Church Volunteer Central
www.churchvolunteercentral.com is a Web site sponsored by Group Publishing and is full of resources designed for church leaders, who are in charge of recruiting, training and encouraging volunteers. There are articles and online training sessions by some of the top names in church ministry. While some are free, a yearly subscription of about $120 provides access to excellent resources, as well as reduced prices for popular downloads, a monthly enewsletter, helpful forms and letters, and reduced rates on background checks.

Building Church Leaders
www.buildingchurchleaders.com is a Web site sponsored by Christianity Today and has lots of downloadable training resources for every level of church ministry. With an excellent search tool, users can find top-notch training sessions, articles, podcasts and blogs about topics relevant to church leaders. The yearly membership of $99.95 includes a subscription to Leadership journal.

Free Management Library
www.managementhelp.org has a significant section about managing volunteers in a non-profit organization. They cover everything from interviewing and background checks to training and evaluation.

The Equipping Church
Sue Mallory provides a comprehensive look at how to mobilize lay members of a church into effective gift-based teams. Zondervan published her book along with a guidebook for small group study. Group Publishing also offers a four-part DVD series featuring a workshop presented by Sue Mallory.
www.zondervan.com
www.grouppublishing.com

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
Patrick M. Lencioni has written this best-selling book providing excellent insights into how groups work. Although not written from a faith-based perspective, it can help youth ministers provide more effective leadership within their ministry teams. Published by Wiley, John & Sons, Inc.

Now, Discover Your Strengths
Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton have developed a widely used skills assessment and development program. This book includes a code to take the Strengths’ Finder test. While not strictly faith-based, this approach helps readers better understand their strengths and how those strengths can, in turn, play an important part in their personal effectiveness. Published by Simon & Schuster

Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry
The sequel to the first bestseller, Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry, Doug Fields helps readers take the first steps as they begin their ministry. Doug Fields also has developed the Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry Training Kit that includes five team-building sessions.
www.zondervan.com

Go Team!: 101 Ways to EnergizeYouth Ministry Volunteers
Kurt Johnston and Katie Edwards provide lots of practical ways to create long-lasting volunteers who feel appreciated and effective. Group Publishing, out of print

Volunteer Leadership Series
This six-volume set by Marlene Wilson covers a lot of the everyday volunteer issues including energizing volunteers, job descriptions and action plans, recruitment, interviewing and placement, and evaluations and accountability.
www.grouppublishing.com

Volunteer Starter Kit
Youth Specialties has put together four must-read books for beginning volunteers. The kit includes: Small Group Strategies by Charley Scandlyn and Laurie Polich Help! I’m a Volunteer Youth Worker! by Doug Fields Help! My Kids are Hurting! by Marv Penner Have You Ever…? by Les Christie
www.youthspecialites.com

Girls and Guys
Teenage Girls by Ginny Olson and Teenage Guys by Steve Gerali
These two books provide a helpful foundation for working with young people. They examine issues confronting girls and guys, as well as ideas about how to help and mentor them.
www.zondervan.com