Friday Review (5/16/25)
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
From Church to Subcontractor, from Growing Young Disciples
These ministries can be a blessing, but they can also reshape the way churches and parents think about their role in discipleship. Many young people today are discipled primarily by parachurch organisations rather than by their local church or their families. The question is: is this how God intended youth discipleship to work?
From Pew Parents to Prayer Partners: The Power of Intergenerational Ministry, by Katie Polski (Rooted)
Doing life together is essential in youth ministry. During this life stage, students are significantly influenced by their peers. While those friendships are crucial, if teenagers have little or no exposure to people in different life stages, they will miss out on the deep and often life-changing benefits of intergenerational relationships.
The Ruthless Elimination of Sloth: An Appeal to Young Men, by Seth Troutt (The Gospel Coalition)
Young men in this generation are particularly susceptible to sloth. The opportunities to be entertained are endless; gaming consoles and smartphones feed our dopamine systems like an IV drip. Fake enemies, fake battles, fake sex, fake risks, fake camaraderie, and fake victories beckon at every turn.
Biblical & Theological Studies
How the Exile Is Relevant for Christians Today, by Nicholas G. Piotrowski (Crossway)
In “the real world” where people are profoundly confused about who they are, what is good, what is true, what is beautiful, and what is the meaning of life, this biblical narrative of homecoming is beautifully refreshing, inspiring, motivating, hope-giving, grounding, and identifying. It gives us the understanding of God’s place and God’s timing so that we can endure suffering, resist sin, hope in our resurrection, lean on one another, and minister to the world.
Cultural Reflection & Contextualization
We Keep Watching Messed-Up Christians on TV—But What Are We Supposed to Do With That?, by Justin Phillips (RELEVANT)
No social media campaign or glossy rebrand is going to fix the credibility crisis if we keep living lives that contradict the message we claim to believe. We don’t need to protest the shows. We need to live in a way that makes them feel outdated.
Could Scrolling Become the New Smoking?, by Trevin Wax (The Gospel Coalition)
Could there come a day when endless scrolling is recognized as damaging to mental health in the same way smoking harms physical health? Will we reevaluate the appropriate age for smartphone use or reconsider adults’ immersion in social media? Will future generations look back on today’s unlimited access to pornography with horror and disbelief?
Pastoral Ministry
How to Support the Caregivers in Your Church, by Simonetta Carr (Ligonier)
Most churches are quick to respond to immediate needs. They are ready to provide material and emotional support to those who have received a troubling diagnosis, have lost a job or a home, or have had to bury a loved one. But caregiving is often a long-term calling, and the challenges continue long after the church’s initial burst of enthusiastic help.
Family & Parents
Is Your Family Calendar Built on Faithfulness?, by Zak Mellgren (The SubZak)
Don’t accept the cultural lie that you need to sacrifice time with your church family in order for your kids to get ahead in the world. Fear the Lord and delight in his commandments. Getting to church a mere 50-60% of Sundays for the sake of kids activities communicates to your children a reverence for the world and a delight in its commandments (namely, “thou shalt live for thyself”). Reject this.
Tell the Truth About Children, by Monica Geyen (Desiring God)
Perhaps we zealously undertake the rescue mission of motherhood while our hearts still cling to the names the world reserves for children: Chaos. Burdens. Busyness. Craziness. But God bestows on them different names: Heritage. Power. Blessings. Gifts. Our children do not need to “grow up” to earn given titles. Rather, mothers’ hearts need to hear afresh God’s words about children.
You Don't Need AI. You Can Just Tell Your Kids Stories, by O. Alan Noble (You Are Not Your Own)
Having spent probably hundreds of hours over many years lying on the floor telling stories to my children, I have some ideas about how to tell interesting stories. So if you are afraid or daunted by the prospect, read this and give it a try. Don’t rely on A.I. to tell your children stories when you can do it yourself.
From YPT this week
Podcast ep.102: Missions Trips & Discouraged Youth Pastors
ep.102 of the YPT Podcast features a conversation about short-term missions, gospel ministry, discouragement, and training volunteer leaders.
What Can Youth Workers Learn from John Stott? by Taylor Baird
Stott reminds us that our attempts at theological ministry are nothing if they are not shaped and fueled by love and channeled through rich, responsible relationships.