"Wes is young, enthusiastic, and perhaps a little idealistic about his new position as the youth pastor of the largest church in his denomination. Running into the ministry at full-steam with the best of plans and intentions, Wes soon learns that all the idealism and plans can’t prepare him for the struggles he’s facing. When Doug, the star quarterback, stops coming to youth group, Wes is faced with questions and frustration from the parents and church leaders. When he tries to win Doug back, Wes becomes even more confused when he learns that Doug began attending the youth group at the smaller church in town. Britt is a seasoned youth worker who has been at the smaller church in town for too many years to count. Doug ends up at Britt’s youth group, and soon after, Wes comes to Britt for insight. Only months before, Wes thought little of Britt because of his small youth group, but now he comes to Britt for help. In this creative fable, you’ll be invited into the ongoing conversations between Wes and Britt as they explore what it takes to have an effective youth ministry. You’ll watch as they discover what it takes for students to have a long-term, transformative faith. As Wes changes the way he does ministry, you might find yourself with a new perspective as well."

Following the first volume of this series, A Youth Worker’s Commentary on John, Vol 2 digs deeper into the miracles and teachings of Jesus as told by John. Covering the remainder of John’s gospel, chapters nine to twenty-one, you’ll find this resource to be an invaluable aid for your message and lesson preparation. The authors give you a solid understanding of the Gospel of John, including its historical context, rationale, and meaning. You’ll see how to apply the wisdom gained from these passages to the needs and issues you and your students are working through. Written specifically for youth workers, A Youth Worker’s Commentary on John, Vol 2 has the entire NIV biblical text printed alongside a deep, yet readable, look into the meaning of this marvelous gospel. The book includes dozens of word studies, historical accounts and personal stories, followed by a large section of in-depth, thought provoking questions to get your students thinking and talking.

Following on from the first two volumes of History of youth work in Europe, each of which was based on international seminars, the Belgian Presidency of the European Union held an international and interdisciplinary conference on the history of youth work. This third volume presents the work of this conference, which widened the scope of study from national histories to questions concerning the historical evolution of youth work methods, theories and targets. The 1st European Conference on the History of Youth Work made a two-pronged contribution: to learn from history and to engage in intercultural exchange and learning. This publication is intended to build bridges between past and future, east and west, north and south - and to inform contemporary debate on youth work and youth policy in Europe

"Following on from the first two volumes of History of youth work in Europe, each of which was based on international seminars, the Belgian Presidency of the European Union held an international and interdisciplinary conference on the history of youth work. This third volume presents the work of this conference, which widened the scope of study from national histories to questions concerning the historical evolution of youth work methods, theories and targets. The 1st European Conference on the History of Youth Work made a two-pronged contribution: to learn from history and to engage in intercultural exchange and learning. This publication is intended to build bridges between past and future, east and west, north and south - and to inform contemporary debate on youth work and youth policy in Europe."--Publisher's description

Evaluation is an essential element of professional practice. However, there is little in the literature that is designed to help students involve and support young people in evaluating the impact of youth work activities. This comprehensive book explores current thinking about evaluation in the context of youth work and community work and offers both theoretical understanding and practical guidance for students, practitioners, organisational leaders and commissioners. Part 1 provides underpinning knowledge of the origins, purpose and functions of evaluation. It charts the developments in evaluation thinking over the past 50 years, and includes an exploration of ‘theory of change’. Concepts such as impact, impact measurement and shared measurement are critically examined to illustrate the political nature of evaluation. Findings from empirical research are used to illuminate the challenges of applying a quasi-experimental paradigm of evaluation of youth and community work. Part 2 introduces the reader to participatory evaluation and presents an overview of the histories, rationale and underpinning principles. Empowerment evaluation, collaborative evaluation and democratic evaluation are examined in detail, including practice examples. Transformative Evaluation, an approach specifically designed for youth and community work, is presented. Part 3 focuses on the ‘doing’ of participatory evaluation and offers guidance to those new to participatory evaluation in youth and community work and a helpful check for those already engaging. It provides valuable information on planning, methods, data and data analysis and processes for sharing knowledge. This essential text will enable the reader to reconstruct evaluation as a tool for learning as well as a tool for judging value. It provides a comprehensive reference, drawing on a wide range of literature and practice examples to support those involved in youth and community work to develop and implement participatory approaches to evaluating and communicating the meaning and value of youth and community work to a wider audience.

Many of the statistics you read about teenagers and faith can be alarming. Recent studies show that 40-50 percent of kids who are connected to a youth group throughout their senior year will fail to stick with their faith in college. As youth workers are pouring their time and energy into the students in their ministries, they are often left wondering if they’ve done enough to equip their students to carry their faith into adulthood. Fuller Youth Institute has done extensive research in the area of youth ministry and teenage development. In Sticky Faith, the team at FYI presents youth workers with both a theological/philosophical framework and practical programming ideas that develop long-term faith in teenagers. Each chapter presents a summary of FYI’s quantitative and qualitative research, along with the implications of this research, including program ideas suggested and tested by youth ministries nationwide. This resource will give youth pastors what they need to help foster a faith that sticks with all the teenagers in their group long after they’ve left the youth room.

A better understanding of youth work’s historical links with social work can help us to shape its relationship with social work in the future. This sixth publication in the History of Youth Work in Europe project based on the workshop held in Malta – Connections, Disconnections and Reconnections: The Social Dimension of Youth Work, in History and Today – looks at the relationship between youth work and social work and the role youth work can play in the social inclusion of young people. Contributors have reflected on concepts, tools and support measures for more vulnerable and often socially excluded young people and have sought to promote a common understanding of youth work as a social practice. The workshop that led to this book sought to understand where youth work has positioned itself from its origins, through its development, to its contemporary identity. Is youth work as much a social practice as a non-formal educational one? Where does the balance between these two dimensions lie? What are the mutually enriching dimensions of these two fields in terms of their impact on young people’s lives? While most agree that youth work needs to be further defined as a practice or profession in itself and that the process of shaping its identity continues in different ways in different countries, it is clear that when it comes to a cross-sectoral perspective and youth work’s interaction with social work, the picture becomes significantly more complex, arguably much richer and certainly more dynamic than might have hitherto been foreseen.

The SAGE Handbook of Youth Work Practice showcases the value of professional work with young people as it is practiced in diverse forms in locations around the world. The editors have brought together an international team of contributors who reflect the wide range of approaches that identify as youth work, and the even wider range of approaches that identify variously as community work or community development work with young people, youth programmes, and work with young people within care, development and (informal) education frameworks. The Handbook is structured to explore histories, current practice and future directions: Part One: ′Youth Work′ and Approaches to Professional Work with Young People Part Two: Professional Work With Young People: Projects and Practices to Inspire Part Three: Values and Ethics in Work with Young People Part Four: Current Challenges and Hopes for the Future

Some of the most energetic, effective, and passionate activists involved in grassroots politics are young people--but their voices are rarely heard in policy, research, or public debate. This book remedies that, giving young activists their due and showing the effects of passionate social service practitioners who build relationships with marginalized young people in the face of spending cuts and shifting governmental priorities. Written by an experienced youth worker, Grassroots Youth Work uses interviews, dialogue, and excerpts from research diaries to bring youth work to life in both theory and practice.