General family ministry resources

Events

• GenMin camps, missions and retreats for children, teens, adults and whole families
• GenMin Connection seminar for children and teen ministers, pastors, parents, grandparents, and guardians. The seminar addresses the environments and strategies that celebrate and develop the connection that young people have with God through Jesus
• GenMin provides a Grace-Based Parenting seminar and is addressing this topic at most of the 2008 WCG regional conferences - for dates and locations click here

Articles

• Building Stronger Families (online booklet)
• Building Family Relationships (sermon starters on family issues)
• Intergenerational Ministry
• Multigenerational Ministries (research paper)
• The Integrated Church
• Reaching Kids and Their Families (tips)
• Ministering Like Jesus Did
• Family Sensitive Ministry
• Reconsidering the Non-negotiables (the case for a Trinitarian gospel)

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

• Family Life
• Family Matters
• Family Vision
• Family Based Youth Ministry
• Association of Marriage and Family Ministries
• National Association of Family Ministries
• Focus on the Family
• Family Ministry articles on YS website
• Postmodernism articles on YS website
• Need help setting up a blog for your ministry? See the helpful instructions on the Children's Ministry idea blog.

Teen ministry resources

Events

• GenMin camps and missions
• GenMin Connection seminar for teen ministry leaders and workers
• GenMin Grace-Based Parenting seminar
• YS 2008 National Youth Workers Convention held in three locations
• YS The Core 2008 youth ministry worker training
• SonLife training seminars for students and workers (SonLife is now merged with YouthFront)
• Various short-term missions

Best practices

• Click here to see what is working well in WCG 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

• 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
• Mourning Over Youth Ministry "Battle Cries"

Books

• A New Kind of Youth Ministry

Websites

• CPYU update on youth culture (tracks current trends in North American youth culture)
• YouthFront (includes what was formerly SonLife youth ministry)
• SonLife (now merged with YouthFront)
• 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

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

Parenting Ministry Resources

Events

• GenMin provides a Grace-Based Parenting seminar and is conducting breakout sessions on the topic at all the 2008 WCG regional conferences - for dates and locations click here.

Articles

• ParentLife An online magazine to encourage and equip parents 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

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)
• MOMSense (articles and other resources on parenting - from Christianity Today)

Curricula

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

Children's ministry resources

Events

• GenMin camps and missions
• GenMin Connection seminar
• GenMin provides a Grace-Based Parenting seminar and is conducting a breakout on the topic at most of the 2008 WCG regional conferences - for dates and locations click here.
• INCM Children's Pastors' Conferences 2009
• Children's Ministry Magazine workshops

Best practices

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 (GenMin highly recommends Karyn's fine 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

• 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
• Impacting Ministry Blog (helpful information for choosing curricula)

Young adult ministry resources

Events

• check back for the 2009 young adults conference
• 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

• 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)

Books

• Inside the Soul of a New Generation (Gen-X)

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

• Grace-based Marriage is the title of a breakout session conducted by GenMin at most of the 2008 WCG regional conferences. For dates and locations click here.

Articles

• Do You Have Time for a Happier Marriage?

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

Curricula

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

Senior adult ministry resources

(this section under construction - check back)

Events

Articles

Books

Websites

Curricula