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Youth ministries are in a state of transition. Formerly effective models of youth ministry are proving to be ineffective for youth born in the 1980′s, the Millenials. Today's youth are feeling alienated from the church community and are often treated like a separate subculture, uninvolved in church life outside their own sphere. While contemporary discussions about these issues largely focus upon the format and structure of youth ministries, this article concerns itself with the content of those ministries. While not discussing what youth are taught, this article emphasizes the need to ground youth in what we teach them so that those teachings will be long-lived in the youth. Specifically, this article presents ideas, based on established social psychological theory, which may help to develop in our youth resistance against a bombardment of messages from our culture which are contrary to our religious principles, values, and beliefs.

This paper reports the results of a qualitative assessment of 134 church volunteers from multiple churches in two Midwestern cities. The findings indicate that there are three primary dimensions to church volunteering. First, church volunteers feel that their service is a response to Scriptural teachings. Second, church volunteers desire to make a meaningful contribution. They need to know that their service makes a difference. Third, church volunteers derive psycho-social benefits from their service. For many volunteers, their service is a means through which they can feel needed, useful, and helpful. Also, their service provides a means for social interaction with others. Managerial implications of the findings are discussed.

This article builds upon earlier works in JMMM which emphasize a marketing orientation in church management. Specifically, this article illustrates how small group leaders, and thus, small group ministries, can become more effective by becoming more marketing oriented. The article begins by emphasizing the necessity of developing more effective small group ministries in our churches. Next small group leadership styles that are ineffective are categorized and discussed. Finally beneficial behaviors, grounded in a marketing orientation, are depicted which foster effective small group ministries.

Building upon earlier work in JMMM, this article describes how a marketing-oriented church can develop marketing strategies for one of its key constituencies-church volunteers. Volunteers ...