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Book Review: Youth Ministry in the 21st Century

October 26, 2015 by Mary Davis

DANNY MITCHELL

October 22, 2015

Youth Ministry in the 21^st Century: Five Views. Chap Clark, Ed. (Baker Academic, 2015)

Writing book reviews can be a tricky thing.

After all, a book review is ultimately only one person’s opinion about a particular book. I have often wondered why I should trust the opinion of a reviewer that I most likely don’t know, about a book that I have not read. And yet, I regularly find myself reading these reviews to help determine whether I should purchase a book.

If you find yourself in a similar conundrum regarding this review of Youth Ministry in the 21^st Century, let me cut to the chase and say that this is an important enough book in the evangelical youth ministry world that every youth ministry practitioner should take the time to read it. Whether or not you like the book, or are able to find direct application to your ministry, is something that you will have to decide. But the book merits serious consideration for those who work with junior high and high school students.

There are three reasons that I am able to make such a bold claim about this book.

First, to my knowledge, this is the only time any attempt has been made to present a theologically conservative “Reformed” view of youth ministry through a publisher that appeals to a broadly evangelical audience. While I believe that a Reformed view of youth ministry is more comprehensive than Brian Cosby was able to present in this book (you can read more of his view in his book Giving Up Gimmicks: Reclaiming Youth Ministry From an Entertainment Culture) and while I do not agree with every aspect of Cosby’s presentation of Reformed youth ministry through a “means of grace” grid, I am glad to see Reformed Theology being discussed in the same conversations where youth ministry in being talked about. It was particularly helpful to read Dr. Cosby’s critiques of the other views (Gospel Advancing, Adoption, Ecclessial and D6 view). He does a solid job helping readers see pros and cons of each authors presentation of their view. It is my hope that this book will help move more and more youth ministry discussions toward the theological foundations that we should be building our “Reformed” youth ministries on.
The second reason is that the predecessor to this book, The Four Views of Youth Ministry in the Church, was written about 15 years ago. This book played safe by not diving deep enough into the underpinnings of each view. The book gave us fresh categories to classify the models of youth ministry that we were employing, but not enough foundational depth to help us when the inevitable shifts in youth ministry methodology came. Youth Ministry in the 21^st Century seems to make some corrections in that area. The rejoinders written by the authors, after each view is presented, help the reader see more clearly the strengths and weaknesses of the various views. I am not much of a fan of youth ministry books that focus on discussion starters “that will get any student talking” or “101 surefire retreat ideas.” What I am a fan of is a youth ministry book that pushes readers to think deeper thoughts about youth ministry, especially when that book helps us connect the dots between our theology and our methodology. Thankfully, Youth Ministry in the 21^st Century, is a book that does both of those things well.
The last reason has to do with the timing of this book. We are emerging from a period of about ten years when a glut of negative research suggested that youth ministry wasn’t successfully discipling young people into a lasting faith. In the youth ministry world, this was like the shifting of tectonic plates and many of us were shaken to our ministry cores. Books like Youth Ministry in the 21^st Century are helpful as we continue to move beyond the research toward new solutions. Through its thoughtfully written views of youth ministry, this book reminds us again that youth ministry is not dead. There are men and women who are called to the next generation who wrestle with not only the methods and models of next generation ministry, but the theology behind them. I anticipate that if you read this book in its entirety, you will, at times, be bothered, encouraged, and challenged. The beauty of a book like this one is that in the written interactions between the authors, we see that when a mutual calling is shared, respectful dialogue is possible even when there are points of disagreement.

You won’t have to agree with everything in this book to find it valuable. In fact, excluding Brian Cosby, I may have found more with which I disagreed with which I agreed. But I am certain that this book has helped sharpen me in my calling to work with the next generation.

Gospel-Driven Hospitality

September 29, 2015 by Mary Davis

PATRICIA CURTISS

September 29, 2015

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:1-3, NAS)

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; (1 Peter 3:18-19, NAS)

Hebrews 12 talks about how we are to run our race and about how Jesus ran his. He endured the cross and its shame for the joy set before Him. What was that joy? It wasn’t sitting down at the right hand of the throne of God. The joy set before Jesus was us! He came for us. He died for us. He wants to spend eternity with us. Where does that leave us? Redeemed. This is the gospel and the gospel drives everything, even hospitality.

The biblical view of hospitality is housed in cultures very different from ours. Biblical hospitality has to do with inviting strangers in. Abraham invited strangers into his house (Genesis 18:1-15); the Shunammite woman invited the stranger Elisha into her home (2 Kings 4:8-10); Job entertained strangers (Job 31:32). In the New Testament, Jesus told his disciples to travel light, because they were to find hospitality along the way (Mark 6:8). The apostle Paul traveled all over Asia Minor and he planned his journeys knowing that people whom he did not know would invite him in for food and a place to sleep.

This is so different picture from our current idea of hospitality, where we feel compelled to create culinary art from whatever is in the pantry, and to be able to set a table that would be the pin-of-all-Pins. But the biblical definition of hospitality broadens things. We were once strangers to God, a people without a home, an unrighteous people, strangers to Him and His holiness. But while we were in this state, he died for us and brought us to God—He invited us in. Bringing strangers to God is gospel-driven hospitality that crosses time and culture, and there are many ways to do it.

Perhaps biblical hospitality can take the burden off those of us who get a sinking feeling when we hear the term “gospel hospitality”, and think that this is just one more area in our Christian lives where we fall short. Maybe we need a fresh way of looking at it—to be motivated by Jesus living in and through us, and not concerned about how clean our house is or what food we might serve on a moment’s notice—so that we can share the gospel and not be burdened by it; so that we can take the initiative and make the invites for the purpose of preparing others for eternity because that’s what Jesus did. He didn’t have a home and he used borrowed food to feed strangers. He made the time and took the opportunities to bring us to God. He knew hospitality isn’t so much about the food or the accommodations, though he is taking care of that, but it’s about bringing estranged humanity to Himself so that they can feast on Him and find a place to rest in Him, and call Him Blessed Host.

10 Things to Pray for the Leaders in Your Church

September 29, 2015 by Mary Davis

CARA JOHNSON

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

Protection and preservation of their marriages.

Ask God to give their marriages loyalty, grace, kindness, forgiveness, time, intentionality, and joy. And pray that God will give them friends to support and provide accountability and encouragement in their marriage.

Peace over their homes.

Ask God to make their home, and all the conversations and people in it, full of grace and peace—with themselves, one another, and God. Pray for wisdom as parents and in all relationships within their home.

Supernatural wisdom.

As they make decisions and have conversations that are fragile, controversial, or difficult, pray that God would give them wisdom and a sensitivity to the Spirit.

Humility and submission to God.

Pray that these men and women would be aware of their sin and need for Jesus, and aware of the sufficiency of the Savior, making Him greater and themselves less.

Perseverance and long-term vision.

Pray that God will sustain them with perspective and encouragement when they’re worn out, discouraged, or confused.

Friendships outside of church for encouragement and perspective.

Ask God to give them objective friends who walk closely with Jesus and who can provide deep encouragement and clarity.

7. Hope.

Ask God to keep them from becoming discouraged in doing good, and to place their hope in Jesus alone rather than circumstances or results.

Individual time with the Lord.

Pray that God would establish a regular, meaningful time for these leaders to spend with Him each day. Ask God to convict, equip, prompt, train, encourage, and inspire them as they seek Him.

Rest and Sabbath.

Pray that they would carve out time to rest from a job that’s hard to put down and not bring home. Ask that they would experience true Shalom—wholeness and completeness—as they cease their striving for a time each week.

A heart that breaks where God’s does

Ask God to give them tenderness and compassion toward those in need, moving the gospel outward by meeting spiritual, physical, emotional, and communal needs of their neighborhoods, cities, countries and the world.

Every Tribe, Tongue, and Nation

September 29, 2015 by Mary Davis

SHEA PATRICK

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

When I sat in Leadership Training in February, I had no idea that God was calling me to Nairobi, Kenya this summer. Five months later, I found myself part of a team of sixteen women from every age and stage of life. We assisted the Africa Evangelical Presbyterian Church in holding a four day Women’s Health Symposium. Women heard teaching on theology, dealing with stress, parenting, mental health issues, and other topics that address the whole of a woman’s life—physical, emotional, and spiritual. The team also held a medical clinic each day for conference participants, many of whom do not have routine access to medical care.

Here are a few highlights of our time there:

1) Women traveled from all over Kenya to be at this conference with their sisters. A young pastor’s wife traveled with her thirteen-month-old twins and a friend by motorcycle for two hours (with a driver) and by bus for another 10 hours. How humbling to see their commitment to fellowship and learning with their sisters. How often I take for granted my access to teaching and training specifically designed for women!

2) During our discussion times, I was struck by how my sisters in Kenya face many of the same issues we face here in the States. In three different languages (with translation, of course), women admitted their struggles with gossip, envy, and discontent. We talked about how the gospel is the only answer to our struggles with sin (no matter what language you speak).

3) This trip was my first with a team of all women. It was a great reminder of how God has uniquely gifted women to minister for His glory. Each woman served a role on our team, whether teaching God’s word, counseling women with broken home lives, encouraging pastor’s wives to continue to serve, or serving in the medical clinic until the last patient was seen. What a beautiful mosaic of personalities, gifts, and abilities coming together to serve the kingdom!

What a privilege to worship with my sisters who I will see again as a part of the great throng of witnesses from every tribe, tongue, and nation.

Sample Post

September 16, 2015 by Mary Davis

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