Chris Folmsbee has already offered us two posts about youth ministry, and this is his third. Along with Marko’s new book we have two posts today about youth work. This post about evangelism is very important to me. I’m working right now on an evangelistic book for young adults. Chris: Over the last couple of weeks I have been in some terrific conversations about youth ministry and evangelism. One youth worker from a church in Toronto asked me, “Where did... Read more
So, what can we do? Marko, in his new book, Youth Ministry 3.0: A Manifesto of Where We’ve Been, Where We Are & Where We Need to Go , has a bundle of suggestions and I want to discuss a few of them today. What do you think? Are any of you in YM 3.0? What are you seeing? What are your suggestions? If the focus is affinity and we need to move more into communion and mission, what will... Read more
Here is one of the earliest Christian reflections on the new birth: 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. There are a number of things to observe here: 1. God’s desire contrasts with human desire: human desire is driven toward death and vacillates between the good and the bad. God’s desire, springing as it does in a fountain of utter goodness and faithfulness, remains... Read more
We need to develop an ongoing conversation about youth ministry. Marko’s book provides for us a virtual history of youth ministry in the last 50+ years and does so clearly and simply. We need this book. (By the way, “Marko” on the cover is a mock cover I found online.) As you read this post, think about whether or not you agree with his 3-fold scheme. Maybe you don’t agree with it all, but in general. What do you think... Read more
What about Arius, the prototypical heretic? The 1st chp in B. Quash and M. Ward, Heresies and How to Avoid Them: Why It Matters What Christians Believe , written by Michael B. Thompson (Anglican Vice-Principal of Ridley Hall in Cambridge and professor). This book would be a wonderful primer for college students, a Bible study group, or an adult SS class on heresies. Clarity and simplicity mark every page of this book. In brief, Arianism denies the full deity of... Read more
Jeff Cook teaches philosophy at the University of Northern Colorado; he blogs and he’s the author of a book called Seven: The Deadly Sins and the Beatitudes . Jeff’s post today reflects the kind of love that Lent leads us into. Question for the day: How does Lenten love manifest itself in our relationships? Or, what does Lent teach us about love and relationships? Now to Jeff Cook’s post. I have long believed that without pain, love is impossible, because... Read more
Our governor in Illinois, Pat Quinn, is proposing to increase cigarette taxes over the next year to a dollar more. Good grief, Governor, keep this up and folks will quit smoking! And he wants to add State taxes 50%. Maybe we ought to just move up the road to Wisconsin (but that might mean encounters with cheeseheads). Anyone have any suggestions? Read more
We met Wade in Nashville at the Zoe Conference last fall. Really liked him. He’s heading down to Austin TX now and this is what the good folks down there can look forward to. You might think this is a top ten ways to know you’ve heard a cutting-edge sermon… The Top Ten Ways You Know You Just Heard a Wade Hodges Sermon 1. At lunch, the topic of conversation centers around the question “Did he really just say what... Read more
The word “heresy” appears on this blog every now and then, and I have long wanted to do a series on heresy and heresies and have now found a perfect reason: B. Quash and M. Ward, Heresies and How to Avoid Them: Why It Matters What Christians Believe . I want to get this conversation started today. I begin with a set of questions: How do you define “heresy”? Who defines “heresy”? What have you heard — profound and absurd... Read more
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