Youth Ministry Sherpas

Our Fourth Legend -- Walt MuellerIt was 1989. The internet wasn't invented yet. George HW Bush was president. The Berlin Wall came down. The Cosby Show, Rosanne, and Cheers held the top spots on TV. Madonna, Phil Collins, and the Bangles topped the charts. Morgan Freeman was Driving Miss Daisy. And a little-known youth pastor from Pennsylvania got a crazy idea to start a resource ministry to help youth workers and parents navigate the travails of youth culture.  That was Walt Mueller, and his brainchild was the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding (CPYU). For the past 30 years--through books, podcasts, workshops, speaking engagements and tons and tons of online resources--CPYU has been a key player in the youth ministry world. For many veteran youth workers, Walt and his team at CPYU have been like a soundtrack to a life in youth ministry.  During our talk with Walt, we learned about his call to begin CPYU, the spiritual challenges of being a researcher into an often discouraging and even depressing youth cu