Friday Review (2/6/26)
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
When The Kids Come To Youth Group, But The Parents Don’t, by Curtis Dunlap (Rooted)
You may not have access to every parent of every student you serve, but I encourage you to nurture the relationships with the ones you do. Parents want to know their children are safe and loved. They want to know that their values and authority are upheld when they’re not there. These are the things that will create the trust for deeper relationships to blossom.
Seeds of Eternity: The Weight of Kids Ministry, by Randi Singleton (For the Church)
In the quiet corners of the church, amid glue sticks and goldfish, eternal things are being formed. Yet if we fail to grasp the weight of this work, we may blink and miss it altogether.
Biblical & Theological Studies
The Lunar New Year Animals: A Christian Examination of the Chinese Zodiac, by Linsdey Medenwaldt (Christian Research Institute)
This article will address the zodiac’s origin and why it is considered spiritually significant. What do the animals symbolize, and how is the zodiac used in Eastern and Western cultures? Then, I will offer Christians advice on how to respond to those who believe in the zodiac and other astrological tools.
Did God Need to Kill His Own Son?, by Cory Brock (Ligonier)
We must understand that our theological language requires distinction from everyday language, or we may accidentally paint a picture of God the Father acting against the will of God the Son at the cross, which is certainly not true. But the emotional power of the language can shut down careful thinking before it starts.
Cultural Reflection & Contextualization
A Kid Rock Concert Is Airing on TBN This Sunday. How Is This Okay?, by Cameron Strang (Relevant)
This decision sends a message, whether TBN intends it or not. It tells viewers that secular culture is dangerous until it votes the right way. It tells young Christians that standards are flexible when power is involved. It tells the watching world that the Gospel is negotiable when politics are at stake.
Pastoral Ministry
Why Pastoral Ministry Is Worth Pursuing Today, by George Robertson (The Gospel Coalition)
This call to pastoral ministry remains one of the highest privileges available to any man. Despite the challenges and criticisms, despite the temptation to measure success by worldly standards, the essential nature of this call hasn’t changed. It remains a divine mission with eternal consequences, carried out by weak but grace-enabled men who serve as ambassadors of the most important message in human history.
Receive, Don't Critique, by Barnabas Piper
The downside of being “on” is that it often hinders us from being in. We are so intent on the quality and the workings of ministry that we fail to participate in worshiping, which is particularly problematic since pastors are the primary worship leaders.
Family & Parents
Sticking to Your Boundaries While Still Hoping for a Ring by Spring, by Jim Newheiser (New Growth Press)
The desire to marry and have children is honorable and good (Genesis 2:18; Psalm 127:3–5; Proverbs 18:22). But like many good desires, the desire to be married can become idolatrous and ruinous if one puts that desire ahead of his or her commitment to pleasing God.
Books to Help Parents With Tech, by Tim Challies
Thankfully, Christian parents are well-served with books meant to inform and equip them as they lead their families. Here are some of my top picks for parents who want to faithfully disciple their children to live well in a world of smartphones, social media, AI, and a host of other world-shaping technologies.
Oh Lord, Be My Help: A Cry For The Weary Parent, by Lindsay Funches (Rooted)
Unlike King David, we often walk through our troubles armed with Google, AI, or our cell phones and mountains of parenting books and resources. But perhaps all that fabulous information and connection just isn’t where we need to be. Perhaps, we parents need first to cry out with those preschoolers and King David, “Oh Lord, be my help!”
From YPT this week
ep.127: What is (and isn't) Discipleship?
This episode of the YPT Podcast explores the difference between "ministry" and "discipleship", and the various layers of what it means to be a disciple.
What is Biblical Typology?, by Jason Engle
How can we teach Scripture well and show how each passage leads us to Christ? Biblical typology is explained and applied to the story of David and Goliath.
