Youth Ministry Futures

Typography

Few sizes, used with discipline.

Newsreader for headlines and pull-quotes. Figtree for body, UI, and metadata. JetBrains Mono for labels, kickers, and captions. Three families, six sizes. Never more.

The committed pairing

Headline
Newsreader
Body
Figtree
Labels
JetBrains Mono

Newsreader reads like a printed magazine — editorial warmth, quiet authority. Figtree is a humanist sans that carries long-form copy without the startup scent of Inter; it holds its own at small sizes.

Acquiring the fonts

Newsreader
Headline · Display · Standfirst

An optical-size serif designed by Production Type. Use the Italic axis for standfirsts and pull-quotes; the roman for headlines and display.

Google Fonts →
Figtree
Body · UI · Metadata

A geometric humanist sans by Erik Kennedy. Select weights 300–700; the variable font file covers all weights in a single request.

Google Fonts →
JetBrains Mono
Labels · Kickers · Captions

A programming-lineage mono by JetBrains. Use only Regular (400) and Medium (500) — avoid bold weights in editorial contexts.

Google Fonts →
Display · Newsreader 72–120 · tracking −0.034em
The case for change.
Headline · Newsreader 36–48 · tracking −0.020em
Eighty percent of youth ministry roles in Australia are part-time.
Standfirst · Newsreader 22–28 · italic
And the people who could change that are being asked to carry the church on part-time hours and goodwill.
Body · Figtree 15–17 · line-height 1.65
Youth Ministry Futures exists to form well-formed, full-time, long-term youth ministers for the Australian church. We do this because the system the church depends on is in crisis, and because the people it depends on have been carrying it alone for too long. We are cross-denominational, housed within Ridley College in Parkville, Victoria.
Kicker · JetBrains Mono 10–11 · uppercase · tracking 0.20em
A fellowship letter · November 2026
Long measure · Figtree body · ~70ch · line-height 1.7
The pattern is self-reinforcing. Most youth ministry roles are part-time, so leaders can’t sustain them long-term. Churches watch the revolving door and stop investing in the role. Fewer churches invest, so fewer leaders are well-formed and supported. Fewer well-formed leaders mean youth ministry roles remain part-time and unsustainable — and the cycle continues.
RuleNever set the display size in italic unless it is one word or a pull-phrase. Never set body copy in the serif. Never set a headline in all caps. Never underline for emphasis — use italic.