The Whole Youth Worker, 2nd ed.

by Jay Tucker

Publisher:

Loving Healing Press

, 2011

Overview

Youth ministry is difficult and you need every useful resource you can get your hands on. The Whole Youth Worker is advice straight from the heart of a guy who has been in the youth ministry trenches for over a decade. You’ll find advice on:

• Being a professional inside the office
• Dealing with criticism
• Balancing family and ministry
• Challenging your congregation’s definition of success
• Creating a more parent-friendly ministry
• Creating a clear vision for ministry
• Ministering to others when your spirit is struggling
• Staying healthy as a form of worship

This second edition includes new insights:

• Advice on interviewing well
• How to not let an event become bigger than God
• Successful youth ministry in a less than successful economy
• Celebrating successes
• When good kids make bad choices

Whether you are a youth minister rookie or a seasoned pro, this volume will enhance your understanding of youth work. You can perform powerful searches by topic and find what other authors and pastors have to say, making this volume ideal for studying youth evangelism.

Key Features

• Provides advice on youth ministry
• Includes helps for working with youth and the church community
• Contains advice on maintaining good health throughout your ministry

Contents

• Part One: Working with Youth
  • Hey Youth Minister, You Rock!
  • You Are a Professional. Yes, You!
  • No Seminary Training? No Problem!
  • Say Hello to Those People Who Live in Your House
  • Love Is in the Air and It Isn’t All That Beautiful
  • Lock-in 101
  • Success to Some May Look Like Failure to Others
  • Treating “Senioritis”
  • Important Things to Remember about Ethics
  • Sometimes, Good Kids Make Bad Choices
  • It Is Time to Celebrate Success!
• Part Two: Working with the Church Community
  • Job Interviews: The Professional Equivalent to the Root Canal
  • Board (Bored) Meetings
  • How Dare They Say That About Me?
  • If You Can’t Be in the Space You Love, Love the Space You’re In
  • Wow, Adults in Your Church Can Be Useful!
  • Parent Friendly
  • Why Are We Doing That?
  • Sadly, It Isn’t All Fun and Games
  • Signs of the Times: Surviving When You Lose Your Job
  • When Projects Become Larger Than God
  • A Completely Absurd Message for the Whole Church
• Part Three: Your Body Is a Temple, Start Treating It That Way!
  • Physical Health and Your Ministry
  • Exercise More Than Those Demons
  • How to Eat Healthy at the Fast Food Joint
  • Exercising While You’re Away with Your Group

Praise for the Print Edition

If you are a youth worker who struggles with staying in ministry for one reason or another, reading this book will remind you that you are not alone. As you read about Jay’s experiences you will see some frustration and hurt associated with the daily task of being a youth worker. If you want to hear from the heart of a youth worker who struggles to enjoy the Monday to Friday part of youth ministry and wants to help you get through it too, then you need to read The Whole Youth Worker.

—Mike Kupferer, author, Youth Ministry Exchange

Don’t let anyone fool you—youth ministry is harder than it looks! In The Whole Youth Worker, Jay gives us a glimpse at what it’s like to be in the trenches—both good and bad. You will read this book and say, ‘Been there—it’s good to know I’m not alone!’

—Bill Fisackerly IV, pastor, Gulf Cove United Methodist Church

The Whole Youth Worker will help guide most youth workers around the dangerous curves and out of the sinkholes of youth ministry. This short, 148-page, readable paperback has very valuable, sensible, workable counsel that most every person who works with teenagers in an ecclesiastical setting ought to read. If you’re a Senior Pastor wondering what to give your Youth Minister to help them negotiate this important work, then this is the book to get.

—ReaderViews

Here is a brass-tacks companion for those who would aspire to being not a master but a servant, one who is willing to put forth great effort on the young, even though not all the recipients will be appreciative. Jay Tucker is the opposite of preachy. He is practical and instructional with down-to-earth language that brings a smile. I feel that I have met this man in person and benefited greatly by the experience. He is the genuine article, with the heart of a servant but the mind of a teacher. He knows what kids are like these days, and he loves them anyway.

—Heyward B. Ewart III, bishop, Holy Catholic Charismatic Church

Jay’s book is simple, straightforward, and real. if you are a parent who is going to put your children into a youth group, read it. If you are a pastor looking for a youth leader, read it. I can tell you I know what I need to look for when it comes time for my children to spend time in a youth group.

—Jeff Murray

Product Details

• Title: The Whole Youth Worker: Advice on Professional, Personal, and Physical Wellness from the Trenches
• Author: Jay Tucker
• Edition: 2nd
• Publisher: Loving Healing Press
• Publication Date: 2011
• Pages: 158

About Jay Tucker

Jay Tucker is a husband, father, youth minister, and author who is fervently pursuing God. He has been involved in youth ministry as a volunteer and full-time salaried youth minister for almost 20 years. Jay lives and ministers in the Southwest Florida area with his wife and children.