Friday Review (6/5/26)
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
Helping Teenagers Experience the Body of Christ, by Cristobal Tong (Rooted)
The relational presence of church members became the way Jesus drew near to me, showing that his love is made tangible through community. This is especially true in youth ministry.
Biblical & Theological Studies
Can Christians Smoke Weed?, by Daniel Darling (Christianity Today)
Is it right to consume cannabis? For most evangelicals in America, the question was long a moot point because marijuana consumption was illegal. But today, 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana use, and 40 states allow medical usage.
Why Teaching Deep Theology Matters to Your Church, by Reid Patton (Lifeway Research)
If I told you, “The evangelical church in North America is in crisis,” would you agree? If so, what would you identify as the crisis—declining attendance, less passion for local and global missions than in prior years, or waning cultural influence? What if I told you the crisis runs deeper —and that these legitimate concerns are symptoms of rot at the foundation?
Cultural Reflection & Contextualization
The Twin Fallacies of Christian Nationalism and AI Maximalism, by Samuel D. James (Digital Liturgies)
These questions come from a conviction that the claims of Christ in Scripture are such a nature that one cannot believe and obey them without experiencing some kind of limiting principle on their technology and on their politics. In other words, if you really take Christ seriously, your tech use and your politics will bear a conspicuous mark. Let me give a few examples, starting with politics.
Nihilism with a Business Model, by John Seel (Aaron Renn)
One of the defining features of modern economic life is the rise of the gig economy. The gig economy is an economic system built around short-term, flexible, and often digitally mediated work in which individuals earn income through temporary tasks, freelance labor, side hustles, or platform-based services rather than stable long-term employment.
AI and the Deformation of the Student’s Soul, by David M. Shaw (The Gospel Coalition Australia)
In other words, learning really is a spiritual discipline that AI cannot replicate. By short-circuiting the process of learning, one short-circuits their soul. One cannot experience transformation —at least not in the positive sense of the term.
Pastoral Ministry
Fifteen Questions to Help You Grow in Corporate Worship: Preparation, Participation and Departure, by Rich Penix (9 Marks)
These questions deal with three areas: how we prepare for corporate worship, how we participate in corporate worship, and how we depart from corporate worship. By answering these questions thoughtfully and honestly, we can identify ways we need to grow in this crucial area of discipleship.
Family & Parents
Having Kids When There's Never a Good Time to Have Kids, by Griffin Gooch (Reality Theology)
We’re not living in a new Eden. But everytime I see something like this, I can’t help but think: there’s never been a perfect time to have kids. But right now is not, comparatively, the worst.
Parenting During Tryouts: An Opportunity to Grow, by Dawson Cooper (Rooted)
Tryouts bring a rollercoaster of emotions that can shake even the most even-keeled parent. Yet tryout season provides fertile ground for both parents and teens alike to remember their identity in Christ. It’s a time to remember that God is not only the author of our children’s stories, but he also prepares them for whatever he has.
Kids Need to Lament Too, by Alyson Punzi (Crossway)
We can encourage our children that God is with them and he always hears their cry. The comfort that we offer our children is the same comfort that we experience as we face difficult things.
From YPT this week
ep.143: Ongoing Discipleship & Curriculum Preview
What does Ongoing Discipleship look like in youth ministry? This preview of the forthcoming YPT Curriculum will offer some guidance about how to call youth into mature faith.
How to Understand a Biblical Passage: Hermeneutics 101, by Pedro Heizer
Every youth worker already practices hermeneutics whenever they open the Bible and ask, “What does this verse mean?” The question is not whether we use hermeneutics, but rather how to use hermeneutics well.
