Synopsis
A first-of-its-kind study of Protestant youth ministers reveals the hopes, frustrations, and effectiveness of today's youth workers.Of the 7,000 youth workers assembled in 1996 under Atlanta's Georgia Dome, a sample of 2,130 full-time youth ministers from dozens of Protestant denominations and parachurch organizations answered a battery of exhaustive, deliberate questions covering:What they liked best about youth ministryWhat particularly pleased them in their work with youthWhat they found most encouraging or discouragingTheir biggest obstacle to an effective youth ministryTheir biggest concern in youth ministryTheir answers revealed a dedicated group of professionals, concerned a out the students in their ministries, but troubled with a variety of perplexing issues. And their answers form the backbone of Youth Ministry That Transforms, a comprehensive analysis of this groundbreaking study (funded by the Lilly Endowment) focusing on the hopes, frustrations, and effectiveness of today's youth workers.Spearheaded by Merton Strommen--one of America's most exemplary and influential thinkers and authors in youth and family ministry--the research-writing team is joined by Karen E. Jones and Dave Rahn of Huntington (Indiana) College's Link Institute for Faithful and Effective Youth Ministry, and acknowledged leader in the task of undergirding youth ministry with a research base. These three deliver thorough analysis and sound interpretation regarding the state of youth ministry at the dawn of the 21st century.Youth Ministry That Transforms belongs on the desks and in the classrooms of all who are concerned with this developing profession, including denominational and parachurch leadership, professors, youth ministry students, and thoughtful youth workers themselves. It is also an insightful resource for any who want to understand youth ministers and their profession: senior pastors, executive pastors, and other individuals and committees charged with hiring and supervising youth workers.
About the Author
Merton Strommen (Ph.D. University of Minnesota) is the founder and former president of Search Institute. His publishing credits as author or coauthor include Five Cries of Youth, Five Cries of Parents", Five Cries of Grief, The Innovative Church, and Passing on the Faith: A Radical new Model for Youth and Family Ministry.;Karen E. Jones (Ph.D. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is professor of education ministries at Huntington College.;Dave Rahn (Ph.D., Purdue University) is professor of educational ministries at Huntington (Indiana) College, and director of that school's Link Institute for Faithful and Effective Youth Ministry. He is coauthor of "Starting Right: Thinking theologically about Youth Ministry" and "Contagious Faith: Empowering Student Leadership in Youth Evangelism" and consults with Youth for Christ/USA as their director of national ministries. Dave's volunteer work with Campus Life/Youth for Christ continues to streak of youth ministry that dates back to 1972.
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