In many ways youth ministers and volunteers occupy a specialized area of church life—but in other ways, we are generalists. We teach, disciple, offer pastoral care, lead services, plan events, administrate, and build bridges between generations. Because of the diversity of our roles and the ever-changing nature of our culture, youth ministers must always be learning and growing. Each year Rooted curates a list of the best new books for youth workers to read, and this year we have three to recommend. May you find support and help here as you minister to the students in your care.
The 2025 Book Awards team includes Tim Franks, Rebecca Heck, Isaiah Marshall, Tracy Yi, and Rooted’s editorial team.
Honorable Mention
Accessible Church: A Gospel-Centered Vision for Including People with Disabilities and Their Families by Sarah Peoples (Crossway)
One of the most often neglected topics for leaders in the local church is how to best serve with those with disabilities in our congregations. In Accessible Church: A Gospel-Centered Vision for Including People with Disabilities and Their Families, Peoples lays the theological foundation for inclusion: every person—regardless of ability—is made in the image of God (“imago Dei”) and thus belongs fully to the body of Christ.
Peoples challenges local churches and their ministries to shift our thinking. Rather than simply accommodating those with differences, churches should anticipate their participation and design for belonging from the start. Of course, it depends on your context and the resources your local church possesses, but this helpful work provides practical ways your ministry can help those with physical (mental as well) disabilities to feel welcome in your church. The aim: a church in which difference is expected, embraced, and seen as part of Christ’s body—so every person truly belongs.
This book has important implications for youth ministers as we plan for and embrace those who come into our ministries with disabilities of various kinds. I have personally seen the fruit of this mindset within my own church, as intentional changes have allowed church members affected by disability to worship without hindrance. This book will be a great help to many ministries as youth ministers and pastors work together to include those with disabilities.
Winner (Tie)
Don’t Despise Our Youth: Renewing Hope for Urban Youth Ministry by David Washington (InterVarsity Press)
In this compelling and deeply personal work, David Washington draws from his own transformative journey from a life lived within gangs and in and out of prison, to gospel change, to leader in youth ministry in inner-city Chicago. Washington articulates the pressing need to view urban youth not as peripheral or problematic, but as vital contributors within the church and community. He offers a clarion call to ministry leaders and congregations alike to “not despise our youth,” but to invest in them with grace, intentionality, and gospel-rooted vision.
The book centers around three core themes: the necessity of worth, the necessity of the Word, and the necessity of the war (spiritual and social) within youth ministry. Washington challenges conventional church programs that relegate youth to the sidelines. He urges them to move beyond programming and entertainment toward empowering young people to discipleship, life in community, and authentic service. Washington leans on God’s Word, providing on-the-ground examples and contextual insights to give the book both authentic truth and theological strength.
For any church leader, parent, or youth worker who is serious about shaping the next generation, Don’t Despise Our Youth stands out as a timely, courageous, and gospel-centered resource. It offers both a strong narrative and a life-giving roadmap, providing readers with a work that seeks to bring change, empower leaders, and foster transformation in the lives of teenagers in the urban context and beyond.
Winner (Tie)
Managing Your Households Well: How Family Leadership Trains You for Church Leadership by Chap Bettis (P&R Publishing)
Does how a church leader invests in the household matter in evaluating effectiveness as a leader in the local church? In Chap Bettis’ new book Managing Your Households Well, he argues that the leadership one exercises in the home is not incidental, but foundational for leadership in the church. Drawing heavily from God’s Word (especially 1 Tim. 3:5), the book frames the family as both a training ground and a display of relational wisdom where leadership skills are developed, tested, and refined.
Bettis offers practical instruction regarding how that leadership plays out: clear communication, discerning conflict-management, active integrity, and consistent vision. These are not abstract principles, but hands-on realities, rooted in home life and directly transferable to ministry contexts. He also tackles common misconceptions, such as equating the pastor’s family’s visible “success” with a spiritual qualification or neglecting the home entirely as a “badge of honor” in serving the Lord.
For a youth ministry audience, this book invites consideration of how discipleship begins not just in the church building, but at home with siblings, roommates, or future households. It challenges young leaders to see their current “household” as a place of apprenticeship—not just for life, but for ministry. The tone has the balance of being encouraging and challenging. It is accessible without lowering the bar, and biblical without being preachy. This work will help strengthen both the home and the ministry of the church leader for God’s glory.
Looking for more gospel-centered book resources? Check out the list of Rooted’s own publications, especially the new book Teenagers and Mental Health: A Handbook for Parents, Pastors, and Youth Leaders by Danny Kwon and Monica Kim!
