Friday Review (1/20/23)

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

The Young Adult’s Guide to Social Media, by Tristany Corgan (Gospel Centered Discipleship)

While stepping away from social media is a good option for many young adults, it seems like an increasingly difficult task. For Gen Z, social media is the primary source of communication and information... So how can Christian young adults navigate these apps and websites in a way that avoids temptation and addiction, and ultimately honors and glorifies Christ? 

Prayers for a Teenager Who Has Been the Victim of Racism, by Logan Murphy (Rooted) 

Intercession is valuable not merely because others need our prayers, but because it also increases our heart for those whose needs are different from our own. It is an act of selflessness and a reminder that prayer’s purpose is often more about what God wants to do in us than expressing what we want God to do for us.

Biblical & Theological Studies

What Is Distinct about the Theology of Mark?, by Peter Orr (Crossway)

There is a sense in which Mark’s portrayal of Jesus’s life shares so many similarities with those of the other Gospels (particularly Matthew and Luke) that we can say that there is nothing distinct about it! All four Gospels give us accounts of Jesus’s life, his teaching, his journey towards Jerusalem, and his death and his resurrection. Nevertheless, as we read the Gospels alongside each other, distinctives (not contradictions!) do appear.

Does a “Most-Accurate” Bible Translation Exist?, by Cheree Hayes (The Bible Project)

When we notice what appears to be a disagreement between translations, instead of getting argumentative, discouraged, or confused, we can get curious. We can receive an invitation to discover more. We can read the full context, meditate on the biblical text with other people in our community, and read it in as many translations as possible.

Ethnic Harmony Is a Certainty, by Kenny Stokes (Desiring God)

Christ has unified us in the gospel, reconciling us to himself and to one another (Ephesians 2:11–22). As the one people of God gathered from every tribe and language and people and nation, we share a common eternal destiny together (Revelation 5:9). Our challenge as brothers and sisters in Christ is to live out our unity with one another, treasuring Christ Jesus our Lord above all.

Cultural Reflection & Contextualization

Disrupting Ourselves to Death, by Brett McCracken (The Gospel Coalition)

Questioning established wisdom and long-accepted tenets is occasionally a necessary and fruitful endeavor. But it’s also fraught with peril. Prone as we are to chronological snobbery, and malnourished as we are in the nutrients of history and time-tested wisdom, it’s usually ill-advised to assume everyone had it wrong until you “discovered” the truth.

Pastoral Ministry

5 Ways Pastors Can Prepare Missionaries, by Matthew Bennett (The Gospel Coalition)

Typically, pastors will outsource specialized missionary training for their church members to seminaries or mission organizations. But I believe pastors and local churches are the most important trainers of potential missionaries.

I Did Not Sign-Up for This: The Fourth P of Pastoral Ministry, by Ying Yee (The Gospel Coalition Australia)

We need to raise up leaders who are not simply good in the first three P’s— people, prayer and proclamation. We also need leaders who are painfully aware and appropriately equipped to do the fourth P.

Family & Parents

Seeking Validation, by Brianna Lambert (Gospel Centered Discipleship)

We post pictures of our children, our latest work update, a new recipe, or a joke, and with bated breath wait to find out: Have I done well? We yearn to know that our actions hold value—that we’re a good mother, brother, sister, or employee. These questions are valid, yet we’re going to the wrong source to find their answer. 

A Family Vacation, a Broken Transmission, and a God Who Is with Us, by Aaron Sironi (CCEF)

Without these trials, we would not have known as much about the hand of God; our children would not have witnessed with their own eyes his provision and active presence; Dennis and his family would have missed out on the encouragement of being used as vessels in a time of great need; friends and family who checked in on us later would never get to hear of God’s great deliverance; and we would have no story of God’s compassionate mercies to share

From YPT this week

The Posture of the Youth Pastor, by Robin Barfield

If the posture of the youth pastor is so instrumental in setting the gospel culture, then what should that posture be? Ezekiel 34 offers examples and warnings to answer this question.

YPT Podcast Episode 23: Gospel Contextualization in Youth Ministry, with Clark Fobes

What is contextualization? Is it theological compromise, or a faithful way to teach and apply the gospel in ministry to teenagers? Clark Fobes joins the podcast to discuss and share principles to guide faithful gospel contextualization. 

YPT Resource: New Youth Leader Packet & Application

A sample New Leaders Packet & Application to help you recruit, train, and support new youth workers to serve in student ministry.