Friday Review (1/23/26)
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 Family Of God: The Welcoming Church In A Ruptured World, by Caleb Creel (Rooted)
When we consider how our churches and student ministries can be a faithful representation of God’s work, creating a culture of warmth and welcome should stand out as an essential goal.
Biblical & Theological Studies
The Rise and Fall of Confession—and What It Reveals, by Trevin Wax (Mere Orthodoxy)
The gospel offers mercy for sinners who know they are bankrupt and who know their self-assessment is always tainted by self-deception. Unless we learn from well-intentioned but mistaken practices, both past and present, we will keep settling for penance instead of repentance, balancing the ledger instead of basking in grace.
Where Does the Bible Actually Teach That God Is Completely Independent?, by Samuel G. Parkinson (Crossway)
We are, purely and exhaustively, recipients. All we do is receive, receive, receive, and our great benefactor gives and gives and gives.
Cultural Reflection & Contextualization
When ‘Stranger Things’ Stopped Being Strange, by Patrick Schreiner (The Gospel Coalition)
The show is both an extraordinary accomplishment and a thudding disappointment. Its success stemmed from the nostalgia, mythology, and theme of friendship that was its heart and soul. But the show’s recent emphasis on sexual identity undermined the thematic core that the Duffer Brothers spent years constructing.
Pastors, Please Take Sports Betting Seriously, by Philip D. Bunn (By Faith)
In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court passed down a decision that would have some of the widest-reaching consequences of any case in recent memory. Unlike other prominent cases, this case did not touch on abortion, gay marriage, or religious liberty. Instead, it was a seemingly innocuous case testing the bounds of the 10th Amendment, questioning whether the federal government has the authority to control state lawmaking over gambling.
Children Are Begotten, Not Crafted, by Their Parents, by Andy Shurson (Center for Faith & Culture)
We do not know what will come with reproductive technology and gene editing. Designer offspring could easily lead us into the Brave New World dystopia that Aldous Huxley dreamt up. Yet, we know the desire for power and control remains in the human heart, and technology only expands its reach.
Pastoral Ministry
Have a Ministry of Small Things, by Reuben Bredenhof (Reformation21)
In ministry, our calling is to love God with our whole heart and to love other people sincerely and actively. So show up. Take the time to listen. Share God’s truth. Keep going. Keep praying. It’s a lot of little things, but these are what God has assigned us to do today.
The Fallen Christian Leader Question, by Walt Mueller (CPYU)
I will admit that early on in my life and ministry it was much easier to point the accusing finger at the occasional well-known Christian leader who was exposed as a moral failure. It was easier to see the sinful nature in others, rather than in myself.
Where Can We Find Non-Western Worship Songs?, by Stephen Steele (Gentle Reformation)
And yet are we really being catholic (in the sense of universal) Christians if we're singing songs that no-one at Nicea had ever sung? Could it be that any worship song we write today will be inherently sectarian, cutting ourselves from everyone else in the history of the church?
Family & Parents
Broken Body, Abundant Grace: Parenting in Sickness, by Leslie Ho (Rooted)
Parenting in sickness became the thorn which kept me humble in disposition and reliant on God’s daily provision. Praise be to God, the calling to raise children is not defined by one’s challenging circumstances, but is strengthened by the God who equips the called.
From YPT this week
ep.125: Apologetics & Favorite Teaching Series
What role does apologetics have in youth discipleship, and what are some of our favorite teaching series we’ve taught?
Is Evangelism Intolerant?, by Alex Tufano
In a culture where tolerance means agreement and acceptance, evangelism can seem intolerant and unacceptable. How can we help youth proclaim the gospel with boldness and love?
