Friday Review (4/5/24)

Each week we compile a list of helpful articles from other sites, in a variety of categories, for youth workers to read, reflect on, and/or discuss with parents and volunteers. If you have any articles you’d like to suggest, we’d love for you to share those in the Youth Pastor Theologian Facebook group. That’s a great way to bring them to our attention and to discuss them with like-minded youth workers! (Inclusion in this list does not imply complete agreement with the publishing source, but we have found these articles to be beneficial.)

Youth Ministry

Fresh Thinking About Youth Ministry, by John Sandeman (Turn the Other Cheek)

I owe a youth movement called Christian Endeavour a big debt. Because it was at one Sunday meeting of Christian Endeavour that I fist declared myself to be a follower of Jesus Christ. You won’t find Christian Endeavour in many churches these days. But my memories came flooding back when I read a description of it in an essay in Australian Evangelical Perspectives on Youth Ministry edited by Ruth Lukabyo and launched last week.

An Update to The Anxious Generation with Jonathan Haidt, with Russell Moore

They consider the unique traits of Generation Z, the power of religious communities, and why people of faith are statistically happier. Moore and Haidt explore the common quest for meaning and purpose, how to shepherd children in a virtual world, and how to account for differences in boys and girls without resorting to misogyny.

Biblical & Theological Studies

Is the Lord's Supper a Feast or a Funeral?, by Jonathan Landry Cruse (Beautiful Christian Life)

Feast or funeral? That’s a major question as we approach the Lord’s Table. What are we here to do? Are we rejoicing, or are we mourning? Is this a festive banquet to which we have come, or is it a funeral service?

Jesus Died To Save Us From Our Own Solutions, by Justin Huffman

Before we look down our noses at the drunkard, or the drug addict, who is an obvious example of repeated foolish solutions, we all can see some manifestation of that tendency in our own lives personally. We go shopping to overcome discouragement about our finances, or we yell at our teenagers about their bad communication, or we quit reading the Bible and going to church because we don’t feel close to God.

Cultural Reflection & Contextualization

Social Media Poisoning, by Melissa Edgington (Your Mom Has a Blog)

If we aren’t careful, Christian women will wake up one day and realize that are worshipping at the altar that the advertisers built for us. What a cheap alternative to the kind of abundant life that Jesus talked about. Our hearts are being poisoned by social media, but not in the ways that we once feared they would be.

“I’m a cultural Christian”, says Richard Dawkins, by Murray Cambell

What all these instances of migration share is a desire to appropriate the goods and benefits of God while ignoring and excluding God himself, a move I have elsewhere called “imitative atheism.””

Pastoral Ministry

4 Reminders for When You’re Hurt by Someone at Church, by Daniel P. Miller (Crossway)

We live in a fallen world. As glorious and wonderful as life in the church is, God’s people have not yet been fully delivered from the effects of sin. So we need to learn to set our expectations for life in the church aright. Here are four truths you need to start believing right now to prepare yourself for the disappointment and hurt you’ll inevitably experience in your church.

Gospel-Centered Preaching, by Ross Ferguson (For the Church)

If I deliver a good speech, my expectation is that I would receive a round of applause. So, when we preach gospel-centered sermons, what should we expect? There are two distinct outcomes we should expect from gospel-centered preaching.

Family & Parents

How to Protect Your Kids from Sexual Abuse, by Julie Lowe (The Gospel Coalition)

Every child is different. Some are naturally more cautious or distrustful; others are carefree risk-takers. It’s helpful to know your children and to shape your conversations around what they need to hear and learn. But whatever your child’s bent, here are six ways you can begin to train them in safety skills.

Three Truths for Parents and Children in a Changing Cultural Climate, by Joey Turner (Rooted)

 It doesn’t take much to convince someone that our cultural moment has shifted drastically. Of course, many of our brothers and sisters have lived, and still live, in cultures that stand against Christianity. My parents’ generation was concerned about negative influences, drugs, and pre-marital sex. Parents today are concerned about the content Disney+ is streaming, the normalization of sexual immorality, and the effect of smartphones and social media on our kids.

From YPT this week

Reflecting on the Transgender Day of Visibility and Easter, by Mike McGarry

Reflections on the Transgender Day of Visibility and Easter falling on the same day. How do we discuss this with students and help them find new life in Christ?

YPT Podcast 65: Being God’s Image with Carmen Joy Imes

So many of today’s cultural landmines find their resolution in the Image of God. What does this doctrine mean and how can we talk about it with teenagers?

Ministry During Transitions: from Children’s Ministry to Youth Group, by Alex Tufano

How do we help students transition from the children’s ministry into the youth ministry… and how do we support parents through the journey too?