Back to the Heart of Youth Work

by Dewey M. Bertolini, Josh McDowell

A passinate appeal to youth workers, both volunteer and professional, whjo from time to time may feel battered, bruised, and bleeding.

Genres: Young Adult

1 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1984

Reviews

[Ernie Bowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back to the Heart of Youth Work by Dewey Bertolini is a book with no subtitle – the title tells it all. Bertolini writes for the purpose of educating and inspiring Youth Workers to do what is most important and vital in Youth Ministry: be spiritual examples and teach God’s word to reach young people for Christ. The book’s age (first published in 1989) mean that some of what he writes about will not fit or work in contemporary society (for example, his emphasis on the Youth Pastor’s presence in the High School and Middle School cafeteria is probably not going to translate well into the culture of fear surrounding schools in 2018), but his thesis remains solid and his emphasis is spot on. He emphasizes the need of spiritual maturity in Youth Pastors first of all. He writes helpfully on the necessity of volunteer Youth Leaders and the inability of the Youth Pastor to do it all. Especially refreshing to me was the importance he placed on the study of God’s Word and the necessity of having well prepared sermons for Youth: “Preaching has become the lost art of our day…What an inexpressible tragedy! It is the old story: no one has ever come close to reasoning me out of my faith, but I have nearly been bored out of my faith several times…many in the ministry simply do not want to pay the price required to deliver solid, relevant, gripping messages. How much easier to plan a party than prepare a sermon!” This is a good book that emphasizes teaching and preaching in Youth Ministry over and above (but to the exclusion of) fun and games. It has provided me with a welcome refresher on Youth Ministry basics.
Bonus Quote: In writing about those who would criticize a pastor for taking time off from work and ministry Bertonlini says this: “I’ve probably heard it a thousand times – ‘Well the Devil doesn’t take a day off!’ To which I routinely respond: ‘Oh really? I didn’t know he was your role model!’”

[R.M. Archer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bertolini's priorities are exactly right in his approach to youth work (something I see all too infrequently in youth ministry), and I'd recommend this book to any youth worker. A few of the exact techniques he suggests are outdated, but all of the principles still apply and he gives great ideas for putting them into action.

[Andy]

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