They Say I'm Crazy: Going the Distance in Youth Ministry

by Bob Johns

For anyone who feels called to work with kids, not for a season, but for a lifetime, this is a book you should read. Bob Johns shares his own unique perspective on how to go the distance in ministering to these incredibly important generations of students. This is such important work, never more so than now. Here is a great tool to help us all be more effective in this calling.

206 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 10, 2022

Reviews

[Derek Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who is going into youth ministry or wants to stay in youth ministry would benefit from learning from one of the best to ever do it, Bob Johns. Bob shares anecdotes from his wealth of experience after doing Youth Ministry for over 40 years.
Bob is funny and wise and shares his leadership wisdom and the humility that has been gained after doing the Lord's work faithfully for 5 decades. What a gift he is to the Church!

[Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bob is crazy, but he is wise. This book is filled with profound and helpful insight that will point any reader towards long term faithfulness. His style is awesome. It’s exactly what you would expect from a minister who has spent decades of late nights at junior high pizza parties - he has the unique ability to pair quotes from napoleon dynamite and GK Chesterton to prove a point. All this to say, you will laugh a lot reading this book, but you’ll also write a lot down. Bob is a legend - and I love his book.

[Wynne Wages · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not in youth ministry, but I have been a parent of youth for eleven years with five more years to go. Bob doesn’t see youth ministry as a stepping stone to other ministry roles. Youth ministry is his calling…for life.

“Do the right thing. Do it consistently. Do it with excellence.” That should be the motto for all of us.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading this - this book is full of funny stories and a bit eclectic, but I love the tidbits of wisdom sprinkled in. I love Bob’s flexibility and off-the-charts-creativity. I had the privilege of being in Bob’s youth ministry through my entire JH and HS years in the late 90s. Now I have teenage kids and I found this book inspirational to my present-day parenting.

Being in Bob’s youth ministry gave me a place - a refuge from the storms (of living each day in the presence of teenage peers) and I will forever be thankful for this. I was blessed to have a few sweet friends my age in the youth group (Rebekah, Brittany, Alison) who loved God…and some older girls I loved (like Kylie & friends) and we were all really challenged in our walk when missionary kids (like Jeremy and JD) joined our youth group fresh off the mission field. I loved Wednesday Night Live, 7:37, and Sondays Camp and mission trips to Tennessee, San Diego, Mexico and McAllen, TX. We had to have had the best interns of Bob’s career - I got some great intense Dave R. teaching, we all loved how fun Ronny was, and man did I love 😍 Katie H. And in the end of my time Hannah joined Bob’s family and we all fan-girled that sweet baby like crazy.

At the end of high school, one of my best friends won all the high school awards…and I felt really jealous and like I didn’t even like her anymore (ugh yuck I know). I asked Bob what to do and he told me to pray that I would see this friend the way God sees her ♥️

I felt lonely and lost without my youth group in college and strayed into partying to fit in socially (😫)…One time in college, after a night of partying, I even called Bob at his home to tell him - well I don’t remember what I told him - but God bless him for doing this work bc we sheep drift and get lost SO easily. He sure does shepherd well through some tough years for human beings…I sure wish we could stay in his youth group through college (and our whole lives lol).

After college, Bob was so sweet to marry me and my husband…he does the best weddings - I get why he has nerves with weddings because brides can be really uptight and weird like I was…I really wanted him to say “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” And he forgot and used modern words for that point, but thankfully, 18 years later, no man has put us asunder, so it’s all good 😂

I love the quote pg 135, “…I didn’t want to be swallowed up in God. I wanted holidays from the school of Christ.” That was me when I was young and stupid. Now I am over 40 and praise the Lord I want to be swallowed up in God. Knowing him is the best holiday and the Bible is full of the best riches. Thank you Bob for modeling faithfulness and foreshadowing how much fun and joy await us in the end. SDG

P.S. I still try to watch the Mr. Bean Christmas episode where he plays with the nativity scene in the toy store every year at Christmas - because 🏆

[Logan Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book is recommend to anyone whose tired of hearing youth ministry as a stepping stone to being "a real pastor." Bob provides some really incredible wisdom and humor, and honestly the last two chapters are worth the entirety of the book. By his own admission, it won't give you everything you need to know for a 'successful' youth ministry, but so many of his thoughts are worth savoring as you and your leaders critically think about going the distance in youth ministry.

[Bryan Rhodes · Rating 5 out of 5]

🐐

[Riley Brysch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very humorous and inspiring book to read for all those that wish to make a career out of Youth Ministry!