Resources for Youth Ministry

As with pastors, we would strongly recommend that youth pastors or youth ministers take the time to read The Trellis and the Vine, a book that Mark Dever called "the best book I've read on the nature of church ministry". The Trellis and the Vine will help and challenge you to think through the fundamental nature of evangelical ministry. Mission Minded is another very useful tool for planning.

No Guts, No Glory is a highly recommended training resource for youth ministry. It deals with the big questions of the overall priorities of the youth ministry programme, as well as the nitty-gritty of such things as relating well to parents and running effective youth camps.

Matthias Media also publishes a number of resources specifically designed for young people, including:

» Little Black Books
» Hanging in There
» A Sneaking Suspicion
» A Hell of a Life
» Start

Finally, there are some resources which, though not designed specifically for this purpose, are quite suitable for use in youth ministry. A good case in point is the Pathway Bible Guides, which are very appropriate for older teen Bible study. The Guidebooks for Life are also straightforward and easy-to-read books on some foundational topics of the Christian life, and there is no reason at all why keen Christian teenagers should not be encouraged to read them.