Youth Minsitry Reading List

Youth Ministry Readings For Mennonite Colleges

Required by Goshen College:
Adolescents in Crisis: A Guide for Parents, Teachers, Ministers and Counselors
By G. Wade Rowatt Jr.

Building Together: Developing Your Blueprint for Congregational Youth Ministry
By Carol Duerksen

Four Views of Youth Ministry and the Church: Inclusive Congregational, Preparatory, Missional, Strategic By Mark Senter, Wesley Black, Chap Clark and Malan Nel

Hurt: Inside the World of Today's Teenagers By Chap Clark

Lamenting Youth, Believing Youth: The Role of Biblical Lament in the Faith Formation of Mennonite Adolescents By Bob Yoder

Ministry with Youth in Crisis  By Harley Atkinson

Youth Culture 101 By Walt Mueller

The God Bearing Life: The Art of Soul Tending for Youth Ministry By Kenda C. Dean and Ron Foster

Postmodern Youth Ministry: Exploring Cultural Shift By Tony Jones

Passing on the Faith: A Radical New Model for Youth and Family Ministry By Merton Strommen and Richard Hardel

Practicing Discernment with Youth: A Transformative Youth Ministry Approach By David White

Choosing Church By Carol Lytch

Your First Two Years of Youth Ministry By Doug Fields

Optional by Goshen College:
Adventures in Missing the Point: How the Culture-Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel By Brian McClaren and Tony Campolo

Big Questions, Worthy Dreams: Mentoring Young Adults in Their Search for Meaning, Purpose, and Faith By Sharon Daloz 

Counseling Troubled Teens & Their Families: A Handbook for Pastors and Youth Workers By Andrew Weaver

Creating a Life with God: The Call of Ancient Prayer Practices  By Daniel Wolpert 

Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens Through the Twenties By Jeffrey Arnett

Hear My Story: Understanding the Cries of Troubled Youth By Dean Borgman

Helping the Struggling Adolescent: A Guide to Thirty-Six Common Problems for Counselors, Pastors and Youth Workers By Les Parrott

Purpose Driven Youth Ministry: 9 Essential Foundations for Healthy Growth By Doug Fields

Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers By Christian Smith

Soul Shaper: Exploring Spirituality and Contemplative Practices in Youth Ministry By Tony Jones

Soul Tending: Life Forming Practices for Older Youth and Young Adults By Kenda Creasy Dean and Ron Foster

Teenage Girls: Exploring Issues Adolescent Girls Face and Strategies to Help Them By Ginny Olson

Teenage Guys: Exploring Issues Adolescent Guys Face and Strategies to Help Them By Steve Gerali

The Comprehensive Guide to Youth Ministry Counseling By Les Parrott

The Youth Workers Guide to Helping Teenagers in Crisis By Rich Van Pelt and Jim Hancock

Way to Live: Christian Practices for Teens By Dorothy Bass and Don Richter

Youth Ministry that Transforms: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Hopes, Frustrations and Effectiveness of Today's Youth Workers By Merton Strommen, Karen Jones and Dave Rahn

Required by Bethel College
Starting Right: Thinking Theologically About Youth Ministry By Kenda C. Dean

Hurt: Inside the World of Today's Teenager By Chap Clark

Postmodern Youth Ministry By Tony Jones

Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith By Rob Bell

Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality By Rob Bell

Required by EMU:
Celebration of Discipline By Richard Foster

Spiritual Classics By Richard Foster

Holy Listening By Margaret Guenther

Jesus Our Spiritual Director By Wendy Miller

The Godbearing Life: The Art Soul Tender for Youth Ministry By Kenda C. Dean

Starting Right: Thinking Theologically About Youth Ministry By Kenda C. Dean

God's Story, Our Story By Michele Hershberger

Postmodern Youth Ministry  By Tony Jones

Youth Ministry Management Tools By Ginny Olson, Duane Elliot and Mike Work

Making Disciples: Preparing People for Baptism, Church Membership and the Christian Life By April Yamasaki

Required for Bluffton University
This Way to Youth Ministry By Duffy Robbins

This Way to Youth Ministry Companion Guide: Readings, Case Studies, Resources to Begin the Journey By Duffy Robbins

Rewired: Youth Ministry in an Age of IM and MySpace By Peggy Kendall

Engaging the Soul of Youth Culture By Walt Mueller

Hurt By Chap Clark

Required by Hesston College

When Helping You is Hurting Me By Carmen Renee Berry

Hurt: Inside the World of Today's Teenagers By Chap Clark

Starting Right: Thinking Theologically About Youth Ministry By Kenda C. Dean

Postmodern Youth Ministry By Tony Jones

Youth Worker Magazine

Required by Canadian Mennonite University

Practicing Our Faith: A Way of Life for a Searching People By Dorothy Bass

Way to Live: Christian Practices for Teens By Dorothy Bass

Feeding Your Forgotten Soul: Spiritual Growth for Youth Workers By Paul Borthwick

The Godbearing Life By Kenda C. Dean

Growing in the Faith By Craig Dykstra

Spiritual Formation in the Church & Classroom By Susan Johnson

Faith Shaping: Youth and the Experience of Faith By Stephen Jones
Identity and Faith By Maurice Martin

Helping Teenagers Grow Morally By Ellis Nelson

The Ministry of Nature By Duffy Robbins

Growing Together: Understanding and Nurturing Your Child's Faith Journey By Anne Neufeld Rupp

Adolescent Spirituality By Charles Shelton Passing on the Faith: A Radical New Model for Youth and Family Ministry By Merton P. Strommen, Richard A. Hardel

The Way They Learn By Cynthia Ulrich Tobias

Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life By Marjorie Thompson

Shaping the Spiritual Life of Students By Richard R. Dunn

Thirsty for the Reign: A Biblical Paradigm for Contemporary Youth Ministry By Wendell Lowen

Four Views of Youth Ministry and the Church, III ed. By Mark Senter

Contemplative Youth Ministry By Mark Yaconelli

CMU Recommended Readings

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People By Stephen Covey

Practicing Passion: Youth and the Quest for a Passionate Church By Kenda C. Dean

The Godbearing Life: The Art of Soul Tending for Youth Ministry By Kenda C. Dean and Ron Foster

Building Together: Developing Your Blueprint for Congregational Youth Ministry By Carol Duerksen

Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry By Doug Fields

Purpose Driven Youth Ministry By Doug Fields

In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership By Henri Nouwen

The Coming Revolution in Youth Ministry By Mark Senter III

Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers By Christian Smith

Family-based Youth Ministry By Mark DeVrues