Back to the Basics of Theological Youth Ministry
As I have stated in a variety of places, youth ministry has experienced a significant shift in the past decade or two. Youth ministry, at least from my perspective, has become more theological and thoughtful in the last five-to-ten years as demonstrated by organizations and podcasts like the Youth Pastor Theologian, Rooted Ministry, D6 Academic, and Youth Ministry Institute at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. One could also...
Discussing Doctrinal Differences
Among the courses I teach at Welch College is Christian Doctrines. One of my goals, in addition to teaching reformed Arminian and Free Will Baptist doctrine, is to introduce students to the doctrinal positions of other confessions. I aim to teach the inner logic of varying positions. But my purpose, for Free Will Baptist students especially, is to teach them how to respond to alternative viewpoints and remain confident in their own....
Gospel Feasting
Quickly I lay out two small salad plates and two larger dinner plates from my set of sage-rimmed stoneware on the brown woven placemats. I have only a few minutes before the action begins; once my guests arrive, we will barely be able to keep wiggly bottoms in chairs and food on the plates for the brief moment it takes to bless it. I pull out a couple tealights and decide the tin box that holds the crayons will do for a candelabra. I...
A Difference in Kind: The First and Second Great Awakenings
As we look around the landscape of modern evangelicalism, we find a wide range of beliefs and practices. The kaleidoscope of low church denominations and “non–denominations” can be almost dizzying in their variety. However, these developments result from historic events. By studying how past Christians adopted certain emphases and practices, we better understand current circumstances. Revivalism is one very important aspect of...
Hope for the Weary
by Emily Vickery There is a weariness that lies just this side of burnout—the kind that weighs down your soul and takes up residence in your bones. It is the companion of middle-of-the-night nursery trips, early morning wake-up calls, and long days with longer to-do lists. It sits up with you at night as you finish that one final task and greets you in the morning as you rush out the door with a rapidly cooling cup of coffee. It...
“God in the Form of a Slave”: Humility, Incarnation, and Feet Washing
At the beginning of his Gospel, John informs us of a major inflection point in human history when he writes that “the Word” who is God “became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn. 1:1, 14).[1] More appropriately, we might say that the incarnation was the major inflection point of human history. It was nothing less than an invasion of what Fernando F. Segovia terms the “world ‘above’” into the “world ‘below.’” The former refers to the...
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