Reaching a Generation for Christ A Comprehensive Guide to Youth Ministry

Things have changed. The Truth has not. The 1950's are gone forever. The days of the Sunday school attendance award and the much-loved Sunday school picnic have faded into oblivion. Yet some youth ministries still operate as if today's kids are living in a vacuum, unaffected by the changing morals of today's society. How can we reach these kids with the truth of the gospel?

More than fifty of America's youth experts give advice and encouragement to those who long to see this generation know the love of Christ. They help readers think through their philosophies of youth ministry, break down barriers that impede progress, and maximize their own gifts and the gifts of those who work with them. They answer tough questions such as: How can leaders build a relational youth ministry? How can we find and support volunteers? What are the issues women face in youth ministry? How do we minister in ethnic communities? How should we respond to popular culture? How can we help hurting adolescents? You can have a vibrant youth ministry even in these uncertain times. You can reach this generation for Christ.

The annual picnic and attendance awards have faded. Yet many youth ministries still operate as they did in the 1950s. More than fifty experts help you reach today’s youth in a style they can relate to.

DR. RICHARD R. DUNN (M.A., Ed.D., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is the lead pastor at Fellowship Evangelical Free Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, where his responsibilities include directing a large student ministries program. He was formerly chair of educational ministries at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is a fifteen-year veteran of church, campus, and camping youth ministries. Dr. Dunn is the author of Shaping the Spiritual Life of Students and Can¿t Fight the Feeling and the co-editor of Reaching a Generation for Christ. Dr. Dunn and his wife, Teresa, have two children and live in Knoxville, Tennessee.

MARK H. SENTER III (Moody Bible Institute, University of Illinois, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Loyola University) serves as professor and chair of the Educational Ministries Department at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Previously he served as a youth pastor and Pastor of Christian Education at Wheaton Bible Church. His extensive teaching experience includes a two-year assignment in Seoul, Korea, and serving as a visiting faculty member at 16 other colleges and seminaries. Dr. Senter has written or edited a number of books, including Reaching a Generation for Christ, Christian Education: Foundations for the Future, and The Complete Book of Youth Ministry. He and his wife live in north suburban Chicago and have two grown children.

PART 1. FRAMEWORK FOR YOUTH MINISTRY

1. Putting Youth Ministry into Perspective - Richard R. Dunn

2. A Theological Framework for Doing Youth Ministry - Richard R. Dunn

3. A Developmental Framework for Doing Youth Ministry - Steve Patty

4. A Sociological Framework for Doing Youth Ministry - Dave Rahn

5. A Historical Framework for Doing Youth Ministry - Mark H. Senter III

PART 2. STRUCTURES FOR YOUTH MINISTRY

6. Axioms of Youth Ministry: The Context - Mark H. Senter III

7. Axioms of Youth Ministry: The Dynamics - Mark H. Senter III

8. Basic Models of Youth Ministry - Mark H. Senter III

9. Emerging Models of Youth Ministry - Mark H. Senter III

PART 3. CONTEXTS FOR YOUTH MINISTRY

10. How Can leaders Build a Relational Youth Ministry? - David Veerman

11. What Is the Status of Professional Youth Ministry? - Mark A. Lamport

12. How Can We Find and Support Volunteers? - Barry St. Clair

13. What Are the Issues Women Face in Youth Ministry? - Diane Elliot

PART 4. SKILLS FOR YOUTH MINISTRY

14. How Can We Be Change Agents in Youth Ministry? - Mark W. Cannister

15. Outreach: How Can We Renew Traditional Church Youth Ministries? - Chuck Rosemeyer

16. Outreach: How Do We Reach Irreligious Students? - Bo Boshers

17. How Should We Teach Biblical Truth? - Ronald T. Habermas

18. How Do We Minister to Youth in Ethnic Communities? - Ron Powell, Marta Elena Alvarado, Wayne Mitchell, and Richard R. Dunn

19. How Do You Communicate to Groups of Youth? - Dan Webster

PART 5. CHALLENGES IN YOUTH MINISTRY

20. How Should We Respond to Popular Culture? - Quentin Schultze

21. How Should We Use Music in Youth Ministry? - David S. Hart

22. What Is Youth Ministry's Relationship to the Family? - Mark De Vries

23. How Can We Help Hurting Adolescents? - Les Parrott III

24. How Can Small Churches Have Healthy Youth Ministries? - Pamela Campbell

PART 6. RESOURCES FOR YOUTH MINISTRY

25. Where Can We Turn for Help in Youth Ministry? - Paul Fleischmann

26. Church/Parachurch: How Can They Work Together in Youth Ministry? - Mark Moring

27. How Should We Use Retreat Ministries? - Chap R. Clark

28. How Can Physical Activity and Sports Be Used inYouth Ministries? - Timothy Voss

29. How Can Mission Outreaches Be Effective inYouth Ministry? - Paul Borthwick

30. How Can Mentors Be Used in Youth Ministry? - Lavon J. Welty

31. How Can We Make Small Groups Effective in Youth Ministry? - Jana L. Sundene

PART 7. THE FUTURE IN YOUTH MINISTRY

32. Looking Ahead to the Next Millennium - Richard R. Dunn, Mark H. Senter III