As youth workers, we all have our vision—the plan we hope to make real in our ministries—to change the lives of teenagers as we introduce them to Jesus. But how often have you found yourself wondering if your picture is just wrong—or thinking you just don’t know how to make your ministry match what you envision?In 101 Ideas for Making Disciples in Your Youth Group you’ll explore the idea of ACTS to create a disciple-making ministry with the elements needed to create an environment necessary to cultivate this mission. ACTS represents everything a missional youth ministry needs to be about:• Adoration—More than an act, this is a lifestyle that is fleshed out in expressions of prayerful dependence, deep gratitude, and expectancy in what God can do.• Community—This is an atmosphere of genuine caring, authentic relationships, and unity based on Christ’s love for his Church and the Church’s love for one another.• Truth-and-Grace—The basis of everything that is taught and valued, this is a setting where God’s Word is the standard and central to belief and behavior.• Serving-and-Sharing—As a way of life, serving involves helping the whole person by ministering to both believers and the lost by meeting their needs, as well as verbally sharing God’s message of grace.As you dig into each aspect of ACTS, you’ll discover Jesus’ style and see how he cultivated each element in his own ministry. Then you’ll explore the youth ministry style of each aspect, where you’ll find 25 hands-on, easy-to-implement ideas on how to cultivate the same element in your context in order to create an environment of disciple-making that finally fits your ministry.

While most youth pastors are being regularly evaluated (or even scrutinized) for what they’re doing right now in the youth group, the reality is that the most important thing they are doing won’t actually be evident until much later. That’s because the biggest challenge for any youth ministry is helping teens embrace a whole-hearted devotion to God that lasts far beyond their years in the youth room. Unfortunately, much of youth ministry seems to be designed on the model of setting teenagers up for a “date” with God—a delightful evening that involves music, laughter, food, and light conversation. But what scripture calls us to is not a “one-night stand” with God, but a lifelong love of God that endures.Youth ministry educator and veteran, Duffy Robbins, offers youth workers a blueprint for building that kind of faith in teenagers. In this concise book, ideal for busy youth workers, they’ll be equipped to build a youth ministry that instills that lasting faith in its students.

In this discipleship anthology, you'll discover creative ideas for outreach, serving, prayer, Bible study, and many other small-group activites. You'll also discover how to troubleshoot some of the most common problems small groups face.

You may have an amazing program and be well connected to your students, but that doesn't always guarantee a problem-free ministry. Whether it's the guy in the back of the room who's always causing trouble, or the girl in the corner with a look of indifference, disruptive and apathetic students can hinder the effectiveness of your ministry. But you don't have to let discipline problems drive you out of youth ministry (or out of your mind!). In this practical book, youth ministry veteran Les Christie will help you take a positive approach to discipline when it becomes necessary. When Church Kids Go Bad will: reveal the reasons behind problem behavior and show you how to take a positive approach to discipline teach you how to use rules and consequences effectively help you evaluate your strengths and weaknesses in discipline situations (and improve your areas of weakness) give you dozens of specific, practical, helpful ideas you can use immediately with your students In addition to addressing the issues that are common to any youth ministry setting, Les will also give special attention to issues that present even more challenge, such as alcoholism and vandalism, students with learning differences, and teens with attention deficit disorders. After reading this book, you'll feel confident in your ability to use discipline as a tool to keep your group from disintegrating into chaos and frustration, and you'll be equipped to prevent future problems from popping up.

Simple Student Ministry fine tunes the proven methods of #1 best seller Simple Church for the unique field of youth discipleship.Coauthor Eric Geiger, who contributed to the latter, takes a step forward here, neatly unpacking the key ideas of Clarity, Movement, Alignment, and Focus that will transform any over-stimulated youth program into a simpler, more results-oriented spiritual development process. Fun is still allowed, by all means, but the ultimate emphasis on maturing faith is simply essential. The anecdotal comparisons are current and on-target (Starbucks’ well-publicized decision to retrain baristas in coffee making introduces the idea that youth leaders might also be wise to revisit the gospel essence of their ministry). And case study data gleaned from small to mega churches and parachurch ministries will give every youth leader a relatable reference point from which to begin the successful metamorphosis to Simple.

How can I grow an effective ministry for youth? Growing Teen Disciples provides all the answers you need with tested strategies based on a comprehensive vision of youth ministry. Based on a solid spiritual foundation of prayer and the call to discipleship, the book explores ways to develop dynamic adult leaders, evangelize youth, provide spiritual formation, and develop teen leadership. Youth ministers of all skill levels will find inspiration and practical tools within the pages of this book. Growing Teen Disciples was originally published by Ave Maria Press in 1998.

Not long ago, veteran Youth Minister Everett Fritz counted the number of his former Youth Group members who were still practicing the Faith. The result? Almost all of themhad left the Faith! Fritz learned that otherparishes reported similar staggering losses, pointing to a grim truth: today’s Youth Ministries simply do not form young people into lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ. Not satisfied with these dismal results, Fritz devised a different way of forming young people in the Faith. It’s an approach that can truly transform the spiritual lives of young people by applying the same one-to-one personal method that Jesus Himself used to form his twelve original disciples . . . only one of whom was lost! Fritz has worked with countless parishes, helping them make the shift to a small-group discipleship structure. You’ll learn to avoid the many pitfalls and common mistakes parishes make, as well as ways you can easily build the volunteer base needed for a successful transition. He will help you create a comfortable environment that leads young people into self-reflection, as well as the critical role parents and the parish community play in youth formation. Finally, Fritz shares various resources that can help you accomplish your goal. But he warns: you’re not running a program that has been pre-developed. Relationships and mentoring make disciples; programs do not. If you’re troubled by the number of young people in your parish who leave the Faith year after year, then open these illuminating pages and learn the art of forming young disciples.