Reformers Recommends: Books for Youth Group Leaders

Youth leaders have the incredible privilege of teaching teenagers the good news about Jesus Christ, and helping them to apply the gospel to every aspect of their emotionally turbulent lives. Like me, you might find this charge overwhelming sometimes. There are so many elements to think about—building relationships with the youth, teaching faithfully from the Bible, and encouraging prayer, just to name a few. 

The books on this list aren’t silver bullets to build a thriving youth ministry, but they will help equip you to approach teaching, pastoral care, and other parts of the ministry while keeping the gospel at the centre.

Gospel-Centered Youth Ministry: A Practical Guide by Cameron Cole and Jon Nielson (eds.)

This book is a great introduction to youth ministry. Rather than jumping straight into questions around talks and Bible studies, games and camps, they take the time to lay the crucial foundations first. Part 1 of the book looks at the gospel, discipleship, teaching, and other similar topics. Only once that foundation has been established do they turn to practical aspects. Whether you're starting a youth ministry from scratch or looking to assess an established ministry, this book will help you to think through each aspect of your program from a gospel lens.

Show Them Jesus: Teaching the Gospel to Kids by Jack Klumpenhower

Preparing to teach at youth group can feel overwhelming. We want to stay faithful to the biblical text while also making our teaching interesting and engaging. This book keeps the main thing as the main thing by giving us one clear aim: show them Jesus. It steers us away from teaching focused on morality, giving practical guidance on how to help kids and teenagers treasure the good news of Jesus Christ. Each chapter ends with actionable steps for different readers: teachers, parents, grandparents, and more.

Caring for the Souls of Children: A Biblical Counselor's Manual by Amy Baker (ed.)

Youth leaders are often on the front line of cultural issues—we need to be equipped to bring the Scriptures to bear on everything from pornography to gender dysphoria, anxiety to anorexia. Our focus shouldn’t be on just countering the cultural tide, but shepherding the souls of the teens God has entrusted to us. Caring for the Souls of Children is an excellent introduction to biblical counselling for young people. The early chapters introduce methodologies, while the rest of the book gives a framework for approaching a variety of specific pastoral issues.

10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin

When youth ask tough questions about the faith, we don’t always know how to answer them well. But we want to keep encouraging them to ask questions! This new book will help teenagers to ask their hardest questions about Christianity and start to get life-giving answers. McLaughlin covers prickly issues like racial diversity, universal truth, same-sex attraction, feminism, and suffering. This would be a great book to read alongside a questioning teen.

Transformed by Truth: Why and How to Study the Bible for Yourself as a Teen by Katherine Forster

No matter how good our Bible teaching is at youth group, we don’t want teenagers to be relying on that alone. A close relationship with God requires that they are spending personal time in the Bible. But sometimes youth aren’t sure how to actually do that, especially if they haven’t grown up in the church. This book will equip teenagers to read the Bible well, as well as giving them a greater thirst to do so. It’s another great choice to read alongside your youth group members.

The (Not-So-Secret) Secret to Reaching the Next Generation by Kevin DeYoung

As tempting as it can be to rely on strategy, structure, or cool "vibes", none of these things are the secret to reaching the next generation with the gospel. Kevin DeYoung exhorts us to instead focus on being like Jesus. It is through us being Christ-like that we can communicate the Christian faith and disciple young people. As they begin to see that God is the all-consuming reality in our lives, we can grab them with passion, win them with love, hold them with holiness, challenge them with truth, and amaze them with God.  
This is a wonderfully readable, short book, originally published as a chapter in the now Out of Print book Don't Call it a Comeback. A book to return to for rereading.

Lead Them to Jesus: A Handbook for Youth Workers by Mike McGarry

Many youth leaders are eager and energetic volunteers with a passion for serving students - but often have very little training or resources. This handbook brings together Biblical truths and practical help for youth workers, equipping them with Gospel truth for common questions and situations. McGarry's handbook is easy to read, yet theologically rich and biblically sound, an excellent book to equip you to grow as a disciplemaker.

Life with Jesus: Youth Edition: A Discipleship Course for Teens by Tim Chester and Katy Morgan

It can be difficult for young (and old!) Christians to pin down what living with Jesus in charge should really look like. Each session in this 12-session discipleship course has a short bible study and study questions suitable for teens who new Christians or still searching. Even more mature Christians will be encouraged with what it means to follow Jesus and persevere in the faith. Activity & reflection ideas are also included to help leaders engage creatively in one to one settings, in small studies or even in larger youth groups.