Youth Ministry on the Front Foot

This book was a collection of short chapters of various aspects of youth ministry written by about a dozen different authors. After each chapter, there was also a few discussion type questions getting you to think through the chapter and how you might apply that to your setting. I did feel like this book might have been the Sydney Anglican youth ministry handbook from about 10 years ago. I didn't look up all the authors but a few I recognises as being Sydney Anglican. This is not to say it is a bad thing, it's just that there was a lot of different chapters and authors, and yet it still felt homogeneous. My church historically does come from the Sydney Anglican influences and I think when our youth group was set up way back in the day this was the framework behind the foundation which was laid down.

I should say that in the early 2000's I attended one of the author's churches and in fact did ask him if I could be a youth leader there. But in that conversation I had with him after one church service, I felt like he wasn't really listening to me and that I hadn't justified myself by submitting a better Christian CV to him. That might not be how it really went down but was my feeling at the time nearly 20 years ago. That memory did make me think how I treat potential leaders and if I have already made judgements of them before I speak to them.

The book is broad and touches on many different topics, giving about four or five pages to each. It looks at topics like putting God's word first, prayer, small groups, selecting and training youth leaders, connecting with church, talking about sex, youth camps, meeting parents, leader accountability etc... There was one on social media, which even now is a bit dated in the specifics. There was another chapter assuring some of the older generation that it is still ok to be youth leaders. There was one chapter by a woman arguing that female youth leaders are Bible teachers, of which I thought was a bit strange, like, why is this even a point that needs to be made? And then throughout that chapter, it seems that the context that female youth leaders are Bible teachers is to enlighten, exhort and encourage girls in one on one discipleship. I thought perhaps guys should be doing that too, and also female youth leaders can enlighten, exhort and encourage both genders in a short Bible talk too, but that is showing some of my presuppositions (even though I think I am a complementarian).

Overall this book was good. It gave me food for thought, and also was an encouragement to me, as it touched on things that my church was already doing. The biggest strength I think is the discussion questions after each chapter, and it would be well worth your time doing them with someone else who you are training up to take your place one day.