OMG: A Youth Ministry Handbook

by Dean, Kenda Ceasey

• ISBN13: 9781426700088
• ISBN10: 1426700083
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-03-01
• Publisher: Abingdon Pr

Summary

Today's youth ministry is tomorrow's mainstream theology

Author Biography

Kenda Creasy Dean is Associate Professor of Youth, Church, and Culture; and Director of Tennent School of Christian Education at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Oh My God: An Introduction	p. xi
Haunting Questions	p. 1
You Are Not Alone	p. 2
Telling the Truth: We Do This for Joy	p. 3
The Trouble with Research	p. 4
Does Youth Ministry Matter?	p. 5
Do Our Practices of Youth Ministry Reflect Christ?	p. 7
Do Our Practices of Youth Ministry Shape Christians?	p. 9
How Long Can We Keep This Up?	p. 12
Can We Do Better?	p. 15
Further Reading on Themes in This Chapter	p. 17
Daunting Challenges	p. 19
Spying on Canaan	p. 20
The Challenges of a Changing Lifestage	p. 22
Expanding Adolescence?	p. 23
Ending of Adolescence?	p. 24
The Challenges of a Changing Context	p. 27
A New Sense of Place: The Challenge of Getting Grounded	p. 27
A New Sense of Time: The Challenge of Changing Tempo	p. 29
A New Sense of Stuff: The Challenge of Living Generously	p. 31
A New Sense of Self: The Challenge of Branding	p. 33
A New Sense of Story: The Challenge of Telling the Truth	p. 34
Challenges Ahead: Serving Christ in a Post-Christendom Church	p. 35
Learning to Be Church (Again)	p. 38
Further Reading on Themes in This Chapter	p. 39
Enduring Themes	p. 41
Some Things Last: Christ's Call to Discipleship	p. 42
Thumb-lines in Youth Ministry	p. 44
Belonging: Including Young People in the Community of Faith	p. 44
Accompaniment: Joining Young People on the Journey of Faith	p. 48
Participating in Means of Grace: Strengthening Young People for the Life of Faith	p. 50
The Sign Potential of Community	p. 52
The Sign Potential of Imagination	p. 53
The Sign Potential of Adolescence	p. 56
“Being in Time”	p. 57
Further Reading on Themes in This Chapter	p. 58
Promising Possibilities	p. 59
The Madness of Ministry with Young People	p. 60
The Theological “Turn” in Youth Ministry	p. 62
Dick and Jane Go to Church: The Hunger for a Worthy Adventure	p. 62
The Missional Church: Following Jesus into the World	p. 66
Vocation and Mission	p. 68
Through the Roof and through the Window	p. 68
Redefining Community: From Connections to Communion	p. 72
New Ways to Belong	p. 72
Communion, Not Connections	p. 73
Sacred Practices: Aiming for Embodied Faith	p. 74
Practicing the Presence of God	p. 75
A Curriculum of Sacred Practices	p. 76
The Importance of Parents	p. 76
Beyond Training Events: New Possibilities for Forming Leaders	p. 78
Incarnational Leadership Formation Is Communal	p. 80
Incarnational Leadership Formation Is Repeated and Ongoing	p. 80
Incarnational Leadership Formation Is Situated	p. 81
Incarnational Leadership Formation Is Spirit-led	p. 82
Streams in the Wasteland	p. 83
Further Reading on Themes in This Chapter	p. 83
Emerging Competencies	p. 85
Setting the Believers an Example (or Not)	p. 86
Leading with Integrity: Still Learning	p. 87
Searching the Scriptures: Expecting Transformation in Bible Study	p. 88
Inviting Wholeness: Identity and Integrity in Teaching	p. 91
Stilling the Soul: The Practice of Presence	p. 93
Soul Doctors: Nurturing Hope amidst Suffering	p. 96
Spectators No More: Creating Church versus Consuming It	p. 99
Choosing Life: Discerning Vocation with Young People	p. 102
Benedict of Nursia, Youth Guy	p. 104
Further Reading on Themes in This Chapter	p. 106
A Maturing Discipline	p. 107
Youth Ministry Comes of Age (Maybe)	p. 108
Field or Discipline?	p. 109
Specialists or Generalists?	p. 111
The Risks of Intellectual Maturity	p. 112
Pastoral Imagination: Job #1 for Preparing Youth Ministers	p. 114
Practical Theology: The Parent Discipline of Youth Ministry	p. 115
Discipling a Discipline	p. 117
Report Card for an Emerging Discipline	p. 118
A Common Mission: Theological Education and Reform	p. 119
A Common Language: A Conundrum	p. 120
A Cadre of Professionals: A Significant Presence	p. 121
Academic Programs: Proliferating	p. 122
Academic Research: A Hopeful Sign	p. 123
Distinctive Pedagogies: Still Evolving	p. 126
Growing Pains in a Growing Field	p. 126
Further Reading on Themes in This Chapter	p. 127
The Study of Exemplary Congregations in Youth Ministry: Assets for Developing Spiritually Mature Youth	p. 129
The Study of Exemplary Congregations in Youth Ministry: Characteristics of Spiritually Mature Youth	p. 133
Notes	p. 137
Index of Authors Cited	p. 159
Index of Selected Topics	p. 161
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