Urban Youth

Welcome to the bustling streets, the towering skylines, and the pulsating energy of the city—a place where dreams are made, and life moves at the speed of light. But nestled within this electric maze lies a secret: pockets of tranquility, health, and longevity that defy urban expectations. These are Urban Blue Zones, and they're redefining what it means to live well in the city and suburbs.

Today's youth face immense challenges, and their role within church communities is often undervalued. Don't Despise Our Youth by David A. Washington offers a powerful call to action to transform youth ministry into a platform where young people are empowered to lead, thrive, and serve alongside their church.

Due to a side effect of a medication taken in an experimental drug trial to cure Vitiligo, a pigment disorder, four people with dramatically different backgrounds are thrown together. Two never live the lives they worked so hard to create. The other two return to their youth and begin new lives - backed by lifetimes of experience and unexpectedly altered values. Will the greed of others tear them apart, or will a lifetime of loneliness bring them together?

In Those Who Wander, Vivian Ho delves deep into a rising subculture that’s changing the very fabric of her city and all of urban America. Moving beyond the disheartening statistics, she gives voices to these young people - victims of abuse, failed foster care, mental illness, and drug addiction. She also doesn’t ignore the threat they pose to themselves and to others as a dangerous dark side emerges. With alarming urgency, she asks what can be done to save the next generation of America’s vagabond youth.

The NBA has returned to prominence on the backs of phenoms like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Garnett. The media promotes them, the shoe companies pay them, and America applauds. But how exactly do such players reach the pros? What do they give up to get there? And what happens to those who fall short?

Skye Mackenzie, the protector of gay boys and virtual superhero, is faced with a new danger that seems unreal. For the first time, Skye tangles with a foe who is more than his match and is saved only by the quick thinking of Devon, his former nemesis. Marshall, Verona's resident expert on the supernatural, summons help, and Skye cannot believe his eyes when the promised aid comes in the form of two young boys. Skye's concept of reality is about to change forever.