Youth Books

Youth builder is a must book for all youth leaders and all who have a dealing with youth of our time. I recommend this book to all youth directors, social workers and in deed all who work for the interest of the youth in this present age.

Jim Burns and Mike DeVries team together to write The Youth Builder, detailing the logistics and heart behind creating an effective and fulfilling youth ministry. One statement in particular touched my heart: "True ministry comes from the overflow of our passion and love relationship with Jesus, not from the overflow of our knowledge of youth ministry." With this philosophy on youth ministry running throughout the book, Burns and DeVries draw on their own experiences as well as knowledge of youth and programming to outline the various tasks that await successful youth ministers.
Dividing their book in four sections-foundation, framework, programming and personal relationships-Burns and DeVries reminds the youth worker of the import of a clear vision, and underlying this, the heart and attitude essential for a vibrant ministry. Still, they also acknowledge the need for good budgeting, preparation, attention to logistical details, a support staff and raising new leadership.
This book was an amazing read for me because it pinned all the essentials for a dynamic youth ministry. The sermon ideas were creative, the grounding of youth ministry in good organization was pragmatic and realistic and yet Burns and DeVries' emphasize the key need for passionate and genuine heart and spirit behind any ministry. While the reader learns essential tips to build a successful youth ministry, authenticity and genuine care and concern to bring youth to God is never forgotten and is constantly brought to the fore. It is no wonder the book is in its 4th printing. Though first written in 1973 the book is indeed timeless.

Not too many books hold my attention the way "The Youth Builders" does, which I couldn't help but finish it in a matter of days. It is definitely a Youth Ministry "textbook" that can be referred to time and again! Not that all the points mentioned will work for all youth ministries, but many are basic starting points in which each ministry can start upon - definitely a must read for foundation building.

This is the best book ever written on youth ministry. This new addition is even better. The Youth Builder belongs in every youth workers library. I especially appreciated how practical it is and the material on small groups,

This in an excellent refrence for rookies and old pros to have around. Jim Burns composed a classic that has advice that is transferable from generation to generation. It is a "Must Have" as far as I'm concerned. Pass this book around for your youth sponsors and parents to read, it will help them understand just what it is that you do as a Youth Pastor.

a great story of a great life by a great man!!!!!!!

This is a gripping personal memoir of survival that I couldn't put down...and a must read, especially for Eastern European emigres and their descendants (like me). The incredible resilience of one man is a metaphor for spirit of freedom that the Soviet empire besieged for decades, but never extinguished.

no words !!!! just read it ! it will make you aware of just what a great hero a human being can be !!God has blessed Bela. knowing him & his wife Susan has made me grateful!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am only 38 years old;. this story made an impact on life !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Man's accomplishments in the twentieth century came tumbling one after another at a rate unprecedented in human history. But, while conquering many of nature's ways of slaughtering humans, mankind displayed an amazing willingness to develop and use "improvements" in the deliberate destruction of his fellows. That same century brought the "war to end all wars", shortly followed by an even more devastating world war, and several massive efforts at genocide on an uprecedented scale in Europe, Asia, and Africa. To a very real degree, violence against his fellows ranks as high in the twentieth century as the explosion of new knowledge.

But one of the catastrophes of that century, the rise and fall of communism, was by itself more devastating than all the others combined . . .and spread out over almost the entire century and several continents. Perhaps because of its diffusion over decades, it has failed to focus the collective attention of otherwise thoughtful men to the extent that others (e.g., WW II, the Holocaust) have. This is unfortunate because, as Johathan Rauch recently noted* "The fact remains: communism, not Nazism or racism or whatever other ism you please, is the deadliest fantasy in human history, and even Americans for all our struggles against it, have not yet looked it full in the face".

Those of us who are aviators are often privileged to peek into the lives of men and women whom we may view as peers through various "niche books" - small circulation books that provide starkly personal views into the detailed daily lives of those who survived. Examples of this valuable and often overlooked genre include Simon's "German Air Attache" (a biography of Peter Riedel, a German glider pilot attached to the German embassy in the United States in the thirties) and Joe Volmer's "I Learned to Fly for Hitler". Both these men were caught up in WW II as German aviators, albeit with very different stories. Both are thought provoking.

Now, however, comes a truly shocking revelation of treachery, cruelty, deprivation, and survival by a victim of the communist fantasy. "Youth Lost in Red Hell" was written by "one of our own", a very well regarded US soaring pilot and philanthropist, whose aviation life began in his native Hungary. He relates in painful detail a decade of suffering, and inspires by the revelation of how he survived. He not only survived, but went on to personal and professional success in every way. This slim volume is much more than a first person revelation of the horrors of what Rauch calls the "communist fantasy", but a story of courage and determination that should be on the reading list of those would seek to fully understand the history of the twentieth century. The language is plain, personal . . and gripping. With narrative and flashbacks, he tells in the first person of how flying shaped his life from a very early age; of military flying in WW II; of imprisonment - twice - by the Russians; and of torture, solitary confinement, a brush with suicide, and years of slave labor.

It's a rare and illuminating view of the dark underside of communist totalitarianism.

*Rauch, Johathan; The Atlantic Monthly, November, 2003 p 28

Very highly recommended reading, Bela Gogos' Youth Lost In Red Hell is an autobiography story of survival under the most brutal conditions. Following one young man's service in the Royal Hungarian Air Force, and Bela's horrific ordeal in the mines of Arctic Russia (a nightmare so enduring that only his faith in the Almighty could sustain him), Youth Lost In Red Hell is a gripping and true tale of horrific tragedy and the indomitable human will to survive.

I recieved this bok at an Aquire the Fire conference and loved it. It changed the lives of the kids I took with me and I am buying a bunch for the kids who are in my youth group now. i love and can't say enough good things about it. Practical baby steps for getting off to a good start with things like quiet times, putting God first and heading out on mission trips.

Before I began this devotional, my relationship with Jesus remained stagnant, lacking passion. Over the course of the thirteen weeks, I actually anticipated my quiet times and experiencing God's awesome presence everywhere. My entire being soared with a sheer, indescrible joy, and I was not content until I relinquished everything for the wonderful cause of Christ. I would recommend this book to all teenagers, whether they lack passion for Him or abound with His matchless love.

Very good! This book is for anyone, especially Christians who want to draw closer to our Lord Jesus Christ. Before I read this book, I was a piful Christian who barely knew right from wrong. I have come a very long way, and this book did it all. I hope anyone who wants to grow spiritually will read this book!

This devotional completely changed my life. Before I read it, I was an ignorant apathetic teenager. Now Iam blazing a path to being a wonderful woman of God.

Ron speaks in a way that teenagers canunderstand and relate to. Everything in this book is God's truth straight from the Bible. Anyone who reads it will be thoroughly entertained and changed.

The subject of this book is certainly a big improvement over what teenagers usually want to do in the love department these days. Highly recommended for all parents of hormonally normal teenagers.

Dan and Dave have hit it solid with this book. Many youth have responded positively to the 8 promises found within the book and are serious about being committed to keeping them. You want relevance? You and your teens need this book.

Dan and Dave have hit the long ball with this book. If you are over 35 you probably won't relate to the style but your kids sure will.

But never fear the content is solid as a rock. I would love for my son to read it and be challenged by it.

Book has a real emphasis on grace and holy living for Chirsit.

A lot of clever extras like "GRACE IN YOUR FACE" and E-mails (eternal mails) from Jesus to the teens.

This is a tremendous book and the authors have taken just 69 pages to do what I couldn't do in 14 years of bellowing.

Every kid loves to be surprised by explosions, things bubbling over and the unexpected twist in whatever you're teaching...but add God, scripture and life-application and you have a WINNING FORMULA!!! I have used this book over and over with elementary kids and I always hear squeals of delight and see total engagement in their faces. God created science, and He truly shines through the activities in this book!

This book is a great book to have when doing devotions for children. I use it in our children's church on a regular bases and the kids always look forward to the devotions.

This is a great resource for any Children's Minister or Children's Volunteer. It gives you simple yet "Amazing" science demonstrations and experiments that will help kids remember the truth about God, Jesus, the Bible and the love that God has for us. Each Devotion gives you an "Exploration Element" that realates to the science part of the devotion (if you are just looking for cool science experiments without the Bibilical connection these are great for you). Each Devotion also comes with a Bible Benchmark -- which is a passage of Scripture. It is amazing how these experiments really relate to the Bible verses!! This is a must have if you are teaching kids at any church -- they will think you are so cool and most of all they will listen and remember because they've really experienced something.

This book is a great way for children to see the wonders of God's creation in the proper way. The sections allow us to explain science facts through Biblical truths. It can be a firm foundation for later discoveries.

This book is short, which is great when you are running late for bedtime. More importantly, it's a lot of fun. The basic story is of the grandkids trying to scare Grandpa that all the animals have gone crazy on the farm. Grandpa, knowing that it's Aprill Fool's Day, makes the appropriate concerned noises, but his actions clearly show he is not fooled. That is, he is not fooled until a very smart Grandma tells him April Fool's Day is tomorrow. He runs out in a panic and she gets to enjoy the breakfast he made for himself before letting loose with a cheery, "April Fools." Needless to say, Grandpa looks very sheepish at the end while Grandma and the grandkids look quite pleased with themselves.

The text is simple and rhymes, which makes it enjoyable to read aloud. The illustrations are hysterical (sheep sunning themselves on beach chairs while listening to an iPod or goats wearing clothes from the laudry line are just a couple of examples) and I laugh right along with my 3 and 6 year old boys when I see them. I have read the book several times and it doesn't get tiresome. Definitely money well spent.

This is a fun and enjoyable book for young children. I teach k-3 art and was able to not only refer to the April 1 theme but to the marvelous art work as well. The pictures are very funny and the children were engaged the entire time I shared it with them.

The grandkids are visiting Grandma and Grandpa on their farm. Grandpa is fixing breakfast for everyone when suddenly his grandson bursts into the kitchen shouting "The cows have got loose! I think Big Brown Bessie just stepped on a goose!" But Grandpa doesn't respond to the news -- he just calmly pours himself a glass of milk. Grandpa is so relaxed because its April Fools' Day and the children are playing tricks! Then Grandma steps in with a trick of her own!! In creating her lyrical text for April Foolishness, author Teresa Bateman draws upon her own experiences growing up on a farm and creates a story to which Nadine Westcott's lively illustrations are a perfect complement.

Kids love to visit their grandparents, and grandparents love to have them (most of the time). A visit may hold many surprises when it begins on April Fool's Day, which is what happened when two rambunctious youngsters arrived at the farm.

Told in lilting rhyme and illustrated in bold full-page color "April Foolishness" is a merry look at that special day. Grandma begins the day as grandpa is cooking breakfast in the kitchen. She thinks, "Life on the farm keeps a gal on her toes. That's what grandma thought as she flung on her clothes."

Well grandpa needs to be on his toes, too because the first thing he hears from his young visitors is that the cows have gotten loose and one stepped on a goose. Next is the announcement that the chickens are out, and the pigs broke the gate.

Children will smile their way through this rollicking story until they learn who pulls off the best April Fool joke of all.

- Gail Cooke

. . . for the street kids, and for everyone in search of hope. This is a gripping book about a few of the kids who came to Covenant House (a shelter for homeless children in New York City), as well as those who were encouraged to come, but didn't, and one girl who tried to come, but was prevented. Their stories will shock you, make you cry, and, ironically, inspire you. Their poetry will touch you, and as they find God, even in the darkness, you will wish you could love Him - need Him - as much as they do. With brutal economy, Sister Mary Rose McGeady has shared their message of heartbreak to hope in this little book that all those with a passion for neglected children will come to love. I highly reccomend.

As I said about other books by Sister Mary Rose Mcgeady,this one is just as good.I will always reccomend her books for anybody,and proably ages 11 and over.They are super good and lets you into the New York streets.God bless all the children who wonder if there is a God.There is!

In this book Sister Mary Rose shares some letter and insight she has learned from her calling to work with children at the Convant House. The plight of children in America abandoned and lost in a world so dark and terror filled that they have a hard time believing that even God is there for them. With Convant House there is a shinning light in this darkness that they can safely go too. This book shares some of their incredible stories, uncut and unedited. The good Sister even adds a section on her reflections on raising kids today that will be of help to all parents.

This is a good book for people experiencing milestones in their lives. The stories about the children may help one realize that there are others living in inner cities suffering worse than you. This is an excellent book to give to someone looking for God.

This book is a decent introduction to the Aum Shinrikyou. If you want a more detailed look read Ian Reader's _Religious Violence in Contemporary Japan_ which is not only the best source availible in english it gives comparative thoughts on groups such as the Davidians and Heaven's gate. As stated eariler this book is a good introduction because it gives good details on what makes Aum. However, don't let the title fool you too much because that is really only covered in one chapter. Also the book uses quite biased language against Asahara amd the upper echelons of Aum. Although they did do some very bad things at the end. Asahara and his group of followers at first were only trying to enrich themselves

MESSAGE:

In my new book by Edwin Mellen Press you list me TWICE as author, including as Daniel A. Matraux. My name is Daniel A. Metraux and I am the sole author of this book

Do you know Oumu Shinrikyou? There may be some people who do not know the name in foreign countries, but in Japan everybody know the name because the religion group broke incredible terro cases in Japan where is the safest county over the world, that is, one case that was a mass terro killing in Tokyo downtown metro, other that was a large terro killing in local town. The killed and injuried person was over a thousand.

You may have some questoions when you hear the title[Aum Shinrikyou and Japanese Youth], some questions why the case had the connection to the word Youth. But in my thinking, the connection is very important. Because the persons who had believed the cult reliegion was young men or women except some old person like the leader Syoukou Asahara.

In Japan now, people have many their heart ploblems. I think that the cause is many things, however one example that there are some people who are not filled by mental herlth with the overpopulated, the society that chase their benefit and so on. I have lived in Tokyo over 20 years, and I feel that the Japan is getting to bad thing on the youth mental problem especially.

For example, the number ofthe young men that have been into their home without the society activity like working and school is increasing day by day, the youg men is called [Hikikomori] in Japan, in one report, the number is said over a million. The cause that the youger do Hikikomori is various. But the some of them have their mental problems or mental disorder in medical genre. Maybe such condition is not alway in Japan, in such big city like Tokyo even if that is foreign countries, the possibirity will exist.

Oumu Shinrikyou tempted such young men with mental problems, who do not know how to live their life and so on by playing Oumu's clever tricks. There were many high school career young men like Tokyo university, medical shool etc in Oumu too. Japan is a perfect shool career society, for that if men can not enter to high school(compulsory education is till junior high school and after that the future rely on their endeavor) it is said that their future no exist. On the other hands, even if they enter to such high carrer school like Tokyo university, some of men lost their way because they had done nothing except of study in their life, it is not study in good mean, the study for entering high carrer shool only. You may think that the condition is a little curious. But in Japan the most important thing is how to enter well known university rather than what to how to study in university. Japanese universities is like brand name goods almost. When we consider about such young mental problem like Hikikomori or the distorted school carrer problems in Japan, we understand about the connection of Youth and Oumu.

I think that they that commited such terro cases is off course criminals, but on the other hands they will be victims on the points that I wrote in up writing, that some of them have their mental problems. Such thinking may not be the proper thing. But I think so.

In Japan the main theme is how to chase the county benefit, how to develop their GNP and so on. But everybody do not care about how to cope with our mental problems. That is very dangerouse thing. I think that the same shing can be said in big town over the world.

Thank you for reading my poor English and writing.

HELLO--PLEASE NOTE THAT I HAVE PUBLISHED A SECOND BOOK ON AUM SHINRIKYO--BUT YOU LIST ME AS AUTHOR DANIEL A. MATRAUX. IF YOU GO TO THAT LISTING MATRAUX YOU WILL FIND IT. PLEASE CHANGE TO MY CORRECT NAME, DANIEL A. METRAUX

It is impossible to grow up in Mobile, Alabama without this historic Southern city leaving its indelible mark. Even though I moved away 25 years ago, I still call Mobile home. Roy Hoffman's collection of articles about the people and places that make Mobile unique, brought back many memories and has stayed with me long after I turned the last page. The Mobile Register is indeed fortunate to have such a talented writer at its disposal.

I wrote a review last week with the above title. Please check and notify me if you received it. If not, I will rewrite it. Thank you.

This is a brilliant book. Hoffman draws fascinating portraits of a barrage of characters from in and around Mobile, and also ex-Mobilians. I am from Long Island, New York, and this was an incredibly readable, vastly enjoyable, slice of life from a different part of the country. Hoffman is a talented journalist and top-notch writer. He gives turns the local into the universal, while vividly analyzing a small cross section of the world.

Roy Hoffman has disproved the theory that you can't go home again. With the turn of each page, I'm transported from central Texas to the city of my birth. His book, BACK HOME : JOURNEYS THROUGH MOBILE, is truly that. My mind journey's to Bienville Square, the Saenger Theater, Toolen High School, The Cathedral, the variety of languages that greeted my ears as I walked with my grandmother down Dauphin Street, the Electric Maid Bakery, whose lemon puffs were to die for, and the Gene and Roy movies at the Century on Saturday mornings. I go back somewhat earlier than Mr. Hoffman in my personal memories. Streetcars, marching in endless parades down Government Street (Catholic schools loved parades), and the beautiful Christmas eve midnight mass conducted by Bishop Thomas J. Toolen. His history of the ferry to Fairhope brought back memories of my parents who "courted" on that ferry. Fairhope was also the site of several family vacations. Floundering in the bay, a one-time Jubilee occurrence, and playing around Battles Wharf are very fond memories. The mention of Grand Bay brought thoughts of cousins who lived there and summer visits complete with catching fireflys, wading in cold creeks and eating scuppernongs from the vine. Mr. Hoffman has accomplished what he set out to do - at least for this reader. For a few days, I can sit on my couch with his book and travel back to a long-ago time and place that I still call home. This is the first of Mr. Hoffman's books that I've read, but it certainly won't be the last. And even if you aren't an expatiate of Mobile, you'll certainly be planning a trip to this historical and beautiful city soon. Thanks for a wonderful journey, Mr. Hoffman.

I ordered this book, and it just came in the mail recently. I sat down and read it all in one sitting. Bet ya don't know which of the guys's favorite cartoon character is Alvin from The Chipmunks! And which one's favorite quote came from a South African pastor?

The chapters in this book include:
Overview Of The Band; Making The Promise; Taking It To The World; Jason Perry; Lights, Camera, Action; Jeremy Mhire; Hit The Road; Nathan Walters; It's Not What You Might Think; Nate Cole; Here In My Heart; Gabe Combs; Facing the Future; Fear Not; To The Fans; and Just The Facts.

Definately a cool book, and lots of cool pics too! If you're a fan of Plus One, you'll love it!

This book is a treat for any fan of this group. It's a bit thin, but is put together in a colourful fashion with lots of fun photos of the guys. Each member of the group gets his own profile and history with personal as well as publicity photos. A real bargain.

This book is about Plus One. It has facts about each of the guys, interviews, & great pics. Buy it if you're into Plus One (I mean, why wouldn't you be?). :)

This book is really good. I recommend any Plus One fan to get it. Great pics included in book. :)