Friday Review (6/13/25)
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
Two Views on Devices at Youth Retreats: A Case for Phone-Free Spaces, by Jason Engle (Rooted)
In the end, that struggle proved to be worth it, and the post-retreat feedback was overwhelmingly positive. We have not made sweeping policy decisions like this for every event, and I am certainly not offering a dogmatic position on this issue. I would simply like to share some of our reasons for going device-free, which I hope will help fellow youth ministers as you consider your next retreat or trip with students.
Enough With the Outsourcing! (Growing young Disciples)
And yet the discipleship of their own children can feel a bit like kryptonite for many parents. It stresses them out, frustrates them no end, leaves them deflated, bewildered and feeling like a failure. And so it is much easier for parents to outsource this job rather than to take the lead in it themselves. What can and should we say to parents in that situation? Here are a couple of suggestions:
Biblical & Theological Studies
When Did Hitler Replace Jesus as the Reference Point for Good and Evil?, by Collin Hansen (Crossway)
We shouldn’t miss the point. We need an objective standard of morality bigger than “not Hitler.” When we externalize evil to an out-group, we deceive ourselves in self-righteousness. When we don’t listen to God, demagogues emerge to speak as if they are gods.
Cultural Reflection & Contextualization
Screen Time Sabbaticals, by Jonathan Thomas (Evangelical Magazine)
I’d like to believe that my struggles with smartphones and social media are down to algorithms and addiction. I am simply the victim of a Silicon Valley strategy. If that were the case, my phone usage wouldn’t be my fault. It wouldn’t be my problem.
Should Christians Practice Surrogacy?, by Noah Senthil (The Gospel Coalition)
Whether planned or unplanned, children are a gift from the Lord. The biblical doctrine of creation encourages us to uphold a pro-natalist (i.e., pro-birth) view, so we should remain resolute in affirming the unqualified goodness of children. However, modern medical technology confronts the church with weighty questions regarding the methods of procreation.
The Mass Trauma of Porn, by Freya India (After Babel)
The impact is not only on individual children; this is doing something to our societies. What does growing up with limitless online porn do to our ability to love, to form lasting relationships? To our desire to start families? To our capacity to see people as people, instead of objects?
Pastoral Ministry
"Pastors Only Work 30 Minutes A Week”, by Michael Krahn (The Shepherd’s Refuge)
To all of this, pastors are called, and so we willingly engage. Sympathy is neither helpful nor required. Encouragement would be good. Support is always welcome.
Rehabilitating Ministers?, by Andrew Roycroft (New Grub Street)
I am challenging the myth that the restoration of a fallen minister should necessarily mean restoration to ministry, expressing my misgivings about a narrative that is repeated with disturbing frequency, seeking to put perpetrators back into the pulpit and back into pastorates.
Family & Parents
Dad’s Bible and Faithful Christian Parenting, by Evan Climpson (Gospel-Centered Discipleship)
Even in the daily grind of life with kids, Christian parents can take heart in the impact their faithfulness is having in the spiritual lives of their children. First, Christian parents can set an example in spiritual consistency.
Dad's Involvement With the Baby, by Rob and Stephanie Green (New Growth Press)
We are encouraging dads to think differently. We encourage you to praise the Lord that your baby loves his or her mom so much. Praise the Lord that he gave you an opportunity to show how wonderful his grace and love are in the midst of a hard moment. The baby did not stop crying, but you did care for him or her in a biblical way. Then, do it again the next day.
Helping Teenagers Develop Healthy Bible Reading Habits, by Chris Dalton (Rooted)
There are five things to consider that will help any teen, even those who don’t enjoy reading, to form a good habit of reading the Bible daily. First let’s consider habit-formation, and then we’ll look at some simple things that helps us select Bibles for them to read.
From YPT this week
ep.106: What NOT to do in Your First Year
In this podcast, Mike and John each offer 5 things NOT to do in your first year of youth ministry.
Casting Vision in Youth Ministry by Bryan Barrineau
If leadership is about moving people toward a destination, then vision is the compass. In youth ministry, vision answers this question: Where are we leading these students?