Reviewed by George Russell

This is one of the best books on the subject of youth culture, problems and solutions I have read in years. The opening chapters outline the problems of keeping young people who have shown interest in, or made a commitment to Christ. Next, the author reviews the whole youth culture, looking at the 11-14 and 15-18 groups. I would recommend these chapters to anyone who wonders what makes young people tick. Parents, leaders and youth workers listen; being a teenager in 1995 is nothing like it was when you were a lad (or lass!). Having examined why the Church is losing the youth, and what it is really like to be part of today's youth culture, the remainder of the book looks at the principles and practise of evangelism, nurture and discipleship that could revolutionise your church. At the moment, around 300 young people leave the church each week and frankly I'm not surprised. Very few churches make any attempt to be relevant to anyone with a bit of life in them. I wonder sometimes if churches really want the youth to come in and disturb their sleep patterns. If you want to see your youth programme producing disciples, rather than clones, pew-warmers or dropouts, then get a copy of this book.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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