Spiritual Development
Spiritual growth does not automatically happen. It involves all other aspects of development. Dr. Jackson discusses all of these areas in addition to moral development and spiritual transformation. A valuable article for both parents and teachers. more >>

Physical Development
A parent and/or teacher who understands the dynamics of physical development, can play an important role in the lives of teenagers. They need adults who will guide them in how to cope with all the physical changes taking place. One feature of this article deals with advantages and disadvantages of early maturers and late maturers. Excellent information!  more >>

A Brief History of Adolescence
At first, this article seems out of place in this book, but the historical and biblical perspective to youth/student ministry sets the context. This article provides a developmental view of youth ministry that parallels development during adolescence. The section on the rites of passage and trends are very useful planning strategies for reaching teenagers.  more >>

About this resource
For these and a list of all of the articles in this resource, click on Articles. This resource is one of a series of five dealing with understanding the learner. This series includes: Understanding Today's Preschoolers: Developing Tomorrow's Leaders Today, Understanding Today's Children: Developing Tomorrow's Leaders Today, Introducing the 21st Century Teenager, Developing Tomorrow's Leaders Today: Understanding Young Adults 18-24 Years, Understanding Today's Adults: 25 Years and Older

This resource is also available in Adobe Acrobat format which may be downloaded for individual use or use with a group.

Introducing the 21st-Century Teenager (pdf version)

A print edition is also available for $5.95 plus shipping. To order, call LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service (1-800-458-2772). Give the Customer Service representative the following information when ordering: Introducing the 21st Century Teenager (ISBN: 0-6330-1380-3). Please allow three weeks for printing and shipping.