For Rookie Youth Workers

As a new youth worker, you probably feel overwhelmed sometimes. You're not sure the job you signed up for is the one you got. You love students, but you may not know the best way to reach them, or how to best let them know they matter to you. The church board has an expectation that your youth group will grow, but you wonder if that is really what youth ministry is all about. And the forms—even college didn't prepare you for the surprising amount of paperwork and organization that comes with youth ministry.

Below you'll find a list of resources available to you on the YS site that are sure to help you feel like you know what you're doing a little better (or at least help you feel like you're not alone!).

YS Resources:

• Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry by Doug Fields
• Youth Ministry Management Tools by Elliot, Olson, and Work
• Better Safe Than Sued by Jack Crabtree
• Hope and Healing for Kids Who Cut by Marv Penner
• The Youth Ministry Survival Guide by Len Kageler
• The Youth Worker's Guide to Helping Teenagers in Crisis by Jim Hancock and Rich Van Pelt
• You Teach Volume 1 by the Skit Guys
• Ideas Library CD-ROM
• ArtSource 4.0 - CD-ROM
• Creative Bible Lessons on CD-ROM
• Youth Culture 101 by Walt Mueller
• Getting Students to Show Up by Jonathan McKee
• Speaking to Teenagers by Doug Fields and Duffy Robbins
• The New Youth Worker category on the YS store
• invert Starter Kit—Sample the latest and greatest student products from YS. A great introduction to the invert line for students!

YS Events:

• The National Youth Workers Convention: the longest running youth worker convention, filled with training, networking, resources, inspiration, and more. It has everything you need to make it a convention, or a spiritual retreat, or camp for youth workers... Make it whatever you want or need...it's yours.
• The YS Middle School Ministry Summit: an experience for paid middle school-only church staff, featuring an intimate setting and peer relationships with those who are passionate about middle school ministry. Youll find an agenda created by the attendees, lots of idea sharing and no comparisons.
• the CORE: the premiere one-day training event, perfect for your entire team, including volunteers, small group leaders, even parents.

YS Articles:

• What Attracts and Keeps Students at Your Church? by Kara Powell
• Do Games Still Work? The 7 Deadly Sins of Game Leading by Jonathan McKee
  • (More articles on Programming)
• On Starting Well by Mike Woodruff
• What I Wish I Knew When I Started Youth Ministry, part 1 by Mark Oestreicher
• Managing Your Time by Mike Woodruff
• One Day at a Time by Jen Arens
  • (More articles on Youth Worker Development)
• See the list of all YS article topics

YS Job Bank:

• Find a job
• Post a résumé
• Find additional staff

YS Email Resources:

Sign up for one of our many helpful, informative email newsletters, including the YS Update, with articles, research, news and other resources, the Student Newsletter, which you can pass along to your students weekly, or the Inside Track email list, featuring exclusive subscriber-only coupons and freebies.

YS Consults

Whether you're looking to manage, improve, or grow your youth ministry. YS Consults has what you need.

Have questions? Need help?

Call us at 888.346.4179 or email us

Find a network of youth workers near you