A Vision for Effective Youth Ministry

This book has arisen out of Australian research into youth ministry, from visiting youth groups and talking with youth leaders and the youth themselves. It offers a vision for the development of youth ministry, recognising the diversity of youth and the backgrounds from which they come. It explores how to build a youth ministry team and the qualities needed in the team. It discusses issues of training, payment, and support for youth leaders and building bridges with parents, church and school. Based on the research, it identifies the following factors as important in making a difference in developing youth ministry:

• A vision for developing the spirit of young people;
• A commitment by the whole church to youth ministry;
• A youth ministry team with strong relationships with God, each other, the youth, parents, the church and the wider society; and
• A diversity of activities: both age-specific and intergenerational, for fun, friends, inquiry and developing the spirit.