Youth Ministry Curriculum and Resources

A Parent's Guide to Understanding Teenage Brains: Why They Act the Way They Do is a resource designed to help parents of teenagers understand and appreciate the amazing transformations students' brains undergo in adolescence to prepare for adulthood and its many responsibilities.

BAGS helps parents become aware of the specific bags kids tend to pack as they grow up, how these bags tend to get packed, and the long-lasting negative impacts they can have.

Lissy Rienow shares the teenage point of view about the toughest issues families face today. Her heart for families shines through as she encourages and equips parents to fight for a stronger connection with their teen. 

Teaching for Change guides teachers to unravel the mystery of how students absorb and process information. This insight leads to better prepared lessons that will engage the hearts and minds of students. 

Three years into Kendall’s job as the youth pastor of Grace church, many things are going really well: Kids are connecting and growing. She’s built a solid team of adult leaders. She and her husband love their home, city, and friends. But when Kendall is blindsided by her unsupportive senior pastor, who once again takes the side of a wealthy parent over Kendall’s, it’s the impetus she needs to start reconsidering her future. Is it time for Kendall to move on? And if she does look for a role at a new church, how can she be sure it will be a better fit than this one? 

With this fiction debut, veteran youth worker Jen Bradbury’s novel explores the process of living in to your calling, listening to the voice of God, and continually asking the question, What does the right fit look like, and how do you know when you’ve found it?

Beautiful Rebellion, a book that cuts past unhelpful stereotypes and shows today’s teens that they are uniquely primed to use their whole selves—faith, skepticism, intellectualism, humor, big questions, and all—to bring about a world-changing movement empowered and driven by God’s love.

4 Views on Talking to Teenagers About Sex reflects the thoughts, experiences, and practical advice of four in-the-trenches youth workers, who have spent years having these conversations with the teenagers in their ministries. Representing an array of viewpoints, these writers don’t agree on everything—but they all know that our conversations with teens about sex must speak to God’s design, avoid shame, and go far beyond any one instance of “the talk.

Hierarchical, coercive leadership should have no place in the church. But if we move away from those unbiblical (and ineffective) forms of power-based leadership, we still need to lead. In Leading Without Power, Mark Oestreicher explores—in very pragmatic ways—what it might look like for us to replace power-based leadership modalities with other approaches.

Dr. Seuss’s wonderfully wise Oh, the Places You’ll Go! is the perfect send-off and gift for high school and college graduates.

The Throw and Tell Game Ball is an inflatable ball with fun prompts that can be used as an ice-breaker, game, message illustration, or lesson starter.

Protect: A Youth Worker's Guide to Navigating Risk (Revised & Updated Edition) is an indispensable resource for churches, para-church organizations, and anyone serving in youth ministry. Whether you are a full-time, part-time, volunteer, bi-vocational, rookie, or veteran youth worker, this revised and updated edition ensures you’ll be equipped to navigate the contemporary challenges, unique opportunities, and inherent risks in youth ministry today.

We all want thriving youth ministries, vibrant communities of teenagers and adult leaders who are all growing as disciples of Jesus. Too often, though, it feels like things just aren’t...quite...working. While there are lots of potential solutions to the “problems” of youth ministry, Heather Quiroz suggests looking back—way back—for answers: at first-century Jewish faith, life, and culture.

Teenagers today are different from teenagers even 10 or 20 years ago. The issues they are facing are complex and wide-ranging.How can youth workers understand them better? What are the best ways to meet anxious teens where they are and help them feel seen, loved, and known—both by our youth ministries and by the God who cares for them so deeply?

5 Views on Youth Ministry Short-Term Missions reflects the thoughts, personal stories, and real-life tips of five in-the-trenches youth workers who regularly lead short-term mission trips (STMs). Here you’ll find thoughtful but practical dialogue on the multiple views and approaches to STMs, from work camps to urban missions to long-term partnerships with Indigenous church leaders across the globe. Didn’t realize there were different views and approaches to STMs that thoughtful youth workers could disagree on? That’s part of the point of this book; to help youth workers have more insight into the issues and be more intentional in their responses. The five views of STMs found within this book are based on the contributors’ core commitments and worldviews (really, their missiology). Each of the contributors also offers a short response to one of the other views of STMs presented. Appendices tackle the important topics of junior high short-term missions and the incredible value of multigenerational trips.

Tragedy ignites a group of teens to find a legendary landmark hidden in the wilderness. Together, they navigate the adventure while confronting the darkness within themselves. Channeling teen classics like The Goonies and The Breakfast Club, the story wrestles with depression, anxiety, doubt, and identity. What Rhymes with Reason sparks a fun and emotional tale of hope for teens and families of the social media age, reminding everyone that no one has to struggle alone.

Veteran youth worker Kurt Johnston writes, "Getting better at youth ministry is worth the effort because teenagers are worth the effort." With that in mind, he put together this compact, practical, and approachable book for youth ministry volunteers, brimming with insights and wisdom from his decades in youth ministry—including some memorable and hilarious stories of the mistakes that taught him along the way.

Wake Up: Rediscovering A Passion for God and the Bible is a 31-day devotional experience designed to unlock the Bible for Christ-followers. Every day in Wake Up teaches you a different way of meeting with God in the Bible. Some feed your head. Some feed your heart. Some lead you to reflect. Some lead you to act. But every moment is designed to help you rediscover your joy for God and for meeting Him in His Word.

How To Be A Man: Pursuing Christ-centered Masculinity is a 40-day devotional experience that will spur men on to a more passionate pursuit of Christ-centered manhood.

How To Be A Man: Learning From Real Men Of The Bible [Adult Edition] is a 40-day devotional experience that uses the lives of eight men of the Bible as an example and challenges men to live a life of impact and influence, changing the world around them for the sake of the Gospel.

How To Be A Man: Discovering What It Means To Be A Disciple is a 40-day devotional that will help equip men with a powerful definition of what it means to follow Jesus.