The Kids in Your Youth Group Are Not Isolated Beingshellip; Ministry to Youth Means Ministry to the Families! Churches are hiring Youth and Family Pastors, finally, in an overdue ministry focus. A critical component of a family-based or family-friendly youth ministry is a conscious strategy for ministry to the parents of adolescents. Expectations and opportunities in the area of parent and family ministry have increased dramatically. Youth Worker's Guide to Parent Ministry develops a model of parent ministry based on the belief that for a youth worker to be truly effective, it is important to lay careful relational groundwork to ensure that the right to be heard has been earned. Dr. Marv Penner, respected adolescent researcher, youth pastor, and family counselor, presents nine evolving levels of parent ministryndash;each one strengthening the credibility of the youth worker and opening doors to deeper and more meaningful parent support. Each of the nine levels is supported with a number of practical ideas and strategies for implementation. Youth Worker's Guide to Parent Ministry provides both a theoretical framework and the tools for implementation in local-church or para-church settings. Marv constructs his effective plan in a "Paradigm Pyramid"-rationale and practical hands-on programming ideas at each of the nine evolving levels of parent ministry: Acknowledgement Affirmation Information Encouragement Connecting Equipping Involvement Educating Co-nurturing Bible-based, time-tested, innovative, experiential, adoptable! Youth Worker's Guide to Parent Ministry is a foundational text in this vital area of youth ministry! Featured are sessions, sidebars, Web links, application points, contests and games, sample newsletter ideas, funky cartoons, and many worksheets (all downloadable and adaptable)!

You've probably studied teenagers' needs, their culture, and even their ever-changing lingo in preparation to be the most dynamic youth worker your church has ever seen. But when was the last time you studied their parents? What are their fears? What motivates their decisions? And why do some of them seem so hard to please?Plenty has been written in recent years about the importance of engaging parents in youth ministry. But maybe the real challenge is to reconcile that idea with one of the most common youth ministry variables: the parents. A Youth Worker's Field Guide to Parents is for youth workers who struggle to communicate with and relate to the moms and dads of the teenagers they want to reach the most. Whether you're a veteran youth worker or just starting out, or a church leader who wants to embrace parents more effectively, this book provides tips for peacemaking, insights for better

When youth work becomes crisis managers.Anyone who stays in youth ministry for a while will encounter significant crises. Family break-ups, substance abuse, sexual assault, eating disorders, cutting, suicide, gun violence.But without proper and immediate care, crises like these can cause years of emotional pain and spiritual scarring in students.Rich Van Pelt and Jim Hancock want to help you prevent that from happening.Through their experience and expertise, you1ll learn how to:-Respond quickly and effectively to crisis -Balance legal, ethical, and spiritual outcomes -Forge preventive partnerships with parents, schools, and students -Bring healing when damage is doneWhen crises happen‹and they will, ready or not‹there are practical steps you can take. Van Pelt and Hancock provide field-tested counsel and specific, biblical advice for each stage of crisis. Keep this book on hand as your go-to resource when you need it most.Because when it comes to crisis, it1s not a matter of if, but when.

The most powerful force in a young person's life is his or her family. The importance of this is pointed out in the writing of the Torah in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, where believers are mandated to pass their family legacies to the next generations. The newest trend in youth ministry today is a very healthy move toward family-based ministry, a mind-set that helps the church act as a support system, while placing discipleship and training back into the hands of family. Partnering with Parents in Youth Ministry will help youth workers understand their unique role in helping families succeed and will give an overview strategy of family-based youth ministry, as well as practical ideas on implementing this awesome ministry in your church.

In A Volunteer Youth Worker's Guide to Resourcing Parents, Mark Oestreicher explores the importance and deep significance of being intentional with parent contact and interaction, and not letting family ministry slip through the cracks in favor of teenager-only ministry.

With each passing day, teenagers' lives become increasingly intertwined with social media. How can you help your child make wise decisions and remain safe online? How can you stay informed and involved in healthy ways?

Thank you for making the decision to be a volunteer youth worker—you give the gospel a flesh and blood presence and show God’s compassion for students in a way no one else does. Being a youth worker can be exciting, intimidating, fulfilling and challenging, and until now there was no “manual” on how to be a volunteer in a youth ministry. After more than twenty years as a paid youth worker, Jim Hancock left and became a volunteer in a student ministry. That experience taught him things he may never have learned as a youth ministry professional, and now he wants to empower others who are passionate about being volunteer youth workers. Inside this book you’ll find practical help, like: • tips about what to do on the first day • ideas on how to build and develop relationships with students • ways to combat youth “culture shock” • how to prepare students for life after youth group • how to say goodbye when it is time to leave …and many more indispensable insights that will make your experience as a volunteer youth worker valuable and rewarding for you and your students.