Best Youth Ministry Books

Anxiety: Finding the Better Story

A 31-day Devotional for Teenagers by Liz Edrington

As a teenager, Liz felt overwhelmed by anxiety. Now that she’s a mental health counselor, she wants to pass on what she’s learned. With daily Scripture readings, breathing exercises, and additional mental-health resources, this little book offers you comfort and help in your anxiety. See how your anxiety fits into God’s big story—and learn how Jesus can bring you peace.

In the 31-Day Devotionals for Teenagers series, adults who care about young people look at what the Bible has to say about the everyday issues you face. Through personal stories and relevant examples, they show that Jesus brings hope for every challenge.

Liz Edrington is the fellowship groups and young adults director at North Shore Fellowship in Chattanooga, Tennessee

The Jesus I Wish I Knew In High School

The pressure of being a teenager can be overwhelming. School, sports, jobs, and relationships all press in at the same time. But the hardest thing can be feeling alone, that you have no one to share your most difficult problems with. In The Jesus I Wish I Knew in High School, thirty authors from many different backgrounds come together to say, “We get it―and Jesus gets it too. Here’s who Jesus is and how he wants to meet you in this intense time.”

Hear from authors such as Scott Sauls, Sandra McCracken, Michelle Reyes, Jen Pollock Michel, David Zahl, and others as they share firsthand stories of bullying, eating disorders, pregnancy, addiction, racism, family conflict, expectations, and the intense pressure to achieve. See how their encounters with Jesus brought healing, rest, and purpose to their lives and hear what they wish they knew earlier: when you know Jesus, you know what it’s like to be perfectly loved and accepted, have hope for the future, and experience grace and mercy when you mess up.

Edited by Cameron Cole and Charlotte Getz of Rooted Ministry, The Jesus I Wish I Knew in High School, will help you discover the love, freedom, affection, and acceptance we all so desperately long for―in Jesus.

Gospel Centered Youth Ministry

Youth ministry is an essential part of most evangelical churches. And yet, there is a surprising lack of resources written specifically for youth workers focused on viewing all aspects of youth ministry through a gospel-focused lens. Featuring contributions from a host of experienced youth workers from a wide variety of churches, this how-to manual offers guidance related to every facet of youth ministry, from planning short-term mission trips to working with parents. Theologically rooted yet eminently practical, this handbook will equip youth leaders to effectively shepherd the young people under their care―training them to live faithfully in their homes, churches, and schools.

Published in partnership with the Gospel Coalition.

Longing for Christmas

Do you remember what it felt like to be a little kid at Christmastime? There’s nothing quite like the anticipation of Christmas morning. But the holiday can lose its wonder as we wake up to the many hard things going on in our lives and in the world. The loss we feel over our childhood experience points to a deeper longing inside all of us—for everything sad to be undone and for us to live together with God in perfect joy.

Longing for Christmas looks at twenty-five promises God made and fulfilled in the coming of Jesus. As we explore the way God has kept his promises, we can be encouraged that ALL of the longing we feel—for a better world and for things to be made right—will be fully met in Jesus.

• Written by more than a dozen contributors from Rooted Ministry, including editor Chelsea Kingston Erickson, Cameron Cole, Anna Meade Harris, Liz Edrington, Kevin Yi, and more.
• Twenty-five short, easy-to-read Advent devotions to help teenagers see how God keeps his promises.
• Each devotional includes a daily promise, Scripture passage, questions for reflection, and a prayer.

The Jesus I Wish I Knew in High School: Asian American Edition

Being a teenager is itself an overwhelming experience, but the struggles unique to Asian American teenagers can often lead us to wonder if anyone truly knows what we’re going through. In this book, twelve authors will come alongside you to share their own high school experiences and to help you know that Jesus makes a difference in your unique struggles. He sees us and knows us fully.

These testimonies of growing up Asian American include struggles with belonging, performance issues, fear of failure, living in an honor/shame culture, immigrant parents, eating disorders, sexual assault, and adoption. Each writer now walks faithfully with Jesus in all of their ethnic and cultural distinctions. These stories lift up the Asian American experience with dignity and give you the opportunity to find both representation and a sense of belonging and worth.

• Edited by Kevin Yi with a foreword by Cameron Cole, this book is a part of The Jesus I Wish I Knew in High School series from Rooted Ministry.
• Each chapter includes discussion questions and is suitable for devotional reading, Sunday school, youth group, and one-on-one discipleship.
• For teenagers, their parents, pastors, and others who want to understand and apply the gospel to the Asian American youth experience.

Identity: Discovering Who You Are in Christ

A 31-day Devotional for Teenagers by Lindsey Carlson

If you’re trying to figure out who you are, there’s no better place to start than by looking in God’s Word. After all, God is the one who made you. Why not hear what he has to say? This monthlong devotional will help you to build a strong foundation for the person you’re meant to be, experiencing all the peace and security that comes from rooting your identity in Jesus.

In the 31-Day Devotionals for Teenagers series, adults who care about young people look at what the Bible has to say about the everyday issues you face. Through personal stories and relevant examples, they show that Jesus brings hope for every challenge.