Customer Reviews

Sustainable Youth Ministry: Why Most Youth Ministry Doesn't Last and What Your Church Can Do About It

5 star:		(25)
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I'm a paid youth minister in the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, and I've been doing youth ministry of one kind or another for a couple years (including the infamous "camp counsellor" position). Lots of my friends are youth ministers, or are involved in ministry in one way or another, and our Diocesan coordinator gave us all a copy of this book. The following is a copy of a message I sent out to our friends after reading DeVries' book.

"Dear Yute Minister Types,

...I'm just writing to STRONGLY encourage you all to read _Sustainable Youth Ministry_ by Mark Devries...if you haven't already. I'm about 2/3 of the way through it, and other than the knowledge that Jesus loves me even when I screw up, this might be the single most important thing I've ever read/heard in furthering my ability to minister to people. It's honest, to the point, empowering in a very practical way, and creates a vision of what a healthy youth program is/can be that is bigger than the one I've always had, I think. It's also called me out on one of my bigger shortcomings as a youth minister, which is my tendency to create myself as a "victim" of church politics, poor volunteer turnouts, etc., and using that as an excuse whenever I need to. Anyway, I can't recommend this book enough, and we should probably all buy copies for all of our clergy AND another one to make available to parents. AND I think it's a good thing for the Episcopal Diocese in AL to read anyway since generally our view of youth ministry is to vamp young, able-bodied and enthusiastic people of their energy for 18 months or so until they're all used up and quit, and then hire somebody else.

Plus, the book has this really fun analogy about having to 'eat that frog' that is both entertaining and to the point."

So, if you're involved in youth ministry or are thinking about it, if you're a senior or associate priest/pastor at a church that has or wants to have a youth program, if you're a volunteer in a youth program (but not necessarily if you're a volunteer firefighter), or if you've ever thought about having kids who are involved in a youth program, first I'd recommend reading the Gospels, but after that, pick up this book. And if you have time, reading _Where the Wild Things Are_ would be a good idea, too.

The End. Love Daniel.

I'm glad to give a very positive review of this resource. I've been impressed by the depth of Mark Devries experience at auditing and advising youth ministries ever since I attended his workshop at the 2008 National Youth Ministry Conference where he whetted my appetite with memorable material from this book such as 'Eat that Frog' and 'Juggling Monkeys.'
Devries has written this book not only to full-time youth ministers (like me) but to lay-leaders, senior pastors, search committee members, and parents of youth. He outlines the nitty-gritty work of 'building the dance floor' that must happen for a youth ministry to grow, remain healthy, and out-last its current leaders. Devries includes valuable statistical information related to budgeting, salaries, and polls. In a nutshell, every chapter contains trial-proven strategies that benefits the building of a healthy youth ministry. There are no trends or easy formulas here, only practical guidelines for implementation. This resource will guide my volunteer training meetings from now through the foreseeable future. I have already recommended that my local association purchase and gift this book to all of the local churches to read, keep, and follow, and I recommend this recommendation to you, too!
Aaron D. Honolulu, HI

Mark DeVries uses real experiences and stories to explain what it takes to have a successful and sustainable youth ministry. This is an essential book for any youth minister, not just for the bookshelf but to be worn out, read through, and implemented. No matter what kind of church you are in, your youth ministry could benefit from the wisdom found in Sustainable Youth Ministry.

I was given a pre-release copy and I couldn't be more impressed. This book is for anyone who keeps their resume on YS because they are probably going to change jobs anyway, is feeling manic-depressive because of their schedule, wants to build the foundation for a long term, healthy ministry or needs to teach YM. This is good stuff!

Sustainable Youth Ministry: Why Most Youth Ministry Doesn't Last and What Your Church Can Do About It
Mark DeVries is exactly what the Church world needs when it comes to youth ministry for today and the future! Far too long have churches operated under the "superstar" youth ministry model. Whether it is facilities, budget or the next "golden child" of youth ministry, Mark shows biblically and logically why typical youth ministries fail to produce lasting and meaningful results! Mark doesn't stop there however. Not only does he challenge our assumptions, but he also gives us practical advice on investigating how we can make youth ministry not only work, but build a youth ministry that is sustainable and impacting on generations to come! As a student and family minister of 24+ years, Mark's books are on my top priority list on books to read for anybody entering Youth and Family Ministries!

There's a reason why Mark DeVries's Sustainable Youth Ministry is one of those rare books that has an average ranking of 5-stars: this is the best book on youth ministry as far as explaining the "architecture" or structure of how to set up youth ministry. I met Mark DeVries at a youth leaders' conference in 2009: his session was by far and away the most relevant to the kind of church I was the youth pastor of at the time, a more traditional, Episcopalian parish.

For any of you who have been involved in youth ministry, as students, parents, or youth leaders, then you know that perhaps the #1 problem with youth ministry is a lack of longevity. Youth ministers and their programs come and go. When I was active as a youth minister, I read that the average length a youth minister stayed at a church was 27 months!

This book shows churches and youth leaders how to structure your ministry so that it will last and have a lasting impact.

Here's a great side by side comparison of Sustainable Youth Ministry vs traditional youth ministry:

Sustainable
Long-term focus on a single issue
Responsibility shared by the team
Regular Meetings
Regular time for strategic thinking
Expectations of a multiyear building process

Traditional
Episodic focus with key issues buried
Responsibility carried by the youth worker
Concerns raised reactively at random meetings
Issue addressed between urgent demands of ministry
Expectation of the quick fix

DeVries confronts head on the false "gambling" view of finding a hot shot superstar who is going to fix the youth program. He then builds, brick by brick, a systems approach to youth ministry.

The building of youth ministry takes place in 4 stages, and it's good to know what stage your ministry is at:
1. Creating the Blueprint and Preparing for the Process
2. Laying the Foundation
3. Beginning to Build
4. Framing the Second Floor

In Chapter 5 Devries lays a strong foundation with the 5 Key Control Documents (Directory of youth, volunteers, and visitors; Annual Major Events Calendar; Job Descriptions; Master Recruiting List; and Curriculum Template) and the 4 Visioning Documents (Mission Statement; Measurable 3-year goals; Statement of Values; and Organizational Chart).

In Chapter 6, he discusses changing culture and 5 Ways to create the right climate. In Chapter 7, he presents the 3 Roles for the Youth Director: a craftsperson, a general contractor; and an architect in a trailer. Simply understanding that there are 3 different roles (each with different gift and skill requirements) will help youth leaders understand their ministry and mission better.

In Chapter 9 Devries develops the idea that "longevity works," and makes the important point that 80% of the time should be spent with 3 things: with students, with the volunteer team, and with strategic planning.

There is much, much more, but you get the point. This is a very PRACTICAL book, and it forces you to take a long-term, sustainable approach to youth ministry, which was Jesus' approach.

I should also mention Devries's related company and website: Youth Ministry Architects (YMA). YMA has wise, seasoned veterans who are willing to consult with you about the current state of your youth program. One of them was able to help me a lot and, most importantly, give me confidence that I was on the right track.

Sustainable Youth Ministry gave me the confidence to think through and begin to create a youth ministry that was honoring to God and would last. You should probably buy a lot of books on youth ministry, if that is your calling: but please make sure this is at the top of the list!

Also HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Family-Based Youth Ministry, also by Mark DeVries.

I was not a fan of Mark's Family Based Youth Ministry book, probally because it challenged all I was doing. But this book is worth the price just for the lists in the back. Mark puts into words years of experience that can save years of pain and heart ache for youth, parents, adult leaders and clergy and pastors. Great work! I am thankful for Mark and his systemcatic process and care in helping youth workers be effective! BUY This book, read this book, live this book. I have bought over 25 copies and give them to every youth worker that I go to lunch with (especially if they pay for lunch!)

I've been in youth ministry for 10 years. I was a volunteer turned youth pastor and this totally revolutionized the way I look at ministry and what is expected from all aspects of the church. We are leading one of the fastest growing youth ministries in Louisiana and we read this book as a team every year. I recommend two books to every youth pastor. "First Two Years in Youth Ministry" by Doug Fields and this one. Youth pastor...buy a copy for your lead pastor also.

I am a 7 year Youth Ministry veteran and I wish I had this book earlier in my career. It is an excellent book for Youth Ministry search committees, youth ministers building a program, pastors, and parents. It is a resource for laying the foundation of a youth program. It isn't a book that has game ideas, bible study ideas, or stuff like that.
I took a new position at a church that has never had much of a program and I am working through it with my SP so we can lay the foundation for a new youth program.

Title: Sustainable Youth Ministry by Mark DeVries.

Pages: 224.

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 2 months.

Days spent reading it: 4 days.

Why I read it: Susan and I saw Mark DeVries at a youth ministry conference. We were really impressed with his presentation (we only had the abbreviated version of it too!). We looked at each other and decided right away that we would be picking up his book. Definitely worth it.

Brief review: Sustainable Youth Ministry is a general guide to the confusing world of youth ministry. Mark DeVries walks his readers through both the abstract and the practical.

DeVries has great organization for this book. He opens a topic and then explores 4 or 5 subpoints for the topic. He covers everything from ministries that are stuck to church politics. I actually finished this book a few months ago. I underlined a lot. As I was flipping through it again tonight, I thought to myself, "it would be good if I read through this book again, at least the underlined points." Why? DeVries covers so much information, it is impossible to absorb it all in one reading. The best part is that so much of this book is practical. It is easy to immediately implement many of his suggestions.

This is definitely a niche book. It's only going to be helpful to people concerned with youth ministry. But for those in youth ministry, I can give no higher recommendation for a book. This is a treasure trove of guidance from a youth ministry veteran. You must read it. Not much else to say.

Favorite quote: Youth workers who don't feel over their heads, who don't feel they're overwhelmed and failing at times, may simply not understand their jobs.

Stars: 5 out of 5.

Final Word: Practical.