From the category archives:
don’t miss this article on cnn.com about kenda dean’s book, almost christian. the money paragraph: No matter their background, Dean says committed Christian teens share four traits: They have a personal story about God they can share, a deep connection to a faith community, a sense of purpose and a sense of hope about their [...]
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yesterday, one of my youth ministry coaching program cohorts had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with dr. robert epstein for 90 minutes. epstein graciously welcomed us into his home, served us iced tea and cookies, and engaged with us is a pot-stirring exploration of ideas. for an academic with such polarizing (and, some would [...]
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i’m in the middle of reading kenda creasy dean‘s new book, almost christian: what the faith of our teenagers is telling the american church (it’s so good, and critical reading for all youth workers – i’m sure i’ll be posting more about it). the book is kenda’s interpretation of the findings of christian smith’s ‘national [...]
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i’m really excited about the potential of a small change-the-world collaborative effort my extended family is undertaking together. and i think it offers a raft of potential impacts and benefits that go far beyond an individual donation i would make. here’s the backstory: sometime last year, i heard about the (then) new book, half the [...]
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got an email from my friend andy root, asking if i would consider posting this offer from him. and, heck, i’ll not just post it because i like andy and think he’s one of the truly brilliant youth ministry researchers/thinkers/authors out there, whose books are significant contributions to our thinking and calling. i’ll post it [...]
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stumbled across this AMAZING quote by ‘the walter‘ recently, while reading his book, hope within history: Mature personhood does not come by pilgrimages of continuity, but by abrasion, disruption, and discontinuity which shatter our grasp of things and make us, at key points, not the initiators but the recipients of gifts and surprises that we [...]
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seriously, where else would these three books be reviewed together? Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving with Grace, by Gordon MacKenzie 5 stars several years ago, when i became the president of youth specialties, mcnair wilson suggested i needed to read this book. it’s one of very, very few books i’ve [...]
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i’ve got a couple days of 3 mini-reviews each. and i’m kind of cracking up at the mix. seriously, i doubt these three books have ever been reviewed together in the same space before. what can i say? i like to read diversely. Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, by Nicholas [...]
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when youth specialties asks speakers to do a seminar at the national youth workers conventions, they ask for a handful of possible seminar titles. then tic long chooses the ones that fit the overall mix. i’ve been through this process for 20 years or so, including all the years i worked at ys. so it [...]
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i’m experiencing a handful of turns in my thinking about youth ministry these days. most of them are not even close to fully fleshed out. i often see them pop up when i’m doing a youth ministry seminar, saying something i’ve said before, and realizing i don’t fully agree with it anymore. this happened to [...]
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