Youth Ministry Crash Course!, A [Paperback]

Rick Bundschuh (Author), E.G. Von Trutzschler (Author)

Book Description

Series: Youth Specialties | Publication Date: February 3, 1997

Youth ministry fundamentals at your fingertips! Or call it a light-hearted primer to a serious subject. A Youth Ministry Crash Course is 150 to-the-point entries on issues you face every week -- topics that are described, simplified, illustrated, and occasionally tweaked by a couple of veteran youth workers who've acquired a pragmatic streak alongside their compassion for teenagers. Inside you'll find shrewd insight with a wry twist: - On Curricula: 'You know your kids better than some editor working away in a cubical somewhere. Change material to suit your group, and chuck what doesn't fly.' - On Recycling: 'Students cycle in and out of your youth group every three or four years -- so recycle your program themes and events that often too.' On Rules: 'Never make one when you're tired or ticked off.' - On Sacred Cows: ' Learn what they are and keep your kids away from them -- you'll add longevity to your job. E.g., no pew hurdling in the million-dollar sanctuary during youth night. - On Spiritual Growth: 'The kid that grows the fastest may not grow the deepest. Don't overlook the one who grows slowly but steadily.' Whether you're new to youth ministry, a Sunday school teacher of junior or senior highers, a volunteer, or a veteran with a novice staff -- in Crash Course you'll find instructions, motivation, and reminders of what the glorious, hectic calling of youth ministry is all about.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Youth ministry fundamentals at your fingertips! Or call it a light-hearted primer to a serious subject. A Youth Ministry Crash Course is 150 to-the-point entries on issues you face every week -- topics that are described, simplified, illustrated, and occasionally tweaked by a couple of veteran youth workers who've acquired a pragmatic streak alongside their compassion for teenagers. Inside you'll find shrewd insight with a wry twist: - On Curricula: "You know your kids better than some editor working away in a cubical somewhere. Change material to suit your group, and chuck what doesn't fly." - On Recycling: "Students cycle in and out of your youth group every three or four years -- so recycle your program themes and events that often too." On Rules: "Never make one when you're tired or ticked off." - On Sacred Cows: " Learn what they are and keep your kids away from them -- you'll add longevity to your job. E.g., no pew hurdling in the million-dollar sanctuary during youth night. - On Spiritual Growth: "The kid that grows the fastest may not grow the deepest. Don't overlook the one who grows slowly but steadily." Whether you're new to youth ministry, a Sunday school teacher of junior or senior highers, a volunteer, or a veteran with a novice staff -- in Crash Course you'll find instructions, motivation, and reminders of what the glorious, hectic calling of youth ministry is all about.

About the Author

Rick Bundschuh serves as a teaching pastor at Kauai Christian Fellowship, and he also continues to write and illustrate material for various publishers. He lives with his beautiful wife, Lauren, their kids, a weenie dog, and a quiver of surfboards in Poipu, Hawaii. Rick authored Soul Surfer: The Bethany Hamilton Story, Simon and Shuster. SPANISH BIO: Rick actualmente pastorea dos grandes iglesias en Kauai, Hawai.

Fred von Kamecke (PhD, New Testament theology and exegesis, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is assistant pastor at The Chapel in Grayslake, Illinois. In addition to his involvement in the church community, von Kamecke serves as an adjunct professor at Bethel College. He has also served as adjunct professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and as assistant professor at North Park Seminary in the area of New Testament studies. SPANISH BIO: El Pastor Von ex fundador y presidente de Spectrum Ministries, un ministerio para personas de bajos recursos en Baja, California y pastor de jovenes emierto en la Iglesia Bautista Emmanuel de Clairemont en San Diego, California.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan/Youth Specialties (February 3, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310215285
• ISBN-13: 978-0310215288
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,926,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Well, it would have been a 2 1/2!, December 12, 1999

By 

Rob Tevis (Springfield, VA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Youth Ministry Crash Course!, A (Paperback)

This is no "Purpose Drive Youth Ministry" by Doug Fields nor is it a "Student Ministry for the 21st Century" by Bo Boshers! It is however a snapshot of tidbits of information that may come in handy if you need a paragraph or two on a certain subject like sponsors, or zits, or depression. You can not read it all the way through, but you can use it as a reference tool. Is it a must have? Only if you are not looking for deep studies. It is too thin to even begin to explore half of the subjects indepth. It has a great reference section (probably the best part of the book). There are better books that you should spend your money on, like the two mentioned above, but it is good at wetting your appetite on the subjects it attempts to approach.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Very Iffy, February 23, 2002

By 

Mike Schroeder (Kendallville, IN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Youth Ministry Crash Course!, A (Paperback)

Be careful with this book. I read the part about advertising, and it's telling you not to let your events be too known because it might scare the Teens off. So, then a more suitable method is....teaching them to be ashamed of the Gospel? As anyone in Youth Ministry knows, Purpose Driven Youth MInistry is the all out best book on the market at this time, but it's major strength is in not focusing too little on too much. In comparison, this book gives tidbits of ideas over a large number of topics in a book no thicker than a magazine. I used to work in a Christian bookstore where we sold it, and I couldn't stand to look at it for more than 2 or 3 minutes