Friday Review (10/26/23)

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 Important Role of the Church in Family Discipleship, from Rooted 

Rooted had the privilege of presenting a micro-event at the 2023 Gospel Coalition Conference in Indianapolis. We hope this presentation on “The Important Role of the Church in Family Discipleship” will bless and encourage you in your ministry in the church or in your home.

Biblical & Theological Studies

Why It Doesn’t Matter What Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh Was, by Dane C. Ortlund (Crossway)

Paul saw two ways forward. The Lord could (1) remove the thorn, and Paul could get on with life and ministry; or (2) leave the thorn, and Paul would be forever crippled and slowed in life and ministry. The Lord responded with yet a third option: leave the thorn, but give Paul grace (2 Cor. 12:9).

Don’t Let Holistic Mission Eclipse Evangelism, by Trevin Wax (The Gospel Coalition)

The worldwide evangelical consensus on holistic mission differentiates the movement from the dichotomies and dualism of fundamentalists who, in response to the “social gospel” of modernism, gave nearly exclusive attention to Word-based evangelism and saw social ministry as a possible distraction from the church’s true mission. But the evangelical view of holistic mission also stands out from the World Council of Churches and other mission movements that eventually baptized humanitarian aid and sociopolitical agendas with Christian lingo and a quasi-universalist or inclusivist position that displaced evangelism altogether.

Cultural Reflection & Contextualization

Talking About Sex in a Pornographic Culture, by John Shelton (Mere Orthodoxy)

The pornographic is the water that we are all swimming in. Like the little fish in David Foster Wallace’s proverb, we find ourselves both completely surrounded and completely unaware. In the 1960s, a Supreme Court justice could credibly claim that, while he could not define pornography, he knew it when he saw it. In our digital, pornified age, however, we find ourselves in the opposite position: always seeing porn but never knowing it, except in the most extreme instances.

Common Fallacies in an Age of Outrage, by Steve Bateman (The Gospel Coalition)

In addition to developing biblical literacy, we can ask ourselves if we’re falling for fallacies. Here are seven that are common in our public discourse.

Pastoral Ministry

7 Ways Not to Respond When People Leave Your Church, by Barnabas Piper (Lifeway Research)

Yet despite your best intentions and knowing what you ought to think and feel toward people who leave your church, you are likely tempted toward any number of unhelpful responses (often, several at the same time). Here are seven ways not to respond when people leave your church.

The Pastor as Curator, by Ryan Kucera (Gospel Centered Discipleship)

The church is living in a golden era of rich theological resources. We have more content available than ever before, yet most members of our church don’t know where to start. Curating resources is a crucial way to shepherd souls and maximize your influence.

Family & Parents

The Question Your Kids Shouldn’t Be Asking, by Melissa Edgington (Your Mom Has a Blog)

If you think being a Christian parent is difficult, you’re right. If you think being a Christian parent is difficult and your family isn’t a vital and faithful part of a local church, then you’re wrong–Christian parenting without the influence of the church isn’t just difficult. It’s impossible.

Outdo One Another: The Dynamics of a Distinctly Christian Marriage, by  Chad Van Dixhoorn (Desiring God)

But mutual submission, as a distinctly Christian concept, will make our marriages look different than non-Christian ones, including those that retain some vestigial, if corrupted, understanding of household headship. Indeed, the idea of a wife’s submission might appear less odious to the Western world today if the dynamic of Spirit-driven, Christ-exalting mutual submission were more visible in our homes and churches.

Talking To Your Children About Tragedy, by Darby Strickland (New Growth Press)

Our children’s hearts are active. As they engage the world around them, they will seek to make sense of it. When children do not understand something, they often try to fill in the blanks or seek answers from their peers. As adults, we struggle to understand what the Lord is up to amid suffering.

From YPT this week

YPT Podcast Episode 47: Student Leadership as Discipleship with Doug Franklin

Student leadership can be a powerful expression of student discipleship. What does this look like and how can we get started?  

How to Teach Theologically at Youth Group, by Mike McGarry

How can youth leaders teach theologically without talking over students’ heads? Here are a few tips to help you get started in your youth group.