Book Review: The Youth Builder by Jim Burns 
The Youth Builder is anything but an ordinary book about youth ministry. It is, in fact, a perfect example of not judging a book by it’s cover. The picture on the front of my book is straight from the 80’s, which is exactly when this book was published, but unlike much from the 80’s, this book still holds true today. This is in fact a rare feat. Just weeks ago I read a book and my main criticism of it was it seemed to be quite dated, even though it written in 2001. However though the youth builder is almost out of it’s own adolescent years in age, it’s idea’s are as valid in 21st century youth ministry as they would have been way back in 1988. It is simply one of the best books on youth ministry that I have read.
The top 7 topics that the book covers are as follows
- How to prepare for a relational youth ministry.
- Understanding and communicating with today’s youth culture.
- Getting youth involved in the actual work of the ministry.
- Building a dynamic youth staff.
- How to disciple young people toward a lasting commitment.
- Effective counselling for today’s problems.
- Developing a sense of mission and enthusiasm for evangelism.
One of the main thoughts I have been left with from reading this book is either Jim Burns was ahead of his times with the issues facing youth ministry OR youth ministry doesn’t actually change as much and as fast as we typically tend to believe. His focus on relational ministry is very thorough and he packs the chapters full of both theoretical but more importantly practical advice on how to transition towards a relational ministry. Burns stresses the importance of working with the many people involved in the teenage life, from friends, to parents, to other church members, to other staff members. The Youth Builder very strongly pushes for a wholistic approach to youth ministry.
Reading this book was tough, not because it was hard to read but because every page had so much depth it was hard to read more than a few pages at a time. Many a note has been taken as I read this book and many an idea formed. What was also fantastic was a number of actual resources have been included, all of which still remain valid 20 years after they were developed. This is truly uncommon when it comes to youth resources, or at least it is commonly believed resources grow old quickly.
I would recommend this book to not only people involved in youth ministry but anybody seeking to be involved in ministry. Though it is very youth orientated, the principles outlined here could clearly be applied across the board in so many ministry fields. Children’s ministry, small group ministry, seniors ministry, each could find gems form these pages. Definitely a book I will be keeping handy as I tackle some challenges in the year ahead.
Rating: 9.5/10
I went to the states in 1991 and spent a week with Jim Burns before we attended the National Youth Conference – it was an incredible week to say the least. You are right when you ponder the idea that youth ministry hasn’t really changed that much in all these years – in fact, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head as to why so many books on youth do “date” so quickly – they are trying to deal with the context instead of the essence; and we all know how quickly the context of youth culture changes.
I would even suggest this is the clue to the eternal quality of the bible – being able to uncover the essence of the Kingdom of God and the miracle of his love for all of his creation – instead of getting caught up in the contextual “literalism” that so many try to cut and paste on to today’s reality.
Anyhoo – Jim Burns’ book was a winner in the 80′s and is still a winner a whole century later