Rooted owes a debt of gratitude to the many youth ministers who moonlight as volunteer writers. These friends help us publish excellent gospel-centered content on the youth ministry side of the blog. We hope their gracious and wise words encourage you each week as you serve in the trenches of youth ministry.
To close out the year, the blog team thought we’d pick a handful of favorite posts (though selection was difficult because we have so many good ones to choose from!). Here are just a handful of those we think you might want to read, or read again. We can’t wait to start writing and editing new content for you for 2024.
Happy New Year from Rooted!
Seeking Wisdom in the Wilderness of College by Mary Allison Anderson (Gospel Centrality)
What makes students followers of Jesus is their very act of turning to him for help in each decision and the faith to take action even when there doesn’t seem to be a textbook answer. Urge students to consider the myriad of decisions they will face in college as an opportunity to learn wisdom on God’s terms.
Teaching Teenagers Biblical Context by Kyle Hoffsmith (Theological Depth)
Teaching teenagers about biblical context is one way to help our students better comprehend the Bible. By helping them zoom out, we equip them to connect the pieces of the puzzle of the Bible.
Discipling the Difficult Teenager by Matt Polk (Relational Discipleship)
Jesus’ words in Mark 2:15-17 show us that disruptive or otherwise difficult kids aren’t a burden but a joy—they are exactly the type of people with whom we continually find Jesus spending the most time. It surprised the Pharisees, but it shouldn’t surprise us.
Be a Youth Minister Who Brings Families Together by Brian Ryu (Partnering with Parents)
As youth ministers, we occupy a privileged position that straddles the worlds of our students and their parents. It’s not our responsibility to fill the gaps that parents and teenagers are faced with at home, but we are uniquely positioned to to draw these two worlds together around the hope of the gospel.
Keeping Up With Students Who Have Graduated from High School Ministry by Emmie Thompson (Intergenerational Integration and Relational Discipleship)
I quickly learned in my first couple years of youth ministry that I do not simply minister to youth. They graduate, go to college and the workforce, and we keep in touch. My youth ministry has quickly grown to encompass a young adult ministry of sorts.
