quote, “Youth ministry is for adolescence, the family is for life, and the Church is for eternity.” (p.143) This theme is repeated throughout the book and plays a critical role in shaping a biblical theology of youth ministry.
At 164 pages, this is an easy read. While part of the Randall House Academic line, McGarry does a great job of balancing solid research and methodology with an approachable writing style making this a book for youth ministry professionals and volunteers alike. I highly recommend the book; it is definitely a must read for anyone who wants to see young people and families impacted for God.
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August 30, 2023Voddie Baucham recently made the claim that there is no scriptural precedent for youth ministry as such. To the degree that modern youth ministry has focused on entertainment, age-segregation, and the preaching of a thin gospel, Baucham is right. But Baucham also wrong. The Bible may not lay out a specific program for youth ministry, it does teach that instruction to youth is integral if the faith is to continue. Michael McGarry's book offers a robust correction to Baucham's assertions. I don't say this kind of thing often, but every youth minister and youth volunteer should read this book. It clocks in at an easy 160 pages, but it is potent.
The biggest claim, reinforced by his treatment of both the Old and New Testament's vision for young people, is that youth ministry acts as a bridge between parents, who bear the primary responsibility for discipling their children, and the local church. In other words, the goal is not to create a self-contained youth group/ministry, but to build a ministry that assists parents in their weighty task and helps students through catechesis and integration into the larger local church body as they approach adulthood.
Some clarity for those thinking about reading this book. While there are some practical ideas for implementing his vision, McGarry's book is a work of ecclesiology more than anything else. How we work this ecclesiology out in our local churches will depend on a variety of factors specific to our contexts. But if you want to read a Biblical defense of youth ministry against some of the trends we've seen over the past 40-50 years, this is your spot. I'll be asking my volunteers to read it this year, and I would recommend that church elders and boards read it as well.
The biggest claim, reinforced by his treatment of both the Old and New Testament's vision for young people, is that youth ministry acts as a bridge between parents, who bear the primary responsibility for discipling their children, and the local church. In other words, the goal is not to create a self-contained youth group/ministry, but to build a ministry that assists parents in their weighty task and helps students through catechesis and integration into the larger local church body as they approach adulthood.
Some clarity for those thinking about reading this book. While there are some practical ideas for implementing his vision, McGarry's book is a work of ecclesiology more than anything else. How we work this ecclesiology out in our local churches will depend on a variety of factors specific to our contexts. But if you want to read a Biblical defense of youth ministry against some of the trends we've seen over the past 40-50 years, this is your spot. I'll be asking my volunteers to read it this year, and I would recommend that church elders and boards read it as well.
September 19, 2024
One of the best “textbooks” for youth ministry I have ever read. In an area that rarely looks at theological foundations, McGarry’s text is refreshing. He calls the reader to be grounded in the gospel: “rather than producing a highly impressive show to get students to come, youth workers simply proclaim the gospel and embody the love and grace of God to the best of their ability.”
He also calls for not only seeing family ministry as partnership with parents, but having students involved in the life of the Church: “It should not surprise anyone when teenagers disappear from church if they have primarily grown their faith in the youth group.
In some cases, it would be a stretch to say they ever attended church at all--many have attended youth group instead of church on Sunday mornings. Not only does this approach effectively train the next generation to avoid the church's gathered worship service, it is simply unbiblical and undermines nearly every biblical teaching explored in the earlier chapters.”
I greatly appreciated McGary starting with a Biblical and Historical grounding. This created the foundation the text needed to build off of.
Wanting to do youth ministry? Currently a youth pastor/worker? Do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of this book.
He also calls for not only seeing family ministry as partnership with parents, but having students involved in the life of the Church: “It should not surprise anyone when teenagers disappear from church if they have primarily grown their faith in the youth group.
In some cases, it would be a stretch to say they ever attended church at all--many have attended youth group instead of church on Sunday mornings. Not only does this approach effectively train the next generation to avoid the church's gathered worship service, it is simply unbiblical and undermines nearly every biblical teaching explored in the earlier chapters.”
I greatly appreciated McGary starting with a Biblical and Historical grounding. This created the foundation the text needed to build off of.
Wanting to do youth ministry? Currently a youth pastor/worker? Do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of this book.
November 20, 2021
Can not recommend this book enough. The Church youth ministry needs a reboot, putting the teaching and preaching of the gospel back into the center. As well as creating a more stronger partnership with parents in discipling their kids. Once graduated the now young adults commonly become spiritual orphans, with a weak understanding of their faith and importance of their part within and outside the church. Many factors play into how and why this occurs, which the author touches upon. As a parent myself it’s heartbreaking and frustrating to realize how little value the church sees their youth. But it boils down to the question that every church and leader/pastor needs to ask themselves; “is my youth ministry biblical?”, “Is my church biblical?” (the big question for pastors ‘cause it’s a trickle down effect; what the church head pastor holds important and central is what the members will go along with as well.) The author writes from a true heart of compassion, and plumb lines his reasons with the Bible.
April 19, 2021
4.0 // This was a deeply encouraging and motivating read. McGarry makes a strong case for understanding youth ministry first and foremost as a bridge between families and the local church (instead of a destination in and of itself) that should promote and pursue co-discipleship with parents and guardians. He grounds his argument in Scripture (though there were moments when it felt like an unnecessary stretch to make his point), and the final two chapters especially were full of practical things to consider. I’ll be using this book as a resource that I return to regularly.
Reading this book also made me truly thankful to be working at a church that doesn’t need to be convinced of these things because it already believes them. I know that the leadership at Christ Community supports efforts to partner with families in discipling youth, and that this is a blessing not all youth workers can enjoy.
Reading this book also made me truly thankful to be working at a church that doesn’t need to be convinced of these things because it already believes them. I know that the leadership at Christ Community supports efforts to partner with families in discipling youth, and that this is a blessing not all youth workers can enjoy.
August 4, 2020
This book gives a very honest survey on the current condition of youth ministry. Being someone who is just entering youth ministry I was interested in the titles bible centered theology on youth ministry. For youth ministry has often been plagued by critiques of bring loose with biblical integrity. The books main emphasis is encouraging youth leaders to implement parents as the primary disciplers of their kids, and for the church to have a cultural shift towards intergenerational evangelism and discipleship of the next generation. This is not new news but the author goes a step further. He also provides application points on how to do this in your ministry and recognizes a plethora of other resources to chew on as you wrestle with his idea of youth ministry as a bridge. Overall, very good read and worth consideration by every youth leader that believes in the Gospel!
November 12, 2021
McGarry’s work presents a helpful discussion of ministry to the coming generation. There are several sections and ideas that are useful and worth applying/thinking through. However, he does not make a compelling argument for student ministry as we see it modernly. His research actually points further to the effectiveness of parent ministry rather than a separate youth ministry. Additionally, he slips in unhelpful egalitarian language on several occasions. This is a useful book on thinking through equipping parents and being a local church that cares about students, but does not land an argument for youth groups as we see them.
August 3, 2021
About as detailed and and yet concise summary of what the Bible has to say about youth ministry. It’s about the church coming alongside the family to raise up the next generation of believers in the faith. The Bible is clear and McGarry does a great job of painting this picture with clarity and detail. I had hoped for a little more practical instruction and suggestion for how to do some of the very difficult things youth ministry is all about (in terms of family engagement and church integration). But all in all, a quality read for anyone serving in youth ministry!
November 8, 2019
One of the best books I have seen out there that gives the background and history to how we have arrived currently where we are with student ministry. I agree with the vast majority of Michael's view on how student ministry should function in the local church today. Loved his breakout session at the Rooted Conference as well that had elements of this book in it! His push for equipping parents to be the spiritual leaders of their home is spot on.
March 7, 2025
Good book. Nothing revolutionary, but I think was his point.
This is an ideal book for young student ministers who would like to develop a philosophy of youth ministry. In addition to his biblical and historical survey of or case for ‘ordinary’ ministry to students, he helps readers to hone in on the fundamentals: ministry to parents, catechesis/discipleship, and the plain teaching of the gospel. Taking this advice, those who labor in youth ministry can expect gain a sturdy and steady vision.
This is an ideal book for young student ministers who would like to develop a philosophy of youth ministry. In addition to his biblical and historical survey of or case for ‘ordinary’ ministry to students, he helps readers to hone in on the fundamentals: ministry to parents, catechesis/discipleship, and the plain teaching of the gospel. Taking this advice, those who labor in youth ministry can expect gain a sturdy and steady vision.
December 11, 2025
Solid. Gets better as it goes along. Youth ministry is definitely a responsibility that includes the whole church, not just the parents.
I don’t think his analysis of Gen Z was very accurate.
He continually cites the “dropout rate” of kids who grew up in the church, but can’t pin point the glaring factor: public schools. The most important youth ministry that churches must return to is the complete education of our children through k-12 church schools.
I don’t think his analysis of Gen Z was very accurate.
He continually cites the “dropout rate” of kids who grew up in the church, but can’t pin point the glaring factor: public schools. The most important youth ministry that churches must return to is the complete education of our children through k-12 church schools.
March 28, 2021
Overall this book is great! Very helpful and a book I hope to re-read and for sure will reference. I will recommend it to many. The only reason I gave it a four star rating instead of five was because it wasn’t as exhaustive as I’d like on a few subjects. Still, very well written and biblically sound.
May 2, 2022
I wish I had this book when I started youth ministry! Biblically rooted, gospel focused, and developed in the trenches of youth ministry, this book calls us to think deeper, longer, and more specific about how we minister to teenagers! A valuable resource for anyone seeking to disciple students, written by a faithful shepherd. Highly recommend!
April 25, 2023
I found this sentence to be the most helpful:
The purpose of youth ministry is to produce adult disciples whose faith took root and was nourished throughout their teen years!
I found the idea of youth ministry being a bridge between the church and the family, which leads to co-discipleship and co-evangelism edifying.
The purpose of youth ministry is to produce adult disciples whose faith took root and was nourished throughout their teen years!
I found the idea of youth ministry being a bridge between the church and the family, which leads to co-discipleship and co-evangelism edifying.
December 16, 2024
This books seems to be intended for someone with very little understanding of youth ministry. It’s more of a 101 rather than the deep dive I was expecting. I listened to the audiobook and unfortunately, the narrator was unfamiliar with much of the biblical, Greek, and naming content. His odd pronunciation of words was somewhat distracting.
June 13, 2025
Both insightful and convicting. Obviously well researched and written by someone with a robust and rounded education who has a strong passion for the subject. My main critique is I felt at several points it was saying “Do this” without telling me how to go about doing it. Overall, I highly recommend for anyone in vocational ministry or involved in any form of youth ministry.
August 3, 2021
Great biblical overview of youth ministry. The Church and Parents partner to display the warmth of Christ to our children. You will be encouraged and challenged. Accessible and understandable for any Christian.
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November 5, 2021Greetings all,
I really loved the review of the book as you mentioned. I live in Ethiopia. Can I ask humbly that I could get the hard or the soft copy of the book? we don't have the system to get such kinds of books. I would appreciate and bless you all the time.
Blessings,
I really loved the review of the book as you mentioned. I live in Ethiopia. Can I ask humbly that I could get the hard or the soft copy of the book? we don't have the system to get such kinds of books. I would appreciate and bless you all the time.
Blessings,
February 28, 2023
Wonderful exegetical groundwork which laid down the foundation of youth ministry.
This is a must read for pastors to carefully evaluate the wholistic approach of their church in the aspect of youth ministry.
This is a must read for pastors to carefully evaluate the wholistic approach of their church in the aspect of youth ministry.
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