Best Books for Youth Ministry
8 books every youth pastor should have on their bookshelf.
It’s an ongoing discussion in youth ministry circles…what are the best books for youth ministry? Sometimes it takes other forms, though. “What are the best books for youth pastors?” Other times, it’s, “What book should every youth pastor read?” No matter the exact phrasing, and whether or not your title is youth pastor, student pastor, director, or any other combination of terms, we know we have to lead to grow.
I started in youth ministry as an intern in 2008 and had no idea what I was doing. I benefited greatly from a few leaders who invested well into my growth and development, and have learned a lot over the years.
Since then, I’ve gotten to return the favor and invest in other youth pastors, both formally and informally, to help them get their feet underneath them. One of my first moves in coaching a new youth pastor is to make sure they’re reading things by people who have been “in the trenches.”
Instead of copy and pasting my list, I wanted to make it more accessible to anyone that may find themselves on this page. I will do my best to update this as resources show up or drop off. Keep in mind, I’m going to try and keep this list restricted to books specifically about youth ministry. There are a TON of books I…
