The Ultimate Quest for Truth! Offers kids a high-energy, adventure-filled approach to reading, interacting with, and learning life lessons from the Scriptures. It takes 101 favorite adventure-f...[More]

The Ultimate Quest for Truth! Offers kids a high-energy, adventure-filled approach to reading, interacting with, and learning life lessons from the Scriptures. It takes 101 favorite adventure-filled stories from the New Living Translation and puts them into one amazing book. Each Bible story has a brief overview so kids can get a bird's-eye view of the story, a key verse that sums up its meaning, and a Read and Learn application section that challenges kids to make their faith active. "101 Bible Adventures" gives kids a great way to explore the Scriptures while highlighting concepts such as building good character; the importance of having good role models; and themes such as forgiveness, love, and God's wonderful plan for our lives. (ages 7-11)[Less]

What The Faith Of Our Teenagers Is Telling The American Church. Based on the National Study of Youth and Religion--the same invaluable data as its predecessor, "Soul Searching: The Religious an...[More]

What The Faith Of Our Teenagers Is Telling The American Church. Based on the National Study of Youth and Religion--the same invaluable data as its predecessor, "Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers"--Kenda Creasy Dean's compelling new book, "Almost Christian," investigates why American teenagers are at once so positive about Christianity and at the same time so apathetic about genuine religious practice.

In "Soul Searching," Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton found that American teenagers have embraced a "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism"--a hodgepodge of banal, self-serving, feel-good beliefs that bears little resemblance to traditional Christianity. But far from faulting teens, Dean places the blame for this theological watering down squarely on the churches themselves. Instead of proclaiming a God who calls believers to lives of love, service and sacrifice, churches offer instead a bargain religion, easy to use, easy to forget, offering little and demanding less. But what is to be done? In order to produce ardent young Christians, Dean argues, churches must rediscover their sense of mission and model an understanding of being Christian as not something you do for yourself, but something that calls you to share God's love, in word and deed, with others. Dean found that the most committed young Christians shared four important traits: they could tell a personal and powerful story about God; they belonged to a significant faith community; they exhibited a sense of vocation; and they possessed a profound sense of hope. Based on these findings, Dean proposes an approach to Christian education that places the idea of mission at its core and offers a wealth of concrete suggestions for inspiring teens to live more authentically engaged Christian lives.

Persuasively and accessibly written, "Almost Christian" is a wake up call no one concerned about the future of Christianity in America can afford to ignore.

"A lot of youth workers have been a bit depressed since the National Study of Youth and Religion revealed what we'd long suspected about American teen religiosity: it's pretty darn benign. But in Almost Christian, Kenda Creasy Dean helps us turn the corner from the moralistic, therapeutic deism that afflicts our churches to a hope-filled, consequential faith that has the potential to change the lives of young people and, with a little help from the Holy Spirit, just might transform our world." -- Tony Jones, author of "The New Christians": Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier[Less]

Practicing the Presence of Jesus (Youth Specialties). Youth ministry isn't about what to say, what to do, or how to be; it's about serving the needs of the students God has put in your life. Th...[More]

Practicing the Presence of Jesus (Youth Specialties). Youth ministry isn't about what to say, what to do, or how to be; it's about serving the needs of the students God has put in your life. This book is an attitude overhaul that creates a more organic approach to youth ministry that helps you create meaningful silence, covenant communities, and contemplative activities that allow your students to recognize the presence of Jesus in their everyday lives.[Less]

12 Sessions to Deepen Your Faith; perfect for Sunday School, Youth Meetings, Small Groups, and More. As part of the best-selling Creative Bible Lessons series, this installment of 1 and 2 Timothy & Ti...[More]

12 Sessions to Deepen Your Faith; perfect for Sunday School, Youth Meetings, Small Groups, and More. As part of the best-selling Creative Bible Lessons series, this installment of 1 and 2 Timothy & Titus is a call for all teenagers in the body of Christ to go deeper with their faith, to join Paul in his last hours as he prepares his disciples to lead the young church in a world of oppression, danger, and difficulty. 8.6" wide x 10.9" high[Less]

Moving from Mission Trips to Missional Living. If you really want to make a difference, you have to change, too. The only way that is going to happen is if you spend some time before, during, a...[More]

Moving from Mission Trips to Missional Living. If you really want to make a difference, you have to change, too. The only way that is going to happen is if you spend some time before, during, and after your service preparing for and processing all that you've experienced. The Deep Justice Journeys journal has activities that will get you fired-up to serve others and will help make sure your service makes a lasting impact.

So you're fired up, you want to make a difference, you want to change the world...but how? Signing up for your church's mission trip or service project is a great first step, and you are definitely going to make a difference in someone's life. But are you ready for the different cultures you may encounter? How are you going to really connect with the people you serve? And what about when you come home--how do you make sense of all the things you've experienced?

It's easy to forget your experiences in the mission field-especially when the people around you haven't had those same experiences. And it is easy to go back to living your life the way you were before-but if you really want to change the world, you have to change, too. The only way that is going to happen is if you spend some time before, during, and after your service preparing for and processing your justice work. As you use this journal you will start to think about

- the people you are serving

- your relationship with your teammates

- how God factors in to your service project

- the impact your experience has had on you

- how you can continue to make a difference in the world around you

If you think you're fired-up for service now, just wait! As you complete the creative and fun exercises included in this journal, you will be energized for justice work, you'll learn how to apply this to your own life, and nothing will be able to stop you.[Less]

A 30- Day Experiment in Listening to God. Help scripture come alive for students. This collection of 50 guided exercises plugs your students into the discipline of Lectio Divina without ...[More]

A 30- Day Experiment in Listening to God. Help scripture come alive for students. This collection of 50 guided exercises plugs your students into the discipline of Lectio Divina without making it feel like homework. Each lesson takes students through the process of reading Scripture, meditation on Scripture, listening to God through Scripture, and responding to Scripture.[Less]

Contrary to popular sociological opinion, GenX and GenNext--the "slackers"--have a critical role to play, a divine appointment with destiny. Winkie discusses the shape of the Twenty-First Century yout...[More]

Contrary to popular sociological opinion, GenX and GenNext--the "slackers"--have a critical role to play, a divine appointment with destiny. Winkie discusses the shape of the Twenty-First Century youth awakening he envisions.[Less]

Using Improv to Create Memorable Moments in Ministry (Youth Specialties) The Skit Guys bring you more than 200 skits to use in your youth group. Indexed by topic and Scripture reference, you ca...[More]

Using Improv to Create Memorable Moments in Ministry (Youth Specialties) The Skit Guys bring you more than 200 skits to use in your youth group. Indexed by topic and Scripture reference, you can illustrate just about any lesson you want. Plus, each skit is ready to go and will allow all your students to participate in the teaching, whether or not they can act. They'll laugh, they might cry, and in the end, they'll learn something important.[Less]

A Six Week Challenge to Change the World! True Stories from Students Living on the Edge. This six-week study inspires students to look beyond themselves and see a world that desperately needs C...[More]

A Six Week Challenge to Change the World! True Stories from Students Living on the Edge. This six-week study inspires students to look beyond themselves and see a world that desperately needs Christ. Students will learn about following the call of God and will experience firsthand accounts from other students who have joined God in his worldwide work.
Topics include: hearing God's call, trusting God, praying for world missions, sharing the faith, being flexible, and taking risks. Amazing stories and Scripture give an exciting challenge. Collegiate ministers and youth pastors can use this book as a tool for spiritual development and missions awareness for students. Group discussion questions are included for each lesson.[Less]

The rulebook is out the window. Everything you believe is suspect. The future is up for grabs. Welcome to the emerging postmodern culture. A "free zone" of rapid change that places high value on commu...[More]

The rulebook is out the window. Everything you believe is suspect. The future is up for grabs. Welcome to the emerging postmodern culture. A "free zone" of rapid change that places high value on community, authenticity, and even God, but has little interest in modern, Western-tinged Christianity. "Postmodern Youth Ministry" addresses these enormous philosophical shifts and shows how they're affecting teenagers.[Less]

Guiding Students Into Spiritual Formation. Mike King proposes a youth ministry centered in the presence of God. Here, young people encounter Christ not in the flash and pop of arena ministry, b...[More]

Guiding Students Into Spiritual Formation. Mike King proposes a youth ministry centered in the presence of God. Here, young people encounter Christ not in the flash and pop of arena ministry, but in the sacred shadow of his presence. This book gives shape to such ministry through the classic disciplines and potent symbols and practices that have sustained the church over the centuries.[Less]

From A Strategy Of Influence To A Theology Of Incarnation. Relational youth ministry, also known as incarnational ministry, can feel like a vicious cycle of guilt: "I should be spending time wi...[More]

From A Strategy Of Influence To A Theology Of Incarnation. Relational youth ministry, also known as incarnational ministry, can feel like a vicious cycle of guilt: "I should be spending time with kids, but I just don't want to." The burden becomes heavy to bear because it is never over; adolescents always seem to need more relational bonds, and once one group graduates there is a new group of adolescents who need relational contact. It may be that the reason these relationships have become burdensome is that they have become something youth workers do, rather than something that youth workers enter into. In "Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry," Andrew Root explores the origins of a dominant ministry model for evangelicals, showing how American culture has influenced our understanding of the incarnation. Drawing from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, whose work with German youth in troubled times shaped his own understanding of how Jesus intersects our relationships, Root recasts relational ministry as an opportunity not to influence the influencers but to stand with and for those in need. True relational youth ministry shaped by the incarnation is a commitment to enter into the suffering of all, to offer all those in high school or junior high the solidarity of the church.[Less]

A Journey Through Its People, Places And Themes. The Bible Book by Book is a fully illustrated introduction to each book of the Bible, written and designed for teens and youth workers. Each int...[More]

A Journey Through Its People, Places And Themes. The Bible Book by Book is a fully illustrated introduction to each book of the Bible, written and designed for teens and youth workers. Each introduction is 1,200-1,500 words long and can be read in five minutes. The presentations are pithy, direct, and effective and will help teens and youth workers experience Scripture as the living story of God and His people, not just words on a page.

"The disciples were Jesus' youth group," explains Cris Rogers. "John was most probably only fourteen and Peter, the oldest, might have been twenty-five. Jesus had to take an old, out-of-date book, and reinterpret it for his young people. Youth workers, preachers, teachers, and small group leaders have to do this each week, re-imagining Scripture for a new and almost ignorant generation that is unaware of its ignorance."

The Bible Book by Book is not a commentary, though it does offer notes on style, background, location, cultural details, and major themes, as well as lists of further reading for each book of the Bible. Instead, it is an invitation for the next generation to let the Bible permeate their imagination.[Less]

Maximum Life Transformation for the Third Millennium. CORE stands for "Church On the Radical Edge" and is a challenge to young people to gain a dynamic new perspective on faith while experienci...[More]

Maximum Life Transformation for the Third Millennium. CORE stands for "Church On the Radical Edge" and is a challenge to young people to gain a dynamic new perspective on faith while experiencing a new heart commitment to Christ. "Ultimate CORE" is filled with lessons from the Sermon on the Mount and is written by two youth ministry and evangelism experts.[Less]

20 Parables for Driving Home Your Point Jesus used parables to connect spiritual truth with people's lives. Now you can do the same with this book of attention-grabbing modern day parables (i....[More]

20 Parables for Driving Home Your Point Jesus used parables to connect spiritual truth with people's lives. Now you can do the same with this book of attention-grabbing modern day parables (i.e. skits)! Use these 5-minute skits to get your group members thinking and laughing, then talking about spiritual truth and how it relates to important areas and issues of their lives. Ultimate Skits delivers:

-- 20 skits on topics students care about. Stuff like forgiveness, gossip, racism, God's love, and more that connect with daily teen life!
-- Quick and easy production. Suggestions for set, prop and costume included with every skit.
-- "Disarming" discussions that go deep. These parable/skits include open-ended discussion questions on two Bible-themed topics.
-- Flexibility. Skits are indexed by topic and by Scripture verse to make it easy to find just the right skit for the area or issue you want to cover.[Less]

This book is an overview of popular culture for youth workers, parents and educators. Explores the dynamics of why kids are drawn into the culture and how it shapes their development. This Gold Medall...[More]

This book is an overview of popular culture for youth workers, parents and educators. Explores the dynamics of why kids are drawn into the culture and how it shapes their development. This Gold Medallion Book Award winner is used as a seminal text in colleges, universities, and seminaries around the world, but is especially noted for its honest and easy to read style. The book approaches youth culture from a distinctively Christian perspective and contains chapters on a variety of topics including: music, media, sexuality, materialism, drugs and alcohol, and spirituality. A great resource for parents, educators, youth workers, and pastors.[Less]

Expanding Your Students' World View Filled with principles, guidelines and examples on how to help young people grow in their understanding of the world and their part in it; motivates youth in...[More]

Expanding Your Students' World View Filled with principles, guidelines and examples on how to help young people grow in their understanding of the world and their part in it; motivates youth into missions.[Less]