Faith Beyond Youth Group

5 Ways to Form Character and Cultivate Lifelong Discipleship

Kara Powell, Jen Bradbury, & Brad M. Griffin

ORDER NOW

If you're tired of youth ministry that fails to change lives, it's time to change youth ministry.

Because "Nice" is not enough​​

Most typical youth ministries today produce nice, obedient kids who behave themselves—and then leave the church and the faith. Even those who remain struggle to extend their own faith beyond youth group. They seem like "good kids," but their lives and decisions outside youth group aren't oriented toward Jesus. Clearly that is not our goal. So what are we doing wrong? And how can we better serve the unique needs of the most anxious, adaptive, and diverse generation in history?

If you're tired of youth ministry that fails to change lives, it's time to change youth ministry.

Building on two decades of the Fuller Youth Institute's work and incorporating extensive new research and interviews, Faith Beyond Youth Group identifies the reasons youth ministry often flops both short-term and long-term, and offers five ways adult youth leaders can cultivate character for a lifetime of growing closer to Jesus rather than drifting away. 

It shows leaders how to cultivate trust, model growth, teach for transformation, practice together, and make meaning so that teenagers can become adults who hold fast to Jesus and boldly live out a robust faith in a watching world.

Download a FREE chapter

Order Now

Fuller Youth Institute | Amazon | Baker Book House

About the authors


Kara Powell
, PhD, is Chief of Leadership Formation and Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute at Fuller Theological Seminary and coauthor of 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager. Learn more about Kara.

Jen Bradbury is Content Director for the Fuller Youth Institute, a volunteer youth pastor at her local church, a writer, and a speaker. Learn more about Jen.

Brad M. Griffin is Senior Director of Content and Research for the Fuller Youth Institute, a youth pastor, and coauthor of 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager. Learn more about Brad.
 

Order the Book

What are people saying about Faith Beyond Youth Group?

Faith Beyond Youth Group addresses the questions youth leaders ask themselves regarding their impact on the youth they love and willingly serve. The authors include interviews and stories from various youth leaders, highlighting their journey of discipling young people who attend youth group. The theological insights walk the reader through a process of understanding the benefits and barriers of character formation. This book is an informative, reflective, and practical approach for youth leaders to follow while they assess lifelong discipleship beyond youth group.

An image of Virginia Ward the person who said this quote.

Virginia Ward

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Boston Campus

I genuinely want the teenagers I work with to develop Christlike character. (I desire this in my own life as well.) But that’s not because I want them to be good girls and boys who grow up to be well-behaved church members; my motivation is that I want teenagers to experience vitality and a glorious partnership with Jesus in his redemptive work in the world. Faith Beyond Youth Group provides rails to run on with research, theological insight, and plenty of practical ideas, bringing to life what some might wrongly think of as a rusty relic of the past.

An image of Mark Oestreicher the person who said this quote.

Mark Oestreicher

Founder and Partner, The Youth Cartel

This book had me at the title: Faith Beyond Youth Group. It’s what we all want, hope, and pray for—faith that matters long after our games, teaching, camps, and programs are over. Even better, the book delivers a clear and hopeful compass to reorient youth ministry toward what matters most.

An image of Doug Fields the person who said this quote.

Doug Fields

Youth Pastor and President, DownloadYouthMinistry.com

Faith Beyond Youth Group is a must read for anyone invested in deepening Gen Z’s faith. Each chapter combines Fuller Youth Institute’s meticulous research with inspiring and thought-provoking stories about local youth workers in the trenches. These stories model a great deal of humility toward the next generation, and they offer so many practical tools to help us work within our various local church contexts. As someone coming from an Asian American youth ministry experience, I was impressed to see how much care and depth they put into making sure that we didn’t feel overwhelmed or excluded from the conversation around the state of the Gen Z’s faith; rather, I was encouraged to see how we could learn from many different cultural and socioeconomic perspectives.

KY

Kevin Yi

College and Young Adults Pastor, Church Everyday, CA

Faith Beyond Youth Group is a game-changing resource for anyone in youth ministry. Kara Powell, Brad M. Griffin, and Jen Bradbury present new research along with stories from their ministry experiences to offer a practical tool for youth workers. The book provides effective ideas and insightful reflection questions to help readers chart their map forward, empowering them to help young people move beyond the traditional youth group experience with a rooted, sustainable life of faith. If you’re a youth worker who wants to significantly impact young people’s spiritual development, this book is a must-have resource.

CL

Christina Lamas

Executive Director, National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry

The church is facing a crisis of disintegration. Too many Christians have been formed to dis-integrate their spiritual life with Christ from their life at work, school, and the public square. As a result, the way of Jesus may inform how they conduct their private relationships or manage their households but may not be carried into the more public or communal parts of their lives. Unfortunately, this has severely damaged the witness of the church and the reputation of the faith—particularly among the young. How can we avoid making the same mistake with a new generation? Rooted in research and data, Faith Beyond Youth Group reimagines what youth ministry can look like if our goal isn’t behavior management but rather character formation. It presents a vision of youth ministry that isn’t primarily about disintegrated events but rather teaching, practices, and relationships that occur throughout a young person’s life. There is wisdom here for every church that cares about the next generation.

An image of Skye Jethani the person who said this quote.

Skye Jethani

Author and Cohost, The Holy Post podcast

I hope that every youth ministry leader reads Faith Beyond Youth Group. This book not only locates where young people are at but provides insightful, practical, and doable ways to truly cultivate lifelong discipleship. This book is for all youth ministry leaders regardless of the size or context of their ministry. It is not a one-size-fits-all approach; it’s an approach that values and esteems every young person entrusted to you by God. This book is hope-filled and provides a way forward for discipling young people in these rapidly changing times.

An image of Christine Caine the person who said this quote.

Christine Caine

Founder, A21 and Propel Women

Get a sneak peek!

Complete the form below to get a free chapter.

I agree to receive emails from this website and understand that I can unsubscribe at any time.

Join the community

Sign up for our email today and choose from one of our popular free downloads. Plus, you’ll be the first to know about our sales, offers, and new releases.