Resource Review: Inside the Mind of Youth Pastors

Mark Riddle has written a really interesting book called Inside the Mind of Youth Pastors and I was lucky enough to get a copy of it in the mail a couple weeks ago because I signed up for an experience Mark is leading in April called "Leading Church B." I've been looking forward to this book so I was pumped to read through it.

The short chapters and life stories make the book a great read. Mark is a church consultant/coach and I felt like I was getting an insider's view on what he shares with a lot of church leaders. Most of the book is really written to Senior Pastors with at least one chapter written specifically for the youth pastor. However, throughout the book there are notes to the youth pastor.

Here is what resonated with me:

Mark talks about two churches: Church A and Church B.

Church A is the church that hires the youth pastor and it's her job to do the ministry. The ministry is centered, focused, and based on her. When she leaves...the ministry stops until the church can hire her replacement.

Church B is in no rush to hire a youth pastor as thier ministry to youth is not dependent on a personality. When and if they hire a youth pastor, it will be to help guide thier church in ministering to the teens. Mark doesn't say this, but in some ways the youth pastor becomes in some form, a consultant for thier team, but still part of the team.

Here is where the rub for me is: All I have ever known and experienced as a youth and as a youth pator has been Church A.

I have seen for a long time, that Church A doesn't work. It's unhealthy and unbiblical.

This begs a lot of questions:

Can Church A make the change to Church B? (I'm sure the answer is yes...but I'm skeptical. thus...)

Does Church B have to be planted?

How does "Youth Pastor A" make the change to "Youth Pastor B"? (My terms, not Mark's.)

Don't most Church A's THINK they are Church B's? I wonder if most would be humble enough to consider if they are Church A.

How will Church A respond when Youth Pastor B refused to do Church A?

One of Mark's points in the book is that most church's go through so many youth pastors because they are Church A. Can the youth pastor who wants to lead Church B, transition the youth ministry to Church B? I don't know. I'd like to think so. I am probably too cynical but I think most churches don't care what the youth pastor does as long she keeps the parent's happy.

My one critique is that the book ends abruptly. I wish there had been one more chapter as kind of a summary of sorts. But maybe that says more about my needs than about the book's needs.

Thanks Mark! Looking forward to the end of April.