Two Books Every Youth Pastor MUST Buy and Read

My title may be a bit dramatic, but I really feel that these two books are absolute must-owns for any youth pastor. I'm not saying that because I have friendships with both authors. I'm saying that because they are truly great books and will change the way you do some parts of your ministry.

The first book is Flimsy Ministry by Brian Siedel. This book was written to challenge the way we look at the calling of youth pastor. Too often the youth pastor is seen as the black sheep of the church staff. Brian seeks to turn that idea on its head. I promise it will shake up the way you look at being a youth pastor. The book is available in both paperback and Kindle. I bought the Kindle version and read it in about two days. I promise you won't be disappointed. Here is a link to the review I wrote on the book shortly after I finished reading it.

The second book you must buy and read is Ministering to Gay Teenagers by Shawn Harrison. With homosexuality becoming more and more accepted in our world, it is not a matter of if a student will tell you he's gay, it is when. Shawn, writing from his own personal experience, has written an incredible book on how to deal with the situation. He does so with grace and offers very practical tips on how to guide the student, the parents, and the church through what can be a very difficult and tumultuous time. Shawn was kind enough to send me a copy of the book and I read it in one day. At about 50 pages, it is well worth the investment of time and money. This book is available on your Kindle and Kindle app for iPad and iPhone. Here is a link to my review.

Please note: I am not pumping these books because I want my friends to make money (I do, but that's not why I'm doing this). I am asking you to purchase and read these books because I truly believe in the message behind these books. I know there are a lot of hurting youth pastors in the world. Trust me, I'm one of them. We are hurting because of the paradigm that we are playing into. I also know there are a lot of hurting students and parents in the world dealing with the issue of homosexuality. If we are to be God's servants to young people, we need to be adequately equipped and prepared. These two books are excellent tools to help do that.

Book Review - Flimsy Ministry by Brian Seidel

If someone was to ask you to describe a youth pastor, how would you do it? Would you describe him as the goofy guy who wears his hat backward and whose office is a disaster? Would you describe him as the staff member who is most likely to destroy the church van?

This is often the way that most youth pastors are described and thought of. In Flimsy Ministry, Brian Seidel describes the common view of the youth pastor as the "paradigm" and he seeks to overcome that view. Describing the common view of youth ministry as a house of cards, Brian describes each card in the house and offers a plan to help pull that card from the house.

Perhaps the strongest part of the book is the inclusion of many personal stories, both his own and those of others. Perhaps the most encouraging, and devastating, one was that of a youth pastor who was nearly destroyed by his job and was able to live to tell about it.

Seidel looks at many of the issues with youth ministry, examines the common thoughts about that particular issue, then offers ways to overcome that particular issue. The one that resonated the most with me was the idea of using youth ministry as a stepping stone to another ministry. I have been accused of this in the past and it was hurtful. I appreciated the mindset that he encourages of being a youth pastor until God takes me somewhere else. More youth pastors should have this thought.

My only complaint about the book was the formatting. I do not believe this to be the fault of Seidel, but it was not properly formatted in the Kindle format. This takes nothing away from the content, but does make it a bit difficult to read at times.

Flimsy Ministry is a much needed book. I would recommend that youth pastors read it and share it with their senior pastors. There is much to be discussed in the book.

Book Review - Ministering to Gay Teenagers by Shawn Harrison

I have to be honest: I don't know many gay people. In fact, I only have one gay friend. During my stint as a youth pastor/volunteer, I have never had any gay students in my ministry. Maybe there were and I didn't know it, but to my knowledge, I have never crossed paths with a gay student.

It was for that very reason that I was pleased when Shawn Harrison sent me a copy of his book, Ministering to Gay Teenagers to read. I wanted to be adequately prepared for the day that the Lord brings a student experiencing same-sex attraction into my ministry.

Shawn writes the book from his own experience with same-sex attraction. He shares his story of being bullied and harassed in high school and how Christians were some of the worst. He also shares how a young lady came into his life and accepted him as a person. Not as a project or a sinner, but as a person. She took him to church and it was through her witness and friendship that he came to know Christ.

Ministering to Gay Teenagers offers many tips to both the youth pastor/volunteer and to the parents. There are many helpful suggestions and ideas on how to handle what can be a devastating revelation. Throughout the book, Shawn never seeks to prove a point or states whether homosexuality should be embraced as a viable, alternative lifestyle. He strives to help the reader understand that change is only possible through the work of the Holy Spirit and that youth pastors and parents should not for change or guilt, but pray for the Holy Spirit to move and work.

The book is very short, only about 50 pages. I read it in less than an hour. While it is not exhaustive, Ministering to Gay Teenagers is a good resource and should find a place on every caring pastor's bookshelf or Kindle.

Thank you, Shawn, for sharing this book with me. I pray that it will be a tool to help bring others, gay or straight, into the loving embrace of Jesus Christ.

If you would like to know more about Shawn's ministry, please visit his blog at Six:11 Ministries.

Recommended Resources

Goals for 2013 - Reading a Minimum of 25 Books

In continuing to discuss my goals of 2013, I have decided to read a minimum of 25 books, both fiction and non-fiction.

In previous years, I have attempted to read 50 books or more. Sometimes I make it, sometimes I don't. The first year that I read 50 books, I was reading for volume, not understanding. I can barely remember any of the books I read that year. I read a lot, but retained little.

This year, my goal for reading is lower. Not because of a busier schedule or anything. I simply want to be able to understand and apply what I am reading. The main focus of my reading is ministry, but I do enjoy other books as well. I particularly enjoy crime novels, especially those by Robert Crais and Michael Connelly.

As I read, I will be posting several reviews. I hope that you will be able to find something that will be of benefit to you this year.

What books are you reading this year?

Being the Children's Pastor

Every week, on Sunday morning, I have the opportunity to teach Children's Church. For an hour, I have a group of between 12-17 small children (and a few bigger kids) in the Fellowship Hall of Charles Town Baptist Church. We have a wonderful time.

Our Children's Church program is nothing entirely special. We sing some Sunday School songs (Father Abraham, Deep and Wide, Down in My Heart), we take up an offering, we say the pledges, and we do a Bible lesson. Our program is not fancy at all. In fact, compared to some churches, we are probably amateur hour. But that doesn't matter to me.

I love Children's Church. I love the fact that I get to share the Gospel with little ones each and every week. Currently, we are using a curriculum called The Jesus Storybook Bible. Each story selected from the Bible tells the story and then explains how that story points to Jesus, the Rescuer who came to save the world from sin. Most importantly, I love the way the children are interacting with the message of the Gospel.

I was thanking a volunteer the other day and he responded by quoting a cheesy song from a few years ago about children being the future. This is somewhat true, although I tend to think of them as the church of right now as well. There are many people who will bemoan the biblical illiteracy of many in our churches today. I am doing my best, and relying on God as well, to combat that by teaching the children entrusted to me by God (and their parents) in the best way I can.

That is what I love about being a Children's Pastor.

Recently Read Books

I like to read. I haven't been able to do it as much as I would like as of late, but I'm starting to get back in the habit. As time permits, I will post reviews of some of the books that I have read, but for now, here is a list of some of the books that I have read recently, in case you want to check them out.

• The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler.
• Gospel by J.D. Greear
• The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel
• Greater by Steven Furtick

There are a number of other books that I have read, but that is a pretty good list to start with. I will highly recommend all of these titles as excellent resources for ministry. In fact, I believe that Gospel would be an excellent book to use with a student leadership group or with a group of adult leaders.

Don't forget that we are in the gift-giving time of year.

What books have you recently read that you would recommend to other ministry leaders?