You have less resources - but you know every student's name. Attendance drops when one family takes a vacation - but you have flexibility. Celebrate the wonderful journey of ministry in the smaller congregation. While making parents your partners in ministry, more ministry with less money, finding/training volunteers, and appreciating the advantages of serving in a smaller youth ministry

Insights, tips, and suggestions for small group of leaders. When put into play, these bite-sized, consumable pieces of wisdom help leaders "knock it out of the park" and set them up to win.

Youth workers always need three things: prayer, ideas, and inspiration. And maybe a case of Red Bull. In this easy-to-read book, author and high school pastor Josh Griffin sifts through years of little sleep working in the trenches of youth ministry to share his personal reflections. The result is a resource packed with practical advice and useable ideas on every page that will help make your work simpler and your ministry more successful. Get a caffeine fix and step into Josh's world. Sections cover: Vision & Leadership Programs & People Small Groups & Events Everyday Ministry

What does it mean to be a student leader? Leadership isn't about popularity, or a title, or a position. It's about making a lasting impact by following the call of God, taking appropriate risks, and challenging other teenagers to follow Christ. Doug Franklin wrote this book because he's committed to seeing people develop a leadership heart. He knows what it takes to help you reach a place where you move beyond your comfort zone, where you solve problems that seem impossible to conquer, where you wholeheartedly serve other people. Doug's passionate about this stuff! As you read through 99 Thoughts for Student Leaders, you'll encounter thoughts and ideas that will inspire you, challenge you, cause you to think, and help you develop your creativity. Ultimately, you'll discover the courage to become someone who leads others in making a difference.

Rural youth ministry is an amazing adventure--a truly unique beast, different from serving in the inner city or the heart of suburbia. But even though our culture is becoming increasingly urban and suburban, rural youth ministry isn't going away anytime soon.Brent Lacy is no stranger to the realities of rural ministry--the joys, the challenges, the rewards, the heartaches. He grew up in a rural community and serves as the youth pastor at a rural church today.Through the pages of this book, Brent examines keys to thriving in rural youth ministry, strategies for building solid relationships, tips on reaching your local schools, wisdom on surviving church politics, ideas on effectively using technology, and advice on adjusting to a new church or community. Whether you're new to rural youth ministry or your life has been forged in a rural setting, this book will inspire you to hold firm to God's calling. You can be successful in your ministry. You can reach your community in ways you and your church never even thought were possible. The work may be long, hard, and messy, but the rewards are amazing. The Expanded Second Edition also includes updated and additional content.

Are the young people in your church coming to faith in Christ? Are they following Him as disciples? The elders and leaders of every church should be able to answer "yes" to both questions. It's a crucial aspect of their role as shepherds. So how can a group of men confidently affirm that their young people are growing mature in Christ? This is the purpose of YOUthWORK. Featuring hard-won insights and proven strategies drawn from twenty-five years of working with thousands of students, this practical guide will equip parents, volunteers, and full-time youth workers to shepherd young people toward maturity in Christ. It provides church leaders with a framework for understanding the how's and why's of youth ministry and features dozens of hands-on ideas for ministry.

You aren't the lead youth worker at your church? That doesn't mean you can't powerfully influence the lives of teenagers! Thanks to her 25 years of experience as a youth ministry volunteer, Danette Matty thoroughly knows your world: part-time hours, full-time passion--and no-time pay. But she also knows that you're an integral part of God's work in the lives of students and in your church's ministry to teenagers. This book will help you discover how to maintain your spiritual vitality, lead from the middle, serve through all the seasons of life, and do what you do best. You'll also gain insights into working well with teenagers, parents, church leaders, and other volunteers. Danette's goal in 99 Thoughts for Volunteers is to encourage and equip you--the volunteer whose commitment, hard work, and dedication are essential to a healthy youth ministry. She's eager to deflate the "just a volunteer" mentality and inflate the truth of the primo skills and qualities that you as a volunteer bring to the team!