Friday Review (6/26/26)
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
Gen Z Churchgoers Attend More but Often Lag in Application, by Aaron Earls (Lifeway Research)
My biggest concern for Gen Z is not that they are disconnected from the church; our research shows that Gen Z is deeply involved. The greater concern is that they are not being deeply formed.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism Gives Your Teenager Purpose, by Kristin Elizabeth Couch (Rooted)
Throngs of teenagers are floundering, feeling anxious, disengaged, and lonely, while spending swaths of time on phones and social media. Many wander aimlessly, without understanding their life’s true purpose.
Biblical & Theological Studies
Where Should Complementarians Draw the Line?, by Steve Lambert (The Gospel Coalition Canada)
I am aware of a number of denominational bodies that are currently trying to work through such disagreements. These particular cases are complicated by the fact that churches on both sides of the disagreement all call themselves complementarian.
Cultural Reflection & Contextualization
Millennials Tried Being Angry. It Didn't Work, by Samuel D. James (Digital Liturgies)
My millennial generation turned activism into a way of life. Anger at religion, climate villains, police, Lehman Bros., the patriarchy, and insufficiently progressive colleges intersected with the social media age in a way that transformed millions of people into keyboard prophets.
8 Sci-Fi Movies That Explore Faith Better Than You’d Expect, from RELEVANT
Sci-fi often gets treated as the genre of technology and progress. The best examples have always been interested in something deeper. They use aliens, distant planets and impossible futures to explore the same questions people have been asking for centuries.
Pastoral Ministry
Where Are The Young Men? Ministry And The Crisis Of Formation, by Everett Henes (The Heidelblog)
There is a shortage of pastors. Churches need men. Presbyteries need men. Mission works need men. Pulpits are opening, congregations are waiting, and the question keeps coming up: Why are young men not choosing the ministry?
Reverence in Worship, by Tim Scheiderer (For the Church)
The Holy Scriptures provide tangible principles—drawn from key events—that church leaders can use to foster reverence every Sunday morning. Two such passages are Isaiah’s vision of God in the temple and the high priest’s duties on the Day of Atonement.
The Mirage Of The Influencer–Pastor: Why “Gig Eva” And Its Churches Fail, by Sam Hyeong Rae Jo (The Heidelblog)
In recent years, the evangelical landscape has undergone a seismic shift no longer confined to North America. We have moved from an era of large, stable institutions toward a decentralized, digital-first world of individual content creators.
Family & Parents
Raising Kids in the Faith Is Simpler Than You May Think, by Joe Carter (The Gospel Coalition)
A new report finds that the single biggest factor in whether children keep the faith isn’t their church, their youth group, or their peers but their parents. The more surprising finding is what works at home, and how often well-meaning Christian parents get it backward.
Wisdom for Parents Deep in the World of Sports and Extracurriculars, by Connie Leung Nelson (Rooted)
Drawing boundaries around where to spend time and resources on sports and extracurriculars is a part of discipling our kids to know and grow in Jesus. Here are a few thoughts to help parents prayerfully discern the lines for our families.
From YPT this week
Hermeneutics in the Age of AI: How Youth Pastors Can Utilize AI and Online Resources Without Losing the Text, by Bryan Barrineau
Online resources have been available for youth workers for years, but how is AI different, and how should we think carefully about the way we use AI and online resources?
