General family ministry resources

Events

• GenMin camps, missions and retreats for children, teens, adults and whole families
• GenMin Connection seminar addresses the environments and strategies that celebrate and develop the connection that young people have with God through Jesus
• GenMin Grace-Based Parenting seminar discusses principles for parenting and grandparenting that embrace and express the triune love and grace of God

Articles

• Intergenerational Ministry
• Building Stronger Families (online booklet)
• Building Family Relationships (sermon starters on family issues)
• Breaking Down the Age Barriers
• Multigenerational Ministries (research paper)
• The Integrated Church
• Reaching Kids and Their Families (tips)
• Family Sensitive Ministry
• Reconsidering the Non-negotiables (the case for a Trinitarian gospel)
• Blending Builders, Boomers, Busters and Bridgers
• The Bible as Metanarrative (teaching Scripture to post-moderns - article by N. T. Wright)

Books

• Family Driven Faith (book summary)

• 10 Building Blocks for a Happy Family
• Family Based Youth Ministry (quotes)
• Family Life Ministry in the Church (quotes)
• The Church's Ministry with Families (quotes)

Websites

• Theology of the Body (Christopher West) - a trinitarian view of sexuality
• Family Life
• Family Matters
• Family Based Youth Ministry
• BluefishTV.com
• Association of Marriage and Family Ministries
• National Association of Family Ministries
• National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families: Site promoting biblical sexuality
• Awake to Life: Help for parents of teens
• Focus on the Family
• Family Ministry articles on YS website
• Postmodernism articles on YS website
• American Association of Christian Counselors. Family relationship-related courses in biblical counseling.
• Celebrate Recovery

Teen ministry resources

Events

• GenMin camps and missions
• GenMin Connection seminar for teen ministry leaders and workers
• GenMin Grace-Based Parenting seminar
• Youth Specialties events
• Various short-term missions

Best practices

• Click here to see what is working well in GCI congregations.
• Examplar Youth Ministry: Reporting research on outcomes based youth ministry.
• Fuller Youth Institute: Research based information on youth ministry from Fuller Theological Seminar.

Articles

• Post-Relational Youth Ministry (beyond youth work as we know it)
• Loving God - Foundation for Youth Ministry
• Youth ministry foundations (environment)
  • Introduction
  • Atmosphere of Love
  • Adoration of Christ
  • Prayerful Dependence
  • Communication of the Word
  • Biblical Group Image
  • Commitment to Contact
• Youth ministry strategy (process)
  • Building Young Believers
    • Community
    • Adoration
    • Nurture
    • Serving
  • Equipping Young Workers
  • Winning Young Non-Believers
  • Multiplying Young Leaders
• Modification, Formation, Reformation
• Evangelizing Postmodern Youths
• Organizing Non-Christian Youths Into the Church
• Back to the Future of Youth Ministry
• Playing as a Team
• Lessons from Jesus' Youth Ministry
• Preaching That Connects with the Next Generation
• Teaching Styles for Postmodernity
• Adolescent Development
• Development Chart
• Stages of Development
• Learning Styles
• Ministry to Millennials
• Ideas for Growing Youth Ministry
• How to Make Your Congregation Youth Friendly

Books

• Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry

Websites

• Sonlife Classic
• CPYU update on youth culture (tracks current trends in North American youth culture)
• YouthFront (includes what was formerly SonLife youth ministry)
• Youth Specialties 're-imagining youth ministry'
• YouthMinistry.com
• Global Youth Initiative (global alliance of youth ministry leaders led by Dann Spader, founder of SonLife)
• The Source for Youth Ministry
• National Network of Youth Ministries
• Youth Leader Connection
• Family Based Youth Ministry
• National Study of Youth and Religion

Curricula

• BluefishTV.com
• Gospel Light
• Group Publishing
• The 24/7 Experience (7 lessons on DVD)
• Multiplying Ministries to Kids (PowerPoint seminar presentation)

Parenting Ministry Resources

Events

• GenMin Grace-Based Parenting seminar

Articles

• ParentLife magazine from LifeWay
• Advice for Children and Parents (Eph. 6)
• Building Stronger Families (online booklet)
• History of Childrearing Practices
• On Being a Parent
• Some Thoughts on Parenting
• Resources from Christianity Today

Books

• Grace Based Parenting

• Extreme Grandparenting

• Raising Kids to Love Jesus
• Partnering with Parents in Youth Ministry (includes small group curricula for parents)
• Revolutionary Parenting

Websites

• HomeWord
• National Center for Biblical Parenting (provides great lessons for family Bible studies that can also be used in church-based children's and teen ministry settings)
• Christian-parent.com (tips on Christian parenting at different age levels)
• MOM Sense (articles and other resources on parenting - from Christianity Today)
• BornLearning.org (tips and resources concerning parenting and caring for young children)

Curricula

• Abingdon Press Proactive Parenting series
• Family time activities (curricula that parents can use to teach children and teens spiritual truths)
• BluefishTV.com
• Develop Your Parenting Ministry (National Center for Biblical Parenting)
• Parenting with Purpose (small group discussions from CCBT)

Children's ministry resources

Events

• GenMin camps and mission trips
• GenMin Connection seminar
• GenMin Grace-Based Parenting seminar
• INCM Children's Pastors' Conferences
• Children's Ministry Magazine workshops

Best practices

• Grace Communion best practices
• Children's Ministry idea blog

Articles

• Introduction to Children's Ministry
• Children in the Bible
• Children's ministry disciplemaking strategy
  • Winning Lost Children
  • Building Believing Children
  • Equipping Children for Ministry
• Principles of Effective Children's Ministry (BRING the children)
• Bless Children with Jesus' Love
• Relate to Children at Their Level
• Involve Children in Your Life
• Nurture Children in the Way of Jesus
• Give Ministry Opportunities to Children
• Using Christmas to Teach Children About Jesus
• Development Chart
• Stages of Development

Books

• Growing a Healthy Children's Ministry

• Books by Karyn Henley (books for children and for parents and teachers)
• Postmodern Children's Ministry
• The Child Friendly Church
• Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions
• Takeout Training for Teachers

Websites

• Click here to subscribe to Today's Children's Ministry, a free bi-monthly newsletter from Christianity Today
• Children's ministry ideas and resources
• Kidology
• Children's Sermons
• Sermons 4Kids
• Christian Kids Links
• VBS Planning

Curricula

• Trinitarian children's Sunday school lessons (written by Jonathan Stepp of Grace Communion International)
• KID CONNECTION (K-6 Sunday school curricula - excellent resource for small churches)

• Gospel Light (Sunday school curricula)
• LifeWay kids (Sunday school and VBS)
• Discipleland (Sunday school curricula)
• Discovery Program (Sunday school curricula from Pioneer Clubs)
• Free downloadable curricula (Calvary Chapel)
• Group Publishing
• Review of Group's Faith Weavers curriculum

Young adult ministry resources

Events

• See the GenMin calendar for Journey with the Master intensives, which help young adults understand and pursue their calling to participate with Jesus in his ministry in our world.

Articles

• The X Factor (developments in ministry to and through twentysomethings)
• Ten Suggestions for Ministering to Young Adults (keeping in touch when they have moved away)
• Seven Keys to Ministering with Young Adults
• Understanding Young Adult Ministry
• Generation Next (research concerning young adults)
• The Emerging Church (paper by Eddie Gibbs)

Books

• Lost and Found (reaching unchurched young adults)

Websites

• Youth Transition Network a ministry that helps adults assist college age young adults make the transition from high school to college
• LiveAbove.com a website that connects Christian college students with friends, roommates and ministries
• Threads young adult ministry resources from LifeWay
• Leader Treks resources for developing young Christians leaders

Curricula

• 20/30 Bible Study for Young Adults series

Marriage ministry resources

Events

• GenMin offers seminars on grace-based marriage relationships. For more information, email Ted Johnston

Articles

• Do You Have Time for a Happier Marriage?
• Christianity Today resources

Books

• Boundaries in Marriage (summary of book by Cloud & Townsend)
• Focus on the Family Marriage Ministry Guide (for starting a marriage ministry within a congregation)

Websites

• HomeWord
• Family Life
• DivorceCare

Curricula

• Tighter Knot (marriage enrichment)
• Focus on the Family Marriage Series
• BluefishTV.com

Older adult ministry resources

Articles

• Building 50+ adult ministries
• The Joy of Aging
• The New World of Senior Adults
• Understanding Today's Senior Adults
• Ministry to Seniors (the Work and Calling of the Seniors Minister)
• Starting a Senior Adult Ministry
• Churches Responding to the Age Wave
• Creating News Opportunities for Older Adults to Serve
• Primetimers - older adults moving outside the church to serve

Books

• Senior Adult Ministry in the 21st Century: Step-By-Step Strategies for Reaching People over 50
• Catch the Age Wave: A Handbook for Effective Ministry with Senior Adults
• Working the Gray Zone: A Call for Proactive Ministry by and with Older Adults
• Encore: finding work that matters in the second half of life
• One Church, Four Generations
• Who Stole My Church?
• Age Wave
• Second Calling - Finding Passion & Purpose for the Rest of Your Life

Websites

• 2nd 1/2 for Him
• Prime on Line
• Church Resources
• Senior Adult Ministry
• Christian Association Serving Adult (CASA) Ministries
• Encore careers
• Significant Living
• Building Adult Ministries blog (Christianity Today)
• Halftime
• Finishers Project (short term missions for older adults)

Curricula

• The Joys and Trials of Grandparenting (Bible studies)

Events

• GenMin offers seminars on older adults in ministry. For more information, email Ted Johnston