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.
Gospel-Centered
De-stigmatizing Clinical and Professional Counseling for Teenagers by Monica Kim (SOLA)
As Christians, while we know that mental health issues truly stem from sin and the brokenness of the world following the Fall, we often feel stuck in knowing how to help. Parents, when you feel that shame, please don’t run away from it or try to ignore it. Without realizing it, shame can silence and move you away from drawing near to your teen and their social-emotional pain. Rather, when you feel that shame, draw evermore near to Jesus and believe that because of grace, Psalm 31:1-3 is real now.
For Ministry at Christmastime
The Incarnation Is More than the Manger by Jeremy Treat (Christianity Today)
During Christmas, we celebrate the silent night when “Christ the Savior is born.” For many American Christians, though, salvation has become an abstract and spiritual idea, as if Jesus came only to save our souls, forgive our sins, and promise us an eternity in heaven. Athanasius would see that idea is correct but not complete. Jesus came to ransom our souls but also to renew the world.
6 Ways to Read Scripture Together in Your Youth Ministry During Advent by Brad M. Griffin (Fuller Youth Institute)
There’s no shame in hosting fun youth group Christmas parties. But if you’re also looking for more than party ideas this season, here are a few fresh ways you might incorporate Scripture into your ministry’s rhythms.
If you’re looking for encouragement and practical resources for ministry at Christmastime, we hope you’ll check out Rooted’s recent webinar: Navigating the Holiday Season as a Youth or Family Minister.
Partnering with Parents
How Parents Can Fight Back Against the Digital Deluge of Life Katherine Johnson Martinko (After Babel)
This past summer, I was at my youngest son’s soccer practice, reading a lengthy email, when suddenly my son came sprinting out of nowhere. He tugged the phone out of my hands and tossed it onto the grass. “Mom, get off your phone!” he yelled. “Please watch me!” …My son was right. The email could wait till we got home.
God’s Grace for Mom’s Unmerry Holiday by Christine Chappell (New Growth Press)
Spoiler alert: an unmerry holiday can squeeze unrighteous responses from your heart. The reality is you’re more likely to sin in word, thought, and deed on the days you feel stretched beyond your embodied limits. In this way, the holidays can serve as a humbling reminder of your humanity. What mother is merry when she reaches the end of herself—or feels like a total failure?
Youth Culture
Should Christians Reject Slavery and Affirm Same-Sex Marriage? By Rebecca McLaughlin (The Keller Center, TGC)
Many people think that Christians who say no to same-sex sexual relationships have no vision for love between believers of the same sex. But nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus prayed that his followers would “be one” (John 17:11, 21–22) and commanded them to love each other like he loves us (13:34–35; 15:12).
The Post-Christian Morality of ‘Wicked’ by Brett McCracken (TGC)
This is the real tragedy of Wicked. It’s a well-intentioned story driven by an earnest exploration of right and wrong. The residue of Christianity informs its moral intuitions (e.g., the inherent dignity of all people, advocacy for the weak)…But even if the story helpfully praises the costly pursuit of justice and fighting for the marginalized, in the end its rejection of moral absolutes leaves audiences without real hope or clarity.
Ministry Skills
Helping Teens Who Self-Harm by Rosalyn Auyeung (SOLA)
Surprisingly, the teens I have counseled have viewed their self-harm as an area outside of their relationship with God. Because the harm is done in secret and to themselves rather than towards others, nor is it explicitly spoken about in Scripture, it can feel outside of God’s jurisdiction. One starting point can simply be to help the teenager see that self-harm is not an isolated, private act, but that it is ultimately revealing what they believe about God and their relationship with Him.
5 Tips to Help You Teach Difficult Passages in Youth Group by Mike McGarry (Youth Pastor Theologian)
Do your best to get the lay of the land: understand the big picture, summarize the different interpretations, and clarify why it matters. If you can do those three things then you’re in a good position to teach the difficult text/issue. If you’re still really fuzzy about them, it might be best to keep studying and postpone teaching that message.
Show Some Love to Your Volunteers! By Ronald Long (Download Youth Ministry)
Volunteers are the backbone of every youth ministry. They invest their time, energy, and hearts into making a difference in the lives of students, and we often couldn’t do it without them. But how often do we let them know just how much we appreciate their efforts?
Rooted’s Two Most-Read of November/December
Why do some non-Christians behave better than (some) Christians?” by Ryan Oakes
“There isn’t a day when I behave so badly that I’m out of the reach of God’s grace; nor is there a day that I behave so well that I don’t need it.”
Youth Minister, Don’t Neglect the Teenage Conscience by Parker Hudson
“Our world demands much of our students… all the while, their internal compasses are crying out that they are not good enough and likely never will be.”
In Case You Missed It (Rooted’s November/December Honorable Mention)
The Missional Necessity of Youth Ministry by Clark Fobes and Zion Selvaraj
If youth ministries are the most critical evangelistic ministry within the local church, then youth pastors, workers, and parents are the most vital assets to a church’s mission in their city. They are the frontlines of Christianity’s missionary encounter in America.
