Youth ministry is one of the most rewarding professions in the world. But it also can be exhausting, overwhelming, captivating, tedious, energizing, demanding, draining, and stressful. Are you prepared?
Veteran youth workers and consultants Mark DeVries and Jeff Dunn-Rankin want you to succeedÑwhether you're trying to land your first youth ministry role, wishing you had more love for the job you already hold, or seeking strategies to lock in your dream job.
That's why they've written
The Indispensable Youth PastorÑto peel back the curtain and reveal the truths about youth ministry. They want you to understand and prepare for the unique challenges that accompany this calling. Otherwise, you're likely to be blindsided and overwhelmed by situations that a well-prepared youth worker will handle with ease.
This book provides tools that will help you stay in the game of youth ministry for as long as God has called you and insights that can literally transform the way you approach your next (or current) role.
Don't become a statisticÑanother person who leaves youth ministry prematurely, burned out from ministry and the church altogether. Make yourself indispensable by following the path toward landing, loving, and locking in your dream youth ministry job.
Chapter topics include:
- Developing a search timeline that works
- Where to hunt for youth ministry openings
- Why acquaintances aid your search more than friends
- Why the Jones Memorial Carpet matters
- Initiating change without killing your ministry
- Helping people embrace the ministry's vision
- Living a life that has balance and priorities
- Learning to love the parts of your job you dislike
Mark DeVries is the founder of Youth Ministry Architects (ymarchitects.com), a consulting team specializing in working with youth ministries in transition. Mark is the author of Sustainable Youth Ministry and Family-Based Youth Ministry, and, since 1986, he has served as the Associate Pastor for Youth and Their Families at First Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee.
Jeff Dunn-Rankin is Vice President of Consulting for Youth Ministry Architects. Since the late 90s, he has also been the Director of Youth at Christ United Methodist Church in Venice, Florida. Other writing projects include his GROUP Magazine column and co-writing Before You Hire a Youth Pastor with Mark DeVries.
