I read the other day that these are perhaps the most challenging economic times in 70 years . How do we in youth ministry respond? Do we adjust programs? Offer less expensive trips and retreats? End free pizza? Shift money in our budgets from things we can do without so that there is more scholarship…

‘The future of the church does not depend on youth, but only on Jesus Christ. The task of young people is not reorganization of the church, but listening to God’s Word; the church’s task is not the conquest of young people, but the teaching of the Gospel’ These are the words of the leader of…

Okay, this is not another post about a paper but a response. After Graham Stanton finished presenting his paper, the responder (each paper had someone respond to it) got up and said something to the effect of… “Relational youth ministry works in some places and perhaps it does not in others. Let’s not paint with…

What I think has been the most controversial paper presented at this conference was titled “Cur Deus Homo: Is the incarnation a model for mission?” Graham Stanton from Sydney Australia presented a brilliant challenge to Andrew Root’s book “Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry”. It was interesting that Root and others quoted in the paper were in…

Another paper that grabbed my attention and actually intrigued me to read a book that had previously been suggested to me raised the question of whether we can apply a cross cultural approach to evangelism used in East Africa to reach the students of America today. The paper “Mission Impossible? Applying insights from Africa to…

The next several posts will be clips from papers presented at the conference I am attending at the moment. Much of it is academic, presented by professors who teach youth ministry or related subjects. I am only posting what caught my attention and not entire articles. If any intrigue you enough to want to read…

Why I hope to be in Atlanta briefly this summer with my own teenagers… HERE

Now I’m a junior in college. I can’t say I go to church or even really know what I believe when it comes to my faith. Sometimes I crack open my Bible and read a few pages, in hopes of finding an answer to some question in life, but it’s pretty rare. Every once in…

Would anyone be offended if I said that this image causes me to want to reach for a bucket? (it triggers a gag reflex)

A few clips from the book… What I did not anticipate was having to give a defense of why I was defending the faith. “You can’t argue anybody into the kingdom.” “Apologetics only caters to pride, you know.” “Conversion is not about the intellect; it is all about the heart.” As the litany of questions…