Teenagers are not a lost cause; they need wise leaders to help them along in their faith journeys. In Navigating Student Ministry, veteran student ministers with more than one hundred years of combined experience guide others through the often-challenging aspects of ministering to young people. This multi-contributor introductory textbook helps both those discerning a call to student ministry and those already invested in students. Editor Tim McKnight has crafted a book that can serve as both a topical resource and a comprehensive manual for those in the fun, exhausting, and eternally rewarding realm of student ministry.

Why Teenagers Matter in the Life of the Church

A holistic approach to reaching Generation Z in your local church To disciple the youth in our student ministries today, we have to understand the unique characteristics of Generation Z, and apply lessons learned from recent decades of youth ministry. In this thoroughly revised second edition of Raising the Bar: Student Ministry for a New Generation, pastor and professor Timothy McKnight brings a wealth of new insights, resources, and guidance for reaching today's adolescents. Following an overview of the beliefs, attitudes, and practices of Generation Z, McKnight provides youth pastors and volunteers with a complete plan for discipling adolescents through the local church. This includes practical advice on topics such as: • Engaging parents in youth ministry • Holistically guiding students in their beliefs, behavior, and affections • Equipping adult leaders who can serve as role models • Working with pastors, staff, and church leaders • Helping parents develop rites of passage for their children as they move into adulthood • Raising expectations for adolescents to encourage them to grow toward maturity Based on years of personal experience and practice, Engaging Generation Z provides everything youth ministers need to equip, grow, and encourage today's generation of young people to follow Christ, and to take their student ministry to the next level.

Is student ministry accomplishing what we think it is? Roughly two-thirds of students leave the church after graduation. Baptisms are down, and student pastors are walking away from ministry at startling rates. It's time to rethink student ministry. This book pairs the most up-to-date research available with an overview of a biblical framework for ministry. It will arm you with facts, Scripture, and real ideas that will help you find new ways to invite parents back into the equation and help you escape the busy, bigger-and-better, number-driven model of student ministry.

Navigating Student Ministry is a multi-contributor introductory textbook designed to help those who are discerning a call to student ministry, new to serving in this area of the church, or training others as they minister to students.

This book is a unique contribution to the study of children's and youth ministry, displaying the rich theological thinking that is developing amongst Australian evangelical scholars. Many of the writers have previously presented at the Youthworks "House" conference, which promotes "theological reflection for best practice in youth and children's ministry in a community of youth and children's ministers." The themes explored in this book are vitally important to pastors seeking to nurture young people as disciples of Jesus. Thirteen evangelical scholars answer questions such as: How can biblical theology shape a young person's view of themselves? What is the biblical definition of church and how does this shape our understanding of intergenerational gatherings, family, and community? How should young Christians interact with the culture around them? And how do biblical teachings on sin, grace, and wisdom provide young people with the resources to live in today's world? You will be challenged to reconsider how theology and exegetical study of the Bible can mold your priorities, principles, and presumptions as you exercise ministry to and with young people.

This book highlights the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health needs of children and adolescents in order to shed light on future practice and reform needed to better deal with the aftermath of such devastating events. The book identifies the conditions during any public health crisis that heighten the mental health needs of children and adolescents and suggests the reforms of mental health services needed to better meet the needs of children and youths during and following pandemics and other public health crises. Importance is placed not only on addressing the effects of COVID-19 but on anticipating and preparing for other public health disruptions to the lives of those who have not reached adulthood. Although mental health services in all settings are considered, special attention is given to the role of schools in providing for the mental health of children and adolescents and preparing for the mental health implications of future public health disruptions. The book will be of equal use to both students and researchers in the fields of mental health, well-being, and education as well as teachers, educational psychologists, social workers, and practitioners working in schools and communities to address students’ mental health needs. It will help readers better understand how and why COVID-19 was a negative influence on students’ mental health, and unpack how best to deal with the aftermath of the pandemic.