Friday Review (11/1/24)
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
Student Ministers, the Christian Life Is More than Passion, by Trevin Wax (The Gospel Coalition)
The healthiest student ministries don’t dampen enthusiasm around big events but are built on the forms and structures necessary for fire to endure—the habits and patterns of abiding in Christ in the ordinary seasons of life, the regular rhythms of feeding the fire, and, above all, relying on the Spirit to do the work of formation only he can accomplish.
Does Your Church Need to Repent for the Nursery?, by Dan Crabtree (The Cripplegate)
If your church does have a nursery, a kids’ ministry, and a youth ministry, the Bible does urge parents not to abandon their priority to disciple their children by passing it off to a youth pastor. Mom and dad, you are the ones that God has entrusted with the spiritual formation of these precious little souls. Building them into the church is a tremendous blessing, so long as you remain the primary disciplers in their lives. The job God gives to us as parents is to train our kids to know and fear him. The job God gives to the church, with respect to your children, is to help.
Want to Reach the Next Generation? Love the Church, by Cyril Chavis Jr. (The Gospel Coalition)
Despite our cultural trends, for the Christian faith to have a meaningful, long-term influence in the lives of the next generation, we must not only embrace the church but also labor to strengthen it and make it an essential part of our evangelistic methods. As our Lord has done, we must love the church and place our confidence in its future.
Biblical & Theological Studies
Is the Fruit of the Spirit More Like a Pie or a Tree?, by Kristen Wetherell (Crossway)
Consider your present thinking about the fruit of the Spirit. Do you tend to think of it as a homemade pie, which depends on your own efforts and a combination of the right ingredients? Or do you think of a fruit-bearing tree that relies on its sources of nourishment to flourish?
Cultural Reflection & Contextualization
The Trouble with Competitiveness, by Cindy Matson (Bible Study Nerd)
Competitiveness comes in many forms, which is part of its sneakiness. And because of its prevalence in our culture, we can easily deceive ourselves into thinking that it’s really not such a big deal. Author Jerry Bridges names competitiveness as one of our “respectable sins.” And this respectable sin may seem fun for the moment, but it’s anything but harmless.
Pastoral Ministry
Preach the Gospel, by T.M. Suffield (Nuakh)
What we all forgot and need to hold ever before our eyes is this: Christians need the gospel. If I preach a message full of true things that doesn’t hold out Jesus as the answer to them this isn’t Christian preaching.
4 Common Marketplace Leadership Sayings That Don’t (Fully) Apply in Ministry, by Eric Geiger
The ministry leader is wise to look at all learnings from the marketplace through the lens of God’s Word and His heart for His Church. Here are four common marketplace leadership sayings that don’t fully apply in local church ministry:
Pastoring People Through Slow Change, by Dave Harvey (For the Church)
All people, pastors included, deal with the effects of indwelling sin on a daily basis. This means, as pastors, we are called to drop into the mess of disordered lives and serve people who may be at their worst moments.
Family & Parents
Regrets in Parenting and Bothering Jesus, by Lauren Whitman (CCEF)
Parents, bother Jesus. This is just another way to say, plead with him. Ask for his intervention. Bothering Jesus is movement. It’s something worthwhile to practice. It’s an escape from the loop.
Make Life Hard For Your Kids, by Walt Mueller (CPYU)
But are these practices that make for good parenting? And, are we preparing our kids to handle the inevitable difficulties of life in ways that bring honor and glory to God while showing respect, responsibility, and maturity? Research is consistently pointing to the fact that in our effort to make life easier for our kids we actually leave them ill-prepared for adult life.
From YPT this week
YPT Podcast ep.80: Cultivating a Churchwide Commitment to Intergenerational Relationships with Annika Bangma
How can churches (even small churches with few youth!) make a meaningful impact through intergenerational mentoring?
How to Understand and Teach 1 Peter 3:18-22 by Andrew Slay
How can we understand and teach tough passages like 1 Peter 3:18-22? Here are a few principles to guide you.