Welcome to Rooted’s Top Ten, a curated reading list for youth ministers. Each month we find ten articles, and sometimes videos or podcasts, from various sources that we believe will encourage you in your ministry to teenagers and their families. Some give explicit instruction on gospel-centered ministry, while others are included because there is a message of common grace that is helpful to youth workers. (The opinions presented in these articles do not necessarily reflect the position of Rooted.) For more articles to share with the parents in your ministry, make sure to check out our Parent Top Ten, which runs every-other month.

If you find an article that could educate, equip, or encourage the Rooted community, please email the editor at chelsea@rootedministry.com.

Our editors present our Top Ten of 2023, representing some of the best resources on the Top Ten list throughout the past year. These resources are still relevant for 2024 and beyond. Read to the bottom for some of our recommended resources from the Rooted blog!

To Consider for Youth Ministry in 2023

Walking with Children and Teens Through Doubts About Christianity by Faith Chang (SOLA)

God is not only concerned with our mental assent to right doctrine— he cares about our relationship with him. Remembering this, we can see our young people’s struggles with doubts as opportunities to not only experience God’s truthfulness, but his patience, presence, love, and grace.

How to Teach Theologically at Youth Group by Mike McGarry (Youth Pastor Theologian)

This is why we teach the Bible at youth group, rather than teaching from our favorite theology book. Teaching theologically means we teach Scripture with special attention to biblical theology because we want students to know who God is and what it means to be a Christian.

Why Youth Group Involvement Is Down (and What to Do About It) by Cameron Cole (TGC)

With limited access to students, you must make every gathering count…Today, it’s essential to include the key ingredients for discipleship—Bible study, prayer, and community—at every event. There’s no room for fluff.

To Share with Parents in Your Church

A Letter for the Middle School Years by Jen Wilkin (Risen Motherhood)

In short, in a world that is decidedly unsafe, we decide to make home a safe place to be a limited human, half-grown and hurtling toward adulthood. This is easier said than done. It requires a great deal of shared time together to build and keep trust, to nurture conversation after conversation, to keep relational channels open…Take it from an empty-nester: You will never look back on your child-rearing years and say, “I wish we had spent more time apart.”

I’ve Been a Prosperity Gospel Parent by Gretchen Ronnevik (Christianity Today)

We’ve learned painful lessons with God, and we want to keep our children from having to learn them too. Except that’s not how it works. We can’t keep our children from struggling—and if we try, we risk instead keeping them from the full truth and beauty of the gospel.

To Share with Church Leaders

A Plea for More Unicorns in Youth Ministry by Dave Chiswell (TGC Australia)

As I’ve returned to youth ministry after a few years of ministering to adults I’ve become increasingly aware that I need every bit of my training, experience, and postgrad theology degree to serve young people. If anything, I need it more in youth ministry than I did with my work as a pastor of adults.

It’s Not Too Late: A Review of “The Great Dechurching” by Michael Agapito (SOLA)

As someone that oversees student ministry, one discussion that caught my eye was on the “missed generational hand-off.” People are most likely to dechurch in high school, college, or the years following college. Unfortunately, 68% of dechurched evangelicals said that their parents played a role in their decision to leave church.

8 Signs of a Healthy Intergenerational Church by Robert and Laura Keeley (The Banner)

Intergenerational churches are those that are intentional about bringing different generations together in a mutual, influential relationship so that they can achieve common goals. The key words are intentional and mutual. Those differences seem subtle, but they are important.

To Encourage Your Soul

We are Defined Not by our Failures, but by Christ’s Victory by Jen Oshman (Jen Oshman)

Even in spite of our failures, and betrayals, and sins, and finitude, Jesus repeats “Feed my sheep.” Like Peter, you and I are not defined by our failure, we are defined by our Savior and his victory.

The Posture of the Youth Pastor by Robin Barfield (Youth Pastor Theologian)

The posture of the youth pastor is one who models the person of Jesus before the young people so that they can see the truth and beauty of the gospel, not just hear about it…When this is consistently modeled, with God’s help, your youth group will become a place where the hurting, dispossessed or angry young person feels loved and cared for. That is a faithful gospel culture.