Book Recommendations (Winter 2015)
Learning to apply the principles of Scripture to our daily lives is a matter that demands serious contemplation and commitment. We desire to be good stewards of what God has given us, including our abilities, opportunities, finances, and responsibilities. Often it can be helpful to work through the implications of biblical principles with a friend—two heads are better than one after all. This quarter’s selection of recommended books...
To the Sources: Retrieving the Christian Theological Tradition: Part 2
Today’s post is the second part of an essay that posted this past Monday. Webber is best known for his four-volume project known as the “Ancient-Future series.” This series includes an introductory volume, followed by titles on evangelism, spiritual formation, and worship.[1] The introductory volume subtitled “Rethinking Evangelicalism for a Postmodern World,” best demonstrates Webber’s specific aim: The fundamental concern of this...
To the Sources: Retrieving the Christian Theological Tradition
(This essay is adapted from a presentation given by Jackson Watts at the 2014 National Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society) Arguably the dominant mark of the 15th and 16th centuries was the call of ad fontes (lit. “to the fountains”). This period witnessed a resurgence of interest in Greco-Roman culture, as well as classical Christian sources from the Patristic period (roughly the first five centuries A.D.). This return to...
Is Youth Ministry Biblical?
Most of us who have grown up within American evangelicalism have fond memories of youth group. We remember camp messages that focused on our response to the Gospel. We remember youth pastors calling on us to take our purity seriously. Whether it was an all-night lock-in or songs around a campfire, we remember our time in youth group as equal parts fun and spiritual growth. For good reason, we often look back to our 4-6 years in a...
Everyone’s A Winner: Raising a Generation of Losers
by Anna McAffee In our world today, there is a governing philosophy to educate youth with the idea that they can do anything they set their mind to do. “Believe, achieve, succeed”—this is what my former alma mater engrained in me as we would repeat this refrain during morning announcements. No one loses, and everyone wins. But is this true? And is it right? Have we created an impossible reality for a fallen creation? Mentally,...
From Goofs to Glory
Have you as a church leader ever stepped in front of a congregation to discover that things aren’t going as expected? Perhaps something didn’t quite come out right in your preaching or teaching; or you began playing a song in the wrong key, or your instrument was out of tune. Whatever the mishap, we’ve all been there at some point. And usually our only option is to grit our teeth and get through it. We may feel embarrassment,...
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