Friday Review (5/8/26)

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

This Generation Averages 9 Hours of Daily Screen Time — And It’s Affecting More Than Mental Health, by Taylor Berry (RELEVANT)

Convenience is great until it becomes a substitute for formation. A map app is helpful when someone already knows the basics of direction. AI is useful when someone already knows how to think through an argument. A search engine is magic when someone already has the patience to read the answer.

Biblical & Theological Studies

Complementarianism and the Dignity of Women, by Nadya Williams (Mere Orthodoxy)

There is no question about it: people in antiquity outside the Judaeo-Christian circles firmly believed that women were different from men. They were not, however, complementarians in the sense of valuing these differences and distinctions.

On the Complexity of Evaluating Cultural Christianity, by Casey McCall (Elephant in the Room)

We should be thankful for wise leaders who promote civil religion for the benefit of all. However, we should beware of those who use the name of Jesus as a “Trojan horse” to accumulate power for themselves or their tribe.

Cultural Reflection & Contextualization

‘Suggested for You’: 5 Values AI Suggests, by Marc Sims (The Gospel Coalition)

Christians need wisdom to discern what any given technology suggests, what’s good and bad about those suggestions, and how we might use the technology for God’s glory. One of the most powerful technologies mankind has ever created is generative AI. What are some of its suggestions?

Eugenics as Self-Loathing, by Colin Redemer (First Things)

There is a particular kind of modern person who, upon encountering the messiness of human life, its sheer ungovernable profusion, and the suffering it entails, recoils not with pity or solidarity but with disgust. And because disgust is rarely accepted as its own justification, such a person dresses his disgust in the language of optimization, selection, species-level improvement—that is, eugenics.

Pastoral Ministry

The Pastoral Virtue of Avoidance, by Daniel Bouchoc and Zach Hollifield (For the Church)

In a day and culture where many assume the virtuous thing to do is always to enter fully into every debate and squabble, Paul’s pastoral virtue of avoidance forces us to ask ourselves, “Is this something I should be engaging with? If so, how, and to what extent?”

Beyond Ax Throwing: 8 Non-Stereotypical Men’s Ministry Events That Actually Disciple Men, by Wil Moore (Lifeway Research)

Men’s ministry isn’t about creating better events; it’s about creating clearer next steps. If everything you do points men toward community, discipleship, and purpose, you won’t just gather men, you’ll see them grow. And over time, that’s what builds something lasting.

Is Your Women’s Ministry Accessible to Single Moms?, by Alyson Punzi (The Gospel Coalition)

I believe most churches want to care well for the single moms in their midst. I’ve had two churches care well for me (and my daughter). But it can be hard for churches to know how exactly to help single moms meaningfully participate outside of Sunday worship.

Family & Parents

So Much of Parenting Is Just This Simple, Easy* Thing, by Andrea Burke (Two Humble Acres)

You could do it all “right” and it might fail. You could do it all “wrong” and the Lord works miracles. You just need to show up, every day.

Let the Little Children Hang With Church Grandmas, by Nadya Williams (Christianity Today)

Communal discipline is no longer the norm. But our children need intergenerational relationships, and not only for healthy growth in social skills. This kind of fellowship is a beautiful reminder, as pastor Cameron S. Shaffer notes in Keeping Kids Christian, that the church is a place for all generations, together.

From YPT this week

ep.140: The Devil Doesn't Take the Summer Off...

What do you do during the summer? Chances are, you assume you do “too much” or “too little” because you’ve fallen into the comparison trap. Let’s talk about it.

Welcoming Incoming 6th Graders, by Jarrin Peeples

How can we welcome incoming 6th Graders (and their parents!) into youth ministry with wisdom and patience?