Raising the Bar: Ministry to Youth in the New Millennium"We know how to be teenagers. We want [the church] to show us how to be adults." --Kristin, aged 17 Two-thirds of today's teens are interested in having a meaningful relationship with God, yet less than one-third of them are active in a local church. Alvin Reid--an experienced pastor, professor, evangelist, and youth ministry speaker--suggests these statistics are more an indictment of the way the church does youth ministry than of the teens they try to reach. Today's generation of teens, the Millennial generation, is marked by teamwork, authenticity, and a "can-do" attitude. They are much more than kids finishing childhood--a perspective many in the church have and that drives what often happens in youth group--they are young adults with incredible potential who need to learn how to be Christian adults. This compelling book provides an impassioned plea for the church to set a higher standard; to reinvent the fundamental ways we have ministered to teens and their families. Author is a recognized authority and sought-after speaker on youth ministryViews teens positively, but not naivelyEncourages and shows youth ministers and workers how to have a biblically successful ministryWritten with passion and expert knowledge |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 21
... note to her friend Amanda at Columbine High School the morning of the day she died.1 Cassie didn't make it to graduation . Before joining the class of 2000 , she answered yes when a young gunman asked if she was a Christian— and Cassie ...
... note the climate , or the season , in which we live . And there are definite differences in the cultural center of each generation . While no clear mark delineates a generational era , recent generations are typically arranged ...
... notes , " Family is a big deal to teenag- ers , regardless of how they act or what they say . It is the rare teenager who believes he or she can lead a fulfilling life without receiving com- plete acceptance and support from his or her ...
... notes youth who are affecting such nor- mally verboten realms as Wall Street . He describes " Marcus Arnold , the fifteen - year - old who dispenses legal advice on the Internet to eager adults ; [ and ] Johnathan Lebed , another ...
... notes that beginning in the year 2006 , the total population of teens will be the greatest in American history.17 This fact alone should cause leaders in the church to assess their focus on the student population in their churches . The ...
Contents
11 | |
19 | |
A Doubleedged Sword | 73 |
REINVENTING YOUTH MINISTRY | 85 |
Authentic Worship | 133 |
Its Time to Grow Up | 153 |
Meanwhile Back at the Church | 171 |
A Radical Challenge | 193 |