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Discipleship Ministries of the PCA

Book Reviews

Book Review: Youth Ministry in the 21st Century

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DANNY MITCHELL

October 22, 2015

 

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

Youth-Ministry-21st-Century_1024x1024Writing 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 21st 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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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 21st 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 21st Century, is a book that does both of those things well.
  3. 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 21st 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.

Featured Book Reviews Summer 2013

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The following books are available from the PCA Bookstore

Revelation: Let the One Who is Thirsty Come, by Sarah Ivill
Sarah’s desire for women to discover the “meat” of God’s Word is evident, guiding the student to discover the truths of Revelation through studying all of Scripture and focusing on Jesus Christ. A PCA Director of Women’s Ministry noted, “(Sarah) shows with clarity and without a doubt that the one writer of all Scripture could only be God the Holy Spirit himself, because of the wonder and grandeur of the Holy Scriptures on full display through her careful explanation of the text.” Each chapter contains questions, aims, and application that aid in mining the truths of the passage and then putting those truths into action in one’s daily walk. (21 lessons)

Psalms, Volume 2: Finding the Way to Prayer and Praise by Kathleen Nielson
A welcomed new study to follow Psalms: Songs along the Way. For those who have taught her past studies, note that Kathleen has added a new element to this one. In each lesson, the author guides a study of a psalm, providing the tools that the student then implements in discovering God’s Word on her own in a second psalm with a similar theme. This method will enrich individual study along with discussion of the passage with other Bible study members.  (12 lessons)

Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament Series by Nancy Guthrie:
A PCA pastor describes these studies as: “User-friendly, biblically reliable, theologically astute, enthusiastically sensible, encouragingly realistic, and Christ-centered…”

Each study helps build community as the group shares discoveries and Nancy’s insight of the scriptures in the lesson.

Teacher adaptability:

  • Can do lesson with or without DVD; teaching chapter is in the book
  • Good homework gives students the background for the teaching lesson; can be used in discussion
  • 10-12 good discussion questions
  • Leader’s guide can be downloaded and printed from Nancy’s website—no extra purchase
  • Leader is actually a facilitator; Nancy teaches it!

CEP Publications by Dennis Bennett, Vickie Poole, and Morgan Jones: Each of these studies leads the student through searching the Scripture, commentary, and the challenge of application to one’s own Christian walk.

Judges: The Battle for Satisfaction
The newest of CEP’s publication by these authors, this study reminds the Christian that the battles in Judges are still the ones we wage today: being deceived into thinking that the things of this world can satisfy instead of looking to God Who alone can give us the satisfaction we crave. (11 lessons)

The Other Side of Christmas: We See a Wooden Manger: God Saw a Wooden Cross
Look beyond the secular Christmas that the world celebrates today. Study the Christmas story as God’s plan of loving redemption, planned from the beginning and unfolded throughout biblical history, and culminating with the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ. You might be surprised at how much you don’t know about Christmas! (Can be done in as few as 4 sessions or as many as 10).

Titus: Passing on the Truth; Equipping the Body
Discipleship—a lot of instruction packed in 46 verses. Learn how to “teach and demonstrate”:

  • What the church should look like
  • How it should disciple its people
  • How Christians should live before a lost and needy world

(9 lessons)

Retro Christianity, Reclaiming the Forgotten Faith

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This is a good book and well worth discussing and implementing where appropriate. I want to quote from the book’s cover because it says concisely what I would want you to see regarding this. It is written by a Dallas Seminary professor of Theological Studies. His challenge is clear.

 

 

“If the church fathers or Reformers showed up at your church, would they worship…or run? The time has come for evangelicals to reclaim the forgotten faith. And this means doing something many are reluctant to do. It means reflecting on the past to rethink the present and inform the future. It means think not just biblically and theologically, but also historically. RetroChristianity challenges us to think critically and constructively about those who have come before us and how that informs our current beliefs, values, and practices. This book will adjust our attitudes about evangelicalism, and will ultimately lead us along a time tested path toward a brighter future.

 

 

Svigel writes: “Why does evangelicalism appear to be spinning out of control, losing appeal to younger generations, dwindling in numbers, or selling out to pop culture to must a crowd?” He further writes, ” RetroChristianity fully acknowledges the frustrating and upsetting elements of evangelicalism.” However, we must not whine but present some direction. Further, “RetroChristianity also acknowledges the egocentric nature of many evangelicals’ approaches to church and spirituality. We need to counter the preference driven mentality rampant among so many churches, replacing it with more biblical, historical, and theological framework through which we can make informed decisions regarding doctrine, practice and worship.”

 

 

As I read this book I resonated with the author’s concern about evangelicalism having lost its way and especially as he offered some diagnosis of why. He said that as a movement evangelicals stand at a crossroads, having become lost in the forest of forgetfulness. From there he proceeds to give a good explanation as to the history of evangelicalism and what it is. As he does this he makes the reader aware that his aim is to see “our evangelical tradition come to terms with its roots, retrieve its distinctly Christian identity and then grow into the wise, mature adult I believe I can become. He goes on to say that if evangelicalism does not come around, “ours may very well be the last generation of evangelicalism.” Some of the ingredients feeding this immaturity include: positive thinking, self-help, self-esteem, do-it-yourself Christianity. Much of the garbage stinking up the shelves of Christian bookstores is passed off as Christian living but it’s mostly psychobabble or practical proverbs no better than what we find in the secular self-help or generic spirituality sections on our online booksellers.”

 

 

Sivgel uses charts, timelines, and sequential dating to show the development of his concern. Part of his challenge is “to reclaim that evangelicalism reclaim that aspect of its original identity it has lost, to reintroduce evangelicalism to the forgotten faith of its forsaken past.”

 

 

With that description of what he sees happening, he emphasizes the importance of regaining a sense of our history, who we are, where we have come from, and what we are dangerously neglecting today. His idea is not that Christianity should simply move back in time when there was agreement on the orthodoxy that set us apart. Nor is it tossing off the pass for a brand of pop Christianity that bears no relation or very little to the past orthodox tradition. Changing the message to reach the younger generation is not the answer. He believes while we should return to evangelicalism’s orthodox tradition or foundation, that it has to communicate those truths to today’s world. However, instead of changing the message to fit the audience, as is being done, we need to learn how to communicate those historic or tradition truths in a way that keeps the message the same. What do we do, we might ask? Svigel writes, “An underlying assumption behind this book is that evangelicalism in its varied forms has lost its way. It has entered into what we called a period of “midlife crisis,” forcing us to think about its identity and to consider how to best move forward…retrieving ideas and practices from the Christian past for the present, renewing personal and corporate identity, and thereby providing evangelicalism a positive path toward the future. This the definition of ReteroChristianity presented in this book.” With that he offers three principles to ponder:

 

 

    1. Don’t attempt to change a denominational confession or structure. Remember that orthodox evangelicalism accepts unity in the midst of diversity.

 

    1. Nudge, don’t push; patiently approximate, don’t rashly appropriate. Take a slow and easy approach…be satisfied with minor course correction.

 

    1. Remember most issues are not simple, so proceed with humility.

 

 

He writes, “Without trained and experienced leadership at the helm of our churches, few of the other important changes will be able to be implemented successfully. Why? Because church leaders don’t need worldy wisdom, intuitive hunches, business models, sociological theories or psychological methods. They need biblical, theological, and historical wisdom to apply to ever-changing circumstances.”

 

 

His conclusion is an accurate summary of what I read throughout the book. “RetroChristianity is an adjustment of individuals’ and churches’ attitudes and actions, retrieving ideas and practices from the Christian past for the present, renewing personal and corporate identity, and providing evangelicalism a positive path toward the future.” Need I say more?

Kingdoms Apart, Engaging the Two Kingdoms Perspective

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How to review this book which I believe is so strategically critical to its topic will not be an easy task. Believing that the Bible message is about the Kingdom of God, the one kingdom of God vs. a two kingdom concept, it behooves us to be familiar with this topic. The King and the Kingdom are one but with many different facets. Failing to understand this has resulted in fragmenting a theology of the Kingdom. It has created a dichotomy that weakens one’s view of the sovereignty of God over all things. It has caused confusion regarding nature and grace, the Church and the Kingdom, the Church and State, common grace and special grace, grace and the law or the law and the gospel.

James W. Skillen in his Foreword has written that “the spirit of this book, it seems to me, is one of seeking both to appreciate and to develop further Abraham Kuiper’s emphasis that the whole creation belongs to Christ and that in Christ believers should be seeking to develop all of their talents and capabilities in every sphere of life to the glory of God.”

While this book will deal with some extremely important theology, it does so in a way that helps the reader to understand that what it is saying really helps one focus on how Christians should live in the world from day to day. What does God require of us? What is the church’s role within the Kingdom? What is the relation of common and special grace and what difference does that make in our Christian lives and finally more broadly, how does Christianity relate to the culture? Following the emphasis of Kuyper, the book deals with and explains what this topic means for believing in the absolute sovereignty of God and his ultimate triumph over all of life. Where does faith come into the picture in the public square, we ask. Practically understanding the “one kingdom perspective” enables Christians to understand how God would have us act as a witness of the Gospel of the Kingdom or a minister of reconciliation in the world. Failing to understand the wholistic concept of the Kingdom has resulted in a weakening of Christianity’s influence in our western world.

Each of the nine contributors builds on the “one Kingdom” theme both expanding and deepening our understanding of the topic. I confess I have to be careful because I see most all of the major problems within Christianity stemming from a misunderstanding of the Kingdom, things such as the Gospel and law or nature and grace conflict, or dispensational theology where the church and kingdom are viewed separately and antithetical to each other, and consequently the silencing of the Christian influence in today’s world.

Martin Luther was definitely the chief proponent of a two kingdom view which is illustrated by the notion that the church functions in the spiritual realm while the civil government (state) functions in the natural. However, though John Calvin used, on several occasions, the terms two kingdom, he actually concludes the two realms answer to the one King Jesus.

Many the contributors to this book may not be known to you at this point. Each has made an invaluable contribution to this volume and will significantly enhance one’s understanding of the Kingdom of God. And if it is true that the Church is to preach and teach the good news of the Kingdom, then we must understand what that good news entails. We must also understand that because of the fall into sin we cannot simply be satisfied in applying redemption to the spirituality of the Church. Redemption belongs to all of creation because its goal is the recovering all of life as God intended it to be. The “one Kingdom” adheres to both the cultural mandates and the Great Commission and they are yet to be completed when the Kingdom comes in its fullness at the end of the age. This means that the truth contained in Christianity is not simply for the church but the world as well; therefore Christians are to live in the world and be salt and light, ambassadors for Christ in all areas of life. Christians must be equipped to serve Christ in all of life, not simply in the church realm. I appreciated for example, Cornel Venema’s clarification of the difference between Luther’s two kingdom concept and John Calvin’s.

Though some of the chapter titles may not encourage one to want to read this book, granted, it is not light reading, but I believe we have a “light Christianity” a shallow Christianity, because we have not been discipled to think more deeply and strategically about God’s plan for the world, including us.

Killing Calvinism, How To Destroy A Perfectly Good Theology From the Inside

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Here is a little book, I would like to say an easy read, except the subject matter makes it to be a bit like an anti-biotic when you are fighting a virus. We know how easy it is for us to become our worst enemy and end up hurting the very one/s we love. Sometimes this happens intentionally. At other times it happens because of carelessness, arrogance, and rudeness.

We believe that Calvinism represents the theology most consistently revealed and developed with in and from the Scriptures. Calvin and his system of Christian truth (theology) from our perspective help us see that challenge to make God’s perspective ours and then from there we seek to persuade others. Those of us who love our Calvinistic theology and are desirous for others to share that same love are sometimes so zealous that we actually become a stumbling block that keeps them from doing so simply because of the way we have presented it. Early on in my ministry I learned this in a painful way. In my zeal to disciple another minister friend in the Reformed Faith, I came on so strongly and forcefully that I almost lost him. I am grateful that he spoke the truth to me about my attitude because not only did it save our relationship but it became a reminder to me not to let my clumsiness, pride, and attitude dim the luster of the truth I represented.

If Calvinism represents God’s truth, it needs to be presented in as winsome, loving, and clear manner that our audience will also come to love and appreciate it. It is easy for us to do great damage to ourselves, our family, and others simply by how we live and present Calvinism. We know story and after story where this is the case. Greg Dutcher has done a good thing in reminding us of the danger of killing Calvinism from the inside. And, while we are gladly seeing something of a resurgence of Calvinism in our western world, we want to contribute to that to an even greater measure.

Our friend Lydia Brownback wrote, “An absolute must read for every YRR (Young, Restless, and Reformed) and older Calvinist too! With wit, compassion, and candor, Greg Dutcher exposes how sin taints our theological convictions and undermines our witness. But he doesn’t leave us there, through biblical and historical examples he shows us Calvinism done right to the glory of God.” An example of what Lydia is referring to comes from a part of Dutcher’s prayers, “Forgive me for my arrogance. How can I ever look down on anyone? If you treated me the way I have treated my own brothers in the faith, I would be lost.” And Dutcher writes about being stuck on “arrogant Calvinist Autopilot;” however, such an arrogance is not really true Calvinism.

One other reminder from the author is well taken. Give people time to work through their emotional reticence as R. C Sproul did with me,” he said. “People don’t change paradigms overnight.”

This is worth the read; especially because it could significantly enhance our effectiveness and winsomeness when presenting our Calvinistic faith to others.

Understanding Scripture, An Overview of the Bible’s Origin, Reliability, and Meaning

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It is obvious that Satan is the great enemy of God and His Kingdom, including the church. If God is the truth, you can know that Satan’s aim is do everything conceivable to pervert and destroy the truth. That was his modus operandi in the Garden of Eden. He has not rested and will not until the day of the Lord. Of course we know to attack, challenge, and contradict God’s truth is to focus those things on the Scripture. While God’s truth is broader than Scripture, the Word of God contains His special revealed truth that enables us to have a basis for understanding all of God’s truth. That’s why Christians must be Bible students with an active knowledge of the Scripture. It is our “only infallible rule of faith and practice” as the Westminster Confession of Faith states.

There are a number of issues before us today that are basic for Christians to understand about the Word. First, we need to know the Scriptures, though written by men inspired by God, are God’s word to us, not our words about God. The Scripture (Bible) is God’s book.

Understanding Scripture contains chapters by a few of those in Reformed and evangelical circles: Daniel Doriani, John Hannah, J. I. Packer, David Powlison, Vern Poythress, John Piper, John Collins, and others. Some of the topics include: Interpreting the Bible, Reading the Bible Theologically, Reading the Bible in Prayer and Communion, Surveying the History of Salvation, How the New Testament Interprets the Old Testament, are samplings of the topics included in this book.

There are seven parts to this book containing 19 topics within those seven. Packer’s chapter on Reading the Bible Theologically, is worth the price of the book. When you add Doriani’s and Hannah’s section on Interpreting the Bible, you will appreciate the importance of hermeneutics or interpreting the Word.

Whether you are a preacher, teacher, growing Christian, you will appreciate this book. Read it personally for your own benefit, use it topically for teaching and preaching, share it with a friend who may have questions about the Bible and its foundational role in the Christian faith. Though it refers to itself as an overview, don’t think the topics are dealt with simplistically.