Leader Resources

OverviewBy Thom and Joani Schultz and Group's Amazing Team of Creators Now you can do more than just teach—you can reach. Like the book of Proverbs is jampacked with short nuggets of wisdom, this practical little book shares a wealth of knowledge on how...

OverviewNearly 4,000 churches close every year. Why—and can it be stopped? Director Thom Schultz set out on a journey to uncover why churches—once the heart and soul of their communities—are now shrinking in both size and influence. What he discovered in...

OverviewBy Josh Packard, Ph.D. and Ashleigh Hope They're called The Dones. After devoting a lifetime to their churches, they're walking away. Why? Sociologists Josh Packard and Ashleigh Hope's church development book reveals the results of a...

OverviewBy Thom and Joani Schultz The church leadership book that will forever change the way you think about church. The statistics are clear: The American church is in decline. People are leaving in astounding numbers, with no sign of a turnaround. And...

OverviewYou want to help—a church member faces a terminal illness, good friends of yours just lost their child, a member of your group is struggling with an addiction, the death of a child, divorce, addiction, terminal illness—but you feel unsure how to...

OverviewBy Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson If Your Church Vanished, Would Your Community Weep? Would Anyone Notice? Would Anyone Care? The Externally Focused Church is a book for ministry leaders who want to transform their community by serving the people...

OverviewPat Verbal, General Editor Open your heart to the most amazing ministry a church can have! Theres perhaps no better way to share and receive God's love than through a special needs ministry to children. Do you know what it takes to make these...

OverviewThe Quick Guide to Discipline for Children's Ministry contains the most effective discipline tips for every issue you'll face—so you can focus on teaching kids and enjoying your class! You-ll love this at-your-fingertips handbook for discipline...

OverviewLimited Edition Hard Cover Version By Thom and Joani Schultz The church leadership book that will forever change the way you think about church. The statistics are clear: The American church is in decline. People are leaving in astounding...

Introduction"If you want to increase the quantity and quality of your spiritual conversations, or don't feel competent or confident enough to even begin a spiritual conversation, read on. In this church leadership resource, you'll find practical stories...

Introduction"Welcome to Outreach Ministry in the 21st Century: The Encyclopedia of Practical Ideas! Most Christians understand the importance of sharing their faith with the world around them. Knowing how and where to take those first steps in sharing,...

OverviewFun and easy to use! Marriage Ministry in the 21st Century is your one-stop resource for building a marriage ministry—and getting couples connecting at your church, enjoying a fresh spark, and growing together in Jesus. You'll find tons of...

OverviewBy Group Publishing Get ready for what's coming next in Children's Ministry... Here's how. Ten front-line Children's Ministry experts peeked out over the horizon to identify ten trends shaping ministry in the next ten years. See inside to...

OverviewBy Group Publishing How do you help a child oppressed by life's toughest issues?... tragic loss, poverty, a parent with alcohol/drug addictions? Where do you even begin to know how to help them? Download an Emergency Response Handbook for...

OverviewBy Group Publishing Teens face difficult, painful stuff in life—and they shouldn't struggle alone. But what do you say? How do you help? What if you make things worse? This rapid-response youth leadership training book gives you and your youth...

OverviewBy Group Publishing Teens face difficult, painful stuff in life--and they shouldn't struggle alone. But what do you say? How do you help? What if you make things worse? This rapid-response handbook gives you and your youth group the confidence to...

OverviewDealing with rebellious children can squelch a parent's enthusiasm, patience, and self-worth. How can you help struggling parents? Inside you'll find powerful ways to share God's love and comfort. Includes: Care and Counseling Tips Real-Life...

OverviewFinancial stability is an immediate need for many struggling single adults and families. How can you guide a friend who's down? Inside you'll find powerful ways to share God's love and comfort. Includes: Care and Counseling Tips Real-Life...

OverviewDivorce is one of the most vulnerable experiences a person can have. And it's no wonder—it brings all-new challenges, transitions, and complications. Inside you'll find powerful ways to share God's love and comfort with a hurting friend...

OverviewDepression is real. And whether it's brought on by a job loss, a family history of depression, a bad breakup, or just plain negative thinking—your friend-in-need requires your support more than ever. Inside you'll find powerful ways to share...

OverviewBy Group Publishing Do you want to help hurting women in your ministry--but you're not sure how? Discover new ways to support women coping with divorce, a terminal illness, a rebellious child, and more. Just grab this quick-response guide packed...

OverviewBy Jonathan McKee and Thomas W. McKee The world of volunteers has changed. But have you changed, too? Across the country, volunteer ranks continue to grow, but people are volunteering differently. They're working online, seeking flexible...

OverviewBy Jake and Melissa Kircher Ministry is such a rewarding experience, but why does it create so much strain on marriages? Jake and Melissa Kircher have learned some valuable lessons (often the hard way!) about building a healthy marriage amid the...

OverviewBy Brian Berry Is criticism inevitable in life? Maybe you've asked that question because you're tired of the relentless, nagging voice in your head saying you should quit, or you're inadequate, or your shortcomings are what people will remember...

OverviewBy Toby Rowe You're excited about the chance to work alongside teenagers on a mission trip. You're energized to see how God challenges and changes these young people through the experience. Your leaders have equipped you for your role. Yet...

OverviewBy Doug Franklin Every time you walk out of your senior pastor's office, you leave with a sense of bewilderment and confusion. "Did I just waste the last hour? Did he really hear what's going on with our students? Is youth ministry really a...

OverviewBy Mark DeVries and Jeff Dunn-Rankin Today's youth ministry volunteers are clamoring for training, yet many of them won't show up for tons of meeting. So how can youth workers equip their teams? Youth Leader Training on the Go is an easy, proven...

OverviewBy Tony Myles with Doug Franklin Take a look around at the brokenness in this world and its spiritual poverty. Jesus wants to change all of that, and he's looking for teenagers who want that change to start in them. Youth worker, that's where you...

OverviewBy Mark Oestreicher with Kami Gilmour Parents are the biggest influence on the lives of teenagers—a fact that research has proved again and again. Yet interactions with parents can be one of the trickiest areas for a youth worker to navigate well...

OverviewBy Shawn Harrison When it comes to ministering to gays and lesbians, far too many churches have chosen silence over service, or a reactive stance over proactive involvement. But congregations must abandon their comfort zone and minister to a...

OverviewThis stuff works. That's because the ideas in this book--hundreds of them—come from people like you: people in the thick of youth ministry. These are best-ever ideas from the pages of Group Magazine's Try This One section. These youth group...

OverviewBy Austin Maxheimer and Zach Below What if small group ministries had been invented in 2014... by your local churches? Would anything be different? Would any "sacred cows" disappear—or at least be prodded toward fresh vision and action? Answering...

OverviewBy Thom and Joani Schultz "They judge me.""They're just a bunch of hypocrites." "If they're an example of who God is, I don't want anything to do with God." According to the research behind Why Nobody Wants to Be Around Christians Anymore, this...

OverviewBy Steven Tighe and Syler Thomas Real ministry happens when volunteers/small-group youth leaders are equipped and empowered to reach and develop relationships that make a difference in the lives of the teenagers. But so many don't feel like...

OverviewBy Rick Lawrence There's a surging hunger among teenagers for Jesus. New research shows that they want a clearer understanding of what Jesus really said and did, and how faith in God matters in their lives. In fact, that desire is so deep, it's...

OverviewBy Rick Lawrence If you're a volunteer in youth ministry, you've likely wondered: "How did I get here?" No matter how you'd normally answer, one thing's for sure: You're "here" because Jesus nudged or maybe even dragged you here. That's because...