A service of the Association of Gospel Rescue
Missions
Books
 Symbol
marks those resources that are specifically geared toward urban youth ministry.
AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE STUDY BIBLE
The Lamad Group, Inc.
PO Box 34667
Philadelphia, PA 19102-4667
215/236-8493 or 215/829-5511 (phone)
215/236-4977 (fax)
Details and documents Africa's contribution to the formation of Christianity.
AN URBAN WORLD: CHURCHES FACE THE FUTURE
Editors: Larry Rose & C. Kirk Hadaway
Broadman Press
Nashville, Tennessee
Contains helpful chapters by recognized urban ministry leaders on Christian ministry in
the face of rapid world urbanization.
ALWAYS RUNNING: GANG DAYS IN LA
By Luis J. Rodriguez (Touchtone 1993)
Simon & Schuster Publishers
Rockefeller Center
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
Written by the son of Mexican immigrants, Luis Rodriguez chronicles his life growing up as
a gang member in Watts and East Los Angeles. A captivating look at what it is like growing
up in Los Angeles gang culture.
BLACK AND WHITE STYLES OF YOUTH MINISTRY: TWO CONGREGATIONS IN AMERICA
By William R. Myers (Pilgrim Press )
475 Riverside Drive
New York, NY 10115 (1991)
A very helpful book to help youth workers see traditionally overlooked cultural
differences within youth ministry styles. A youth ministry in an African American church
is compared and contrasted with one in a traditionally Caucasian church. Provides helpful
insights into the cross-cultural implications of working with African American and
Caucasian youth.
CITIES OF LONESOME FEAR: GOD AMONG THE GANGS
By Gordon McLean
c/o MLM Moody Press: Chicago, IL
Chicago, IL 60610 (1991)
Gives an excellent analysis and critique of the reality of contemporary gang life. In
addition, McLean writes not merely to describe gang life but to show clearly how the power
of God can transform the individual caught up in destructive gang lifestyles.
CITY OF GOD, CITY OF SATAN: A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF THE
URBAN CHURCH
By Robert C. Linthicum
(Academic and Professional Books)
Zondervan Publishing House
1415 Lake Drive SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506
A very thorough and comprehensive look at a biblical theology of the city. An exhaustive
work at bringing the truth of scripture to bear on the contemporary urban world.
COOKIE
By Cookie Rodriguez FMG Distribution
PO Box 28450
Santa Ana, CA 92799-8450
Autobiography of a prostitute and drug addict in New York City who became a Christian and
turned her life around. Now she and her husband run a center for street kids. Motivational
story, especially for girls.
CREATIVE URBAN YOUTH MINISTRY: A RESOURCE FOR YOUTH WORKERS
By Glandion Carney
Standard Publishing Cinncinnati, OH
A "how-to" book borne out of the struggles and successes of establishing an
effective youth ministry in the urban setting.
(Available from AGRM)
DEVELOPING LEADERS FOR URBAN MINISTRIES
Editors: Edgar, Elliston and Timothy Kauffman (Peter Lang
Publishing)
New York, New York . (1993)
This book aims at providing a framework for identifying the foundational issues to
initiate or improve a leadership development curriculum for an urban area. They hope to
offer some basic educational principles and recommendations that may be used to design
both theologically sound and contextually appropriate curricula to equip Christian leaders
who live and work in cities.
DISCIPLINE AND THE URBAN/DISADVANTAGED YOUTH
By James M. Harriger (1988)
International Union of Gospel Missions
1045 Swift
Kansas City, MO 64116
816/471-8020
DISCIPLING THE CITY: A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO URBAN
MISSION
Edited by Roger Greenway (2nd Edition)
Baker Bookhouse (1992)
PO Box 6287
Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
An excellent book covering the entire gamut of urban challenges written by a variety of
seasoned urban ministry practitioners and theologians. A must for every urban worker.
Discipline policies and procedures from rescue-type youth ministries for help in
ministering to urban youth at rescue missions. Nine examples from urban youth missions
from around the US An interesting perspective, not a complete guide. Cost is $5.00.
DRAMA IN THE INNER-CITY HANDBOOK
By Darryl & Yvonne Brake
Because He Cares Ministry, Inc.
1340 East Avenue (1995)
PO Box 71
Akron, OH 44309-0071
Helpful in aiding youth leaders in developing outreach ministry.
EMPAK
PUBLISHING COMPANY
212 East Ohio Street, Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 800-477-4554 FAX: 312-642-9657
E-mail: empak@email.msn.com
Promoting cultural heritage, pride and self-esteem, the
award-winning Empak Black history publication series has been highly acclaimed by
educators, journalists, historians, major social/civic organizations, and the
African-American community-at-large. Ideal for classrooms, youth groups, and Sunday
School instruction, these materials can also be used for fund raising and awards.
FOLLOWING GOD'S WAY
Pioneer Clubs
Box 788
Wheaton, IL 60189-0788
708/293-1600
Christian kids' club for girls and boys, ages 2 through
high school. In addition to regular program, urban edition of their clubs' programs,
materials and resources are available. Urban edition has only one handbook geared toward
elementary ages, and must be adapted for other age groups; does not require children to
purchase own books, and they waive the organization's registration fee Handbook has 48
lessons, costs $20.00. (Both English and Spanish versions are available from
the AGRM)
THE GREAT COMMISSION HANDBOOK
Berry Publishing Services, Inc.
701 Main Street
Evanston, IL 60202
708/869-1573 (phone)
708/869-4825 (fax)
An annual magazine featuring study and service opportunities for students and young
adults. No specific focus for urban ministry, but contains a great resource of Christian
colleges, universities and seminaries as well as long and short term ministry
opportunities.
GREAT GAMES FOR CITY KIDS
By Nelson Copeland
Youth Specialties Books
1224 Greenfield Drive
El Cajon, CA 92021 (1991)
Over 200 games and learning activities designed and tested on the streets of Philadelphia.
Organized by indoor, outdoor and topic of learning activity (including relational, family,
political, religious and environmental), and age groups. Also has a chapter on "The
Secret of Urban Play," which stresses the need for developing activities that express
the culture of urban children.
GREAT GAMES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Marilee Gustafson, Sue Wolfe & Cheryl King
Human Kinetics Books, Box 5076
Champaign, IL 61825-5076
800/747-4457
69 game ideas for upper elementary through senior high groups. Well organized by age,
number of kids, and skills required, with safety tips included for each game. Easy to
understand with thorough descriptions and drawings of how to set up.
THE HEROIC REVOLUTION: A NEW AGENDA FOR URBAN YOUTHWORK
By Nelson Copeland
James C. Winston Publishing Company, Inc.
PO Box 90883 (1994)
Nashville, TN 37209
615/256-7304
Written to the suburbanite who wishes to reach youth in American cities, this is a
resource for "urbocentric" rather than "suburbocentric" youth
ministry. Chapters cover issues such as culture, gangs, discipline, urban religions and
more.
THE HISPANIC CHALLENGE: OPPORTUNITIES CONFRONTING THE
CHURCH
By Manuel Ortiz
InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400
Downers Grove, IL 60515
An excellent sociological and missiological perspective touching the task of leadership
development with second generation Hispanics.
HOMELESSNESS: AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY
By Jim Harriger
AGRM, 1045 Swift, Kansas City, MO 64116
816/471-8020
A Bible study aimed at teens being used by all Assemblies of God churches as part of their
"Discover It" curriculum.
HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL CAMP COUNSELOR
Benjamin Publishing Co.
Fredonian Street
Shirley, MA 01464
This book is advertised as an easy to read book for training camp counselors.
INSIDE OUT: MESSAGES TO YOUNG MEN AT RISK
Abandoned Books
A Givens Organization
885 Third Avenue, Suite 2900
New York, NY 10022-4383
212/230-3229 (phone)
212/230-3299 (fax)
Book of letters written by 25 inmates from Leavenworth Penitentiary in Kansas. The letters
are written to at-risk youth who may be headed in the same direction they went. Paperback
is $9.95; audiocassette is $14.95.
KIDS ON THE STREET: THE TRAGEDY OF HOMELESS CHILDREN...AND WHAT YOU CAN DO
ABOUT IT
By Carl R. Resener and Judy Hall (1992)
International Union of Gospel Missions
1045 Swift, Kansas City, MO 64116-4127
816/471-8020 (available from the AGRM)
NATIONAL GUIDE TO FUNDING FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES
Published By The The
Foundation Center.
79 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10003-3076
212/620-4230
A listing of funds and grants available for nonprofit organizations working with children,
youth and families. Published in April 1993, cost is $135.00. They also work with area
libraries to establish Foundation Center Library Services, in all states, in which all of
their publications, plus more on foundations, are available for free. Other resource books
on foundations available through the Foundation Center.
POSITIVE ADOLESCENT CHOICES TRAINING (PACT): A MODEL FOR VIOLENCE PREVENTION
GROUPS WITH AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUTH
By Betty R. Yung and Rodney Hammond
Research Press
2612 N. Mattis Avenue
Champaign, IL 61821
217/352-3273
STREETS OF HOPE: FALL & RISE OF AN URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD
By Peter Medoff and Holly Sklar
South End Press
116 St. Botolph Street
Boston, MA 02115
800/533-8478 (phone)
Captivating story of a once thriving Boston community that made a comeback against the
social evils that had devastated it. A special interest is the organization's commitment
to involve youth in all levels of their community development work -- very helpful model
for urban community development.
International Union of Gospel Missions
1045 Swift
Kansas City, MO 64116-4127
800/624-5156 (phone)
Listing of paid and volunteer positions for high schoolers and older. Potential resource
for recruiting interns and for networking with the organizations listed (listed
geographically and by type of work).
THE URBAN CHRISTIAN: EFFECTIVE MINISTRIES IN TODAY'S URBAN
WORLD
By Ray Bakke
InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400
Downers Grove, IL 60515
An absolute must for any person desiring to do effective urban ministry. Gives an
excellent account of long term ministry from the perspective of a man and his family who
came to love urban people for the long haul. (available from )
URBAN THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS DIRECTORY
Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education (SCUPE)
200 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 502
Chicago, IL 60601-5909
312/726-1200 (phone)
312/726-0425 (fax)
Director: David Frenchak
URBAN SANCTUARIES: NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS IN THE LIVES AND FUTURES OF
INNER-CITY YOUTH
By Milbrey W. McLaughlin, Merita A. Irby and Juliet Langman
Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA (1994)
415/433-1740
URBAN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT MANUAL
Voice of Hope
PO Box 5102
Dallas, TX 75208
214/631-7027
A "how-to" manual that contains practical ideas on starting or strengthening an
urban youth program with a special emphasis on Christian Community Development. Cost is
$39.00.
URBAN YOUTH RESOURCE MANUAL
Contact: Ruby Mitchell
Emmanuel Gospel Center
PO Box 180245
Boston, MA 02118-0994
(617) 262-4567
A publication that comes in a 3-ring binder and includes a variety of information
pertinent to urban youth gleaned from research of 120 urban church youth ministries in
Boston. Chapters include a detailed survey of successful urban youth ministries, working
with gangs, urban violence and youth, ethnic/immigrant churches and youth ministry,
mentoring, reaching unchurched youth and an annotated bibliography of urban youth ministry
resources.
THE VILLE: COPS AND KIDS IN URBAN AMERICA
By Greg Donaldson
Tickner and Fields: New York
(1993)
This book describes the day-to-day life of urban youth seen through the eyes of housing
project police. Helpful in seeing the reality of life as an urban black teenager living in
government subsidized housing projects.
THE VIOLENT GANG
By Luis Yablonsky
Revised Edition
Penguin Books: Baltimore, MD (1970)
This is the classic study of urban gangs.
WILD THING: LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX
By Haman Cross, Donna Scott, Eugene Seals
Quality Publishing Systems
Box 339635
Farmington Hills, MI 48333
313/819-0226
A book designed to teach college age youth things that "perhaps their mothers have
not told them" by focusing especially on communication, relationships and
decision-making.
WITH GOD ON THE FRONTIERS
By Mike Fearon
Scripture Union
130 City Road
London EC1V 2NJ
A book about nine committed youth workers in the cities of the United Kingdom, including
the "war zone" in Northern Ireland. Tells of "the people who have felt the
pain and the aggression and who have come alongside to live out the Good News of
Jesus." Published in 1988 to celebrate the Jubilee of Frontier Youth Trust.
WORKING WITH BLACK YOUTH
By Charles R. Foster and Grant S. Shockley
Cokesbury
PO Box 801 (1989)
Nashville, TN 37202-0801
800/672-1789
615/749-6113
THE YOUTH BUILDER
By Jim Burns (1988)
Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
A comprehensive and practical resource about relational youth ministry written by the
founder and director of the National Institute of Youth Ministry. A "must have"
in any youth workers library.
YOUTH MINISTRY IN CITY CHURCHES
Edited By Eugene Roehlkepartain
Group Books
Box 481
Loveland, CO 80539
Book on understanding, building and leading an urban youth ministry, based on interviews
with over 25 urban youth workers. Published in 1989.
YOUTH WALK
Walk Thru the Bible Ministries
61 Perimeter Park, NE
PO Box 80587
Atlanta, GA 30366
Youth Walk is a daily devotional book for teens aimed at getting them to know Christ
better, follow his example, and discover Biblical answers for the daily challenges of
life.
MORE URBAN YOUTH-ORIENTED BOOKS
Anderson, Elijah. Streetwise. University of Chicago
Press.
Anderson, Larry. Taking Trauma Out of Teen Transitions. NavPress.
Augenbraum, Harold and Stavans, Jan. Growing Up Latino: Memoirs And Stories.
Houghton Mifflin: Boston (1993).
Bourgois, Felipe. In Search of Respect. Cambridge Press.
Campbell, Anne and Blackwell, Basil. Girls in the Gang: A Report from New York City.
(2nd Edition).
Cambridge, MA (1991).
Campolo, Anthony (1989). Growing Up in America. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI.
Cody, Scott. Monster: The Autobiography Of An LA Gang Member. Atlantic Monthly
Press: New York (1993).
Crockett, Joseph. Teaching Scripture from an African American Perspective. Discipleship
Resources, Nashville, TN
Cummings, S. and Monti, D.J. Gangs: The Origins And Impact Of Contemporary Youth Gangs
In The United States. State University of New York Press: Albany, New York (1993).
Freedman, Darryl. Investing in African American Youth. Renaissance Press.
Havelock, Nelson and Gonzales, Michael. Bring The Noise: A Guide To Rap Music And Hip-Hop
Culture.
New York Harmony Books (1991).
Heath, S.B. and McLaughlin, M.W. Identity And Inner City Youth: Beyond Ethnicity
And Gender. Teachers
College Press: New York (1993).
Kunjufu, Jawanza. Countering the Conspiracy Against Black Boys.
Myers, William R. Theological Themes of Youth Ministry.
Newman, Susan. With Heart and Hand: The Black Church Working to Save Black Children
Perkins, Useni Eugene. Explosion Of Chicago's Black Street Gangs 1900 To The
Present. Third World Press:
Chicago, IL (1987).
Sanchez Jankowski, Martin. Islands In The Street: Gangs And American Urban Society. University
of
California Press: Berkley, CA (1991).
Van Pelt, Rich (1988). Intensive Care: Helping Teenagers in Crisis. Zondervan:Grand
Rapids.
OTHER HELPFUL BOOKS
Conn, Harvie (1985). A Clarified Vision for Urban
Mission.
Cooper, Rodney L. We Stand Together. Moody Press.
Cruz, Nicky. Code Blue. Vine Books.
Evans, Tony (1990). America's Only Hope: Impacting Society in the 90's. Moody
Press: Chicago
Fortune, Marie (1983). Sexual Violence: The Unmentionable Sin. Pilgrim Press:
Cleveland, Ohio.
Greenway, Roger & Monsma, Timothy (1989). Cities: Missions New Frontier. Baker
Books: Grand Rapids, MI
Krupat, Edward (1985). People in Cities. Cambridge University Press.
Lupton, Robert (1989). Theirs is the Kingdom. Harper & Row: New York.
Olasky, Marvin The Tragedy of American Compassion, Crossway Books, 1994
Pratney, Winkie (1983). Youth Aflame. Bethany House: Minneapolis, MN.
Quinnett, Paul (1992). Suicide: The Forever Decision. Crossroads Publishing
Company: New York, New York.
Richardson, Willie (1995). Reclaiming the Urban Family.
Ronsvale, John & Sylvia (1992). The Poor Have Faces. Baker Book House: Grand
Rapids, MI.
Schiller, Bradley (1989) The Economics of Poverty and Discrimination. Simon &
Schuster: Englewood Cliffs: CA.
Villafane, Eldin (1995). Seeking the Peace of the City. Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, MI.
Strommen, Merton (1974). Five Cries of Youth. Harper & Row: New York.
- Go to the Index of the Urban
Youth Workers Resource Directorty
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