4-Hour Youth Ministry: Escaping The Trap of Full-Time Youth Ministry, the latest book by Timothy Eldred, recently released. Eldred is a 20-year youth ministry veteran and serves as the Executive Director of Christian Endeavor International, a youth mentoring organization partnering with local churches with roots dating back to 1881.
Eldred said, “It is my hope that 4-Hour Youth Ministry becomes a catalyst for youth ministry overhaul. We must return to a biblical approach of training teens today. Jesus didn’t shortcut the discipleship process with a well-polished program. He was intentional about his time, and we must follow suit. 4-Hour Youth Ministry is a wake-up call to nudge the church out of its comfort zone of passive discipleship and program-based youth ministry.”
CEI is releasing the book in conjunction with the launch of the Endeavor Movement in October 2010. Since the start of the initiative, more than 900 congregations have sought resources from Christian Endeavor, and churches from 16 states and 12 countries already have partnered with CEI to form new Endeavor groups where youth learn to lead ministry and find their place in the cause of Christ and His Church.
Timothy Eldred said, “These churches are ready to experience the difference of having more than 90 percent of their youth stay connected to the church and their faith because congregations were ready to give them ownership and a stake in the cause of Christ. The Endeavor Movement is a return to the roots of youth ministry and the model that trained youth to take action for Jesus Christ long before youth ministry became a profession.”
Josh McDowell, Christian apologist, evangelist and writer, said, “4-Hour Youth Ministry is the balance between relationship, ownership and discipleship wrapped up into one easy read. I honestly can say Christian Endeavor is the most biblically balanced model I have experienced. It is evident to me that God has great plans to use the Endeavor Movement to train a new generation of emerging young leaders across the globe.”
Bo Boshers of Willow Creek Association said, “4-Hour Youth Ministry is a must-read for any size church wanting to give youth a voice and make them equal partners in ministry today.”
Christian Endeavor is committed to helping young people make a commitment to live daily for Jesus Christ and equip them in taking action to make a difference in their world. The resources from CEI also ask adults to agree never to do for young people what they can learn to do for themselves. Instead, they act as mentors who guide young people to accept responsibility for their own faith, organize into teams and identify and meet real needs in their communities.
“The Endeavor Movement is a repackaged and revitalized message birthed 130 years ago at a time when the church was desperate to find a way to recruit and retain young people,” said Eldred. “Clearly, we are there once again. Thank God for His mercy in keeping the message alive for this generation.”
More About Tim Eldred:
Pray21, Eldred’s first release, is a 21-day prayer challenge and campaign for adults to pray with youth for God’s call on their lives. He continues to serve on the pastoral staff in a church in a rural community in central Michigan, where he practices the principles of youth-led ministry. Learn more at TimothyEldred.com or 4HourYouthMinistry.com.
