• Andrew Root,  Theological Reflection,  Youth Ministry

    Why Theological Method Matters in Youth Ministry

    In a recent conference for youth ministry I noticed the presence of a theological method called “theological reflection.” I am familiar with Theological Reflection (TR) from my years in youth ministry in the UK, but was surprised to see its prominence among evangelicals in the US. TR is a relatively recent development in theological method. Its roots are in theologies that stress a particular cultural context as the starting point for theology. They usually contain the name of the context in their titles, such as “black” theology or “feminist” theology. Sometimes they are grouped together under the term “liberation” theology and are theologies often seen as belonging to people groups…

  • Authority,  Truth,  Youth Ministry

    What the World Needs Now

    We are almost certainly on the brink of a post-Christian Western culture. In Almost Christian, Kenda Creasy Dean paints a bleak picture of youth culture and its relationship to the church: “American young people are, theoretically, fine with religious faith–but it does not concern them very much, and it is not durable enough to survive long after they graduate from high school” (3). I want to provide some practical strategies that are not only focused on how we lead our young in the faith, but in how we ourselves carry and practice our faith. Here are six strategies for passing on the faith: Strategy #1 – Fill in the worldview blanks Alasdair MacIntyre,…