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 month.
If you find an article that could educate, equip, or encourage the Rooted community, please email the editors at submissions@rootedministry.com.
Gospel-Centered
The Case of the Missing Youth Pastors by Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra (The Gospel Coalition)
“I want to hit the cement while it’s wet,” Hoffsmith said. “My goal is that my students will learn to follow Jesus now, and learn habits that will serve them for the next seven decades. I’m actually aiming for them to teach their grandkids to follow Jesus.”
In Praise of My Youth Pastor by Derek Rishmawy (Mere Orthodoxy)
Youth pastors get a bad rap today. Some for good reason. But I’ve never been able to personally identify with it. Maybe that’s because God gave me the best one a kid could ever ask for.
Teaching Theologically in an AI World by Pedro Heizer (Youth Pastor Theologian)
Think about it: AI can write a sermon. That sentence would have sounded ridiculous not that long ago. Today, I can open ChatGPT, give it a passage of Scripture, tell it my audience, specify how long I need to speak, and within seconds have an introduction, three points, illustrations, discussion questions, and a closing application. And honestly, some of those points might be pretty good. They might even be better than what I could come up with on my own. And therein lies the problem.
Partnering with Parents
For All You Sports Parents by Walt Mueller (Center for Parent Youth Understanding)
One of the most seductive idols of our times is sports. This idol takes many forms, with its temples being scattered everywhere. Those temples range from the local fields surrounded by sidelines populated by parents cheering on (or screaming on) pre-school kids, to the multi-billion dollar edifices where devoted fans gather to cheer on their beloved professional teams. There’s also everything in-between, including those rooms in our homes where the liturgies are played out day-after-day on big screen TVs. Sports. . . a good thing. . . have become an ultimate thing.
Toward a Christian-Household Philosophy of Technology by Nicholas J. Weyrens (Themelios)
In a world shaped by the digital, Christian parents have a moral duty to have an intentional philosophy of technology—a set of principles and practices—that will help their children flourish in Christ.
Youth Culture
The Biggest Intellectual Struggle Christians Face at College Isn’t What You Think by Michael J. Kruger (Crossway)
So what is it that people struggle with the most? The average believer on the college campus looks around and realizes that virtually every single person he knows, including the vast majority of the professors that he studies under, thinks that he’s crazy.
From Coping to Compulsion: How Screens Shape Young Men’s Lives by Joseph E. Davis, Michael Toscano, and Ken Burchfiel (Institute for Family Studies)
Social media, gambling, and porn…are enervating, at odds with other valuable goods in life, including relationships, and yet another cause and effect of demoralization.
Ministry Skills
10 Ways to Encourage Kids in Your Church to Read the Bible by Landry Holmes (Lifeway Research)
Research tells us that the biggest predictor of whether a child becomes a faithful believer as a young adult is whether or not they regularly read the Bible growing up. So, what can we as pastors and church leaders do to ensure kids read the Bible regularly?
Five Steps in My Sermon Preparation Process by Mike Bullmore (Crossway)
The steps in my sermon preparation process are (1) text work; (2) secondary reading; (3) homiletical structuring; (4) writing; and (5) familiarizing.
How to Start a Youth Group: 4 Foundations for Lasting Discipleship by Sean McGever (Logos)
Starting a youth ministry is less like launching an event and more like laying a foundation. Clarity early on can prevent confusion later.
Rooted’s Two Most-Read of August
There Are No Ordinary People: A Biblical Vision for Hospitality in Youth Ministry by Huey Lee
Our hospitality doesn’t start as an obligation; it starts as an overflow. When Christians practice hospitality, they’re simply reflecting the hospitable heart of God himself. He is not only holy and sovereign; he is also a God who welcomes.
Known By God, Known By His People: Why Children’s Discipleship Matters by Amy Fredell
Every faithful teacher, meaningful conversation, prayer, encouragement, and relationship becomes part of how God nurtures faith in the life of a child. We are not simply filling volunteer positions or caring for children while adults attend church. We are participating in the mission Christ has given his church to make disciples (Matt. 28:18–20).
In Case You Missed It (Rooted’s August Honorable Mention)
Why ChatGPT Shouldn’t Write Your Youth Group Message by Steve Eatmon
AI algorithms are based on what we seek out. God speaks words to us that we need but may not necessarily be seeking. He can illuminate a Bible passage in a way that human knowledge cannot.
