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

Introduction A Roll of the Dice: Exposing Today's Most Popular Youth Ministry Model 9
1 Cracking the Code: The Anatomy of Stuckness in Youth Ministry 17
2 The Easy Button: The Crisis of Chronic Underinvestment 29
3 Hoping, Wishing and Praying: Beyond the Frantic Search for the Youth Ministry Superstar 40
4 The Dance Floor: A Systems Approach to Youth Ministry 51
5 Building Right: The Structures of Sustainability 57
6 Changing Culture: The Work of the Environmental Architect 74
7 Searching Right: A Primer for Youth Ministry Search Teams 90
8 Aligning the Heart: The Emotionally Healthy Youth Worker 107
9 Monkeys, Frogs and Balconies: Secrets of Third-Pig Youth Workers 124
10 Architecting the Constellation: From Camp Counselor to Sustainable Leader 140
11 The Magnet Effect: Making Friendship Contagious 159
12 Dancing with Alligators: Navigating the Turbulent Waters of Church Politics 175
13 Rabbit Trails and Brick Walls: When All the Brilliant Plans Don't Work 188 Epilogue: Seizing the Unfair Advantage 197 App. A Discussion Questions 205 App. B Sustainable Youth Ministry Builder's List 211 App. C The Compliance Checklist 214 Acknowledgments 216 Notes 219