"Searching for the Perfect Youth Ministry" was written for the sole purpose of making youth ministers aware of concerns and problems prior to their conception. This will allow each minister to evaluate his or her situation and search for practical and positive ways to either prevent these trials from happening, or at least diminish their potentially dangerous effects. Ultimately, the purpose is to provide youth ministers with longer and more prosperous tenures. "Searching for the Perfect Youth Ministry" is a book that should be on every youth pastor and every youth worker's bookshelf. My friend, Marty Thompson, has gleaned from over 20 years of serving the Lord in churches of every size. Perhaps the greatest strength of this book is how he takes you from knowing how you are called to work with students all the way through the different competencies that you need to possess, the character that needs to be purified, and the courageous message that must be proclaimed. The book is made alive by the stories and the experiences that he shares. As I reviewed the various chapters, I honestly cannot think of one aspect of youth ministry that is not illuminated and enabling. Every year I hosted youth pastors from all over the country trying to prepare them for the challenges that lie ahead in reaching this generation for Christ. This book is a welcome tool. Dr. Jay Strack President and Founder of Student Leadership.net Marty Thompson is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University and has a Masters Degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He has spent over 20 years in student ministry and during those years his youth groups were regularly among the top ten churches in America in youth baptisms.