What have you been reading?

There are still those in the church who think that youth leadership is about playing games and having pizza. I enjoy watching people playing games (and sometimes I get involved) and pizza is clearly one of God's great gifts to the world. But ministry to youth is much more than these two things.

If you are going to remain effective in ministry of any kind, it is essential to keep learning. One of the ways you can do this is by reading.

So, what have you been reading lately?

Here are a few books that have been in my hands recently.

"Faith Formation in a Secular Age" by Andrew Root

If you're looking for a nice easy book to read, don't pick this one up. But if you're looking for something a little more solid that's worth chewing over, this is a good one. I don't think it's over exaggerating to say that this is a book for our time, and that ten or fifteen years from now, only some of what is here might still be relevant. Having said that, I think that Part 2 of this book will be relevant.

"Christian Youth Work in Theory and Practice" edited by Sally Nash and Jo Whitehead.

This book brings together a large team of youth ministry people to each write in a particular topic. What sets this book apart from many others is a response from another writer to each topic. This helps the reader to consider a bit deeper what has been written and how it might apply to our own lives.

"Living in a Gray World" by Preston Sprinkle

You can read a full review I wrote here http://ministryandyouth.blogspot.com/2018/05/living-in-gray-world-review.html

But in brief, this is a good book for youth leaders to be aware of. There are hints in here that are relevant for you as you meet young people who are working out where they are in their own sexuality. There is also some good wisdom in this book for teenagers themselves.

So, that's what I've been reading lately. What about you?

What are you reading?