Monthly Review (August 2025)
Each month this summer, 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
As Gen Z Turns to the Occult, How Should We Respond?, by Brandon Cooper (The Gospel Coalition)
Maybe that’s why so many from Gen Z are turning to the occult. To dabble with the dark arts is still to discover “more things in heaven and earth . . . than are dreamt of” in modern humanism’s enlightened, disenchanted rationalism. It’s a chance to ask Satan about God.
What Does Relational Discipleship Actually Look Like?, by Mike McGarry (Rooted)
If everything is discipleship, then nothing is discipleship. As tempting as it may be to place every aspect of ministry somewhere on the spectrum of discipleship, I think it’s much wiser (and more helpful) to have a tighter definition. For sake of this article, I’ll consider discipleship the intentional pursuit of Christlikeness.
Gen Alpha: Who Are They and How Do We Minister To Them?, by Ben Birdsong (D6 Family)
In seeking to understand a generation, we must realize that we helped to create it and that they will not fit in the boxes of our childhood experiences. From this place of seeking understanding, we can begin to see where Gen Alpha truly is, enabling us to parent and minister to them effectively.
Biblical & Theological Studies
The Changing of the Evangelical Guard, by O. Alan Noble (You Are Not Your Own)
We need institutions that are centered on the truth of the gospel, that understand that the ultimate need of humankind is not to have their civilization preserved but to have their soul preserved, not to have their nation’s ethnic identity preserved but to have their soul preserved. And only Christ can do that.
Strangers and Citizens: A Biblical Lens on Migration and Identity, by Isaac Ilunga (The Gospel Coalition Africa)
This ancient distinction challenges modern migration models that assume all migrants deserve equal treatment regardless of their legal status or willingness to integrate. The biblical model encourages discernment—recognising that not every outsider is the same, and not every arrival mandates the same response.
Cultural Reflection & Contextualization
CCM, Magnolia, and the Temptations of Christian Subculture, by Samuel D. James (Digital Liturgies)
Giving someone who names the name of Jesus power and means does not sanctify the means. Again: power and wealth demand to be maintained, and the maintenance of power and wealth often occupies the same space that spiritual faithfulness in a church would be. If you want an accurate picture of what happens to the Christians when affluence pours in, don’t look at Constantine. For every one Council of Nicea, there’s ten thousand “God’s Not Dead” tours.
When Will Meta Stop Trying to Hurt Children?, by Chris Martin (FYI with Chris Martin)
So, the question is, “Why would Meta write explicit allowances for its AI chatbot companions to talk to children in a sensual manner?” The answer is, “Because it is insanely profitable—perhaps even more profitable than its social media products.”
Pastoral Ministry
A Plea to Biblical Counselors Regarding Autism, by Matt McCraney (Biblical Counseling Foundation)
Biblical counselors, I beg you, do not go down this road, as it will lead to irreparable damage to individuals and families impacted by autism. This road represents a profound misunderstanding of what autism is, how it is diagnosed, and the medical side effects with which these families suffer.
Open Homes in a Closed-off World: The Gift of Hospitality, by Anna Jacob (Indi Aanya)
Hospitality, as the Bible reminds us, isn't a one-off event. It has to become a lifestyle and be a conscious, committed mindset that calls for a shift in how we see people. In a world that is rushing by, there are countless opportunities to show the love of Christ, if only we pause long enough to see them.
(Editor’s note: Hospitality is one of the qualifications for pastors/elders in 1 Tim. 3:2, but one we often neglect)
Family & Parents
Your Soccer Coach Has a Plan for Your Life, by John Beeson (The Bee Hive)
As another fall kicks off, your family is about to be ambushed by those who have strong convictions about where your family should spend its time. Well-meaning teachers, coaches, 4-H leaders, and drama and choir directors all want you to devote untold hours to their passion. And not a single one of those opportunities is bad. But they are dangerous.
The Better Way of Christian Parenting, by Casey McCall (One Thing Necessary)
I’m going to state my thesis clearly at the outset and then make my argument. Here it is: Rather than grant your child’s every desire, your job as a parent is to use your God-given authority to redirect those desires toward righteousness (love of God and neighbor) and to train your child to righteously handle the common human experience of coping with the disappointment of unfulfilled desires. In other words, the wise parent prepares the child for adulthood by training the child to be content in all circumstances.
From YPT this month
How to Teach the Bible by Mike McGarry
You’re convinced about the importance of teaching the Bible to you, but do you know how to put together a simple message?
Common Grace in Youth Ministry: Equipping Teens to See God’s Goodness at School by Jack Fitzgibbons
How can youth workers help students and parents think differently about school and its various activities? Maybe what is needed is a reclaiming of the theological concept of “common grace.”
What Does it Mean to be Iconic? by Mike McGarry
What does it mean to be created in God’s image? It’s a calling to be iconic: living icons of God’s glory and goodness.
Not Everything is Discipleship by Mike McGarry
Rather than viewing discipleship as a rigid education plan, have we started to treat all ministry as discipleship?
