4Your Ministry
Harvest of Hope
Kay Marshall Strom
(IVP)
Years ago as a teenager, I was moved to tears by the image of an impoverished child on my TV screen. I sent them $30, and for the next four years, I received mail from them asking for more money that cost the organization (that was supposed to be feeding hungry children with my donation) easily more than quadruple that.
For a long time, I remained cynical about world relief organizations, especially faith-based ones. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to know some of the major decision makers in some of the biggest of them, and my faith has been restored—in some of them, anyway.

Intrigued by gift catalogs that allow donors to sponsor a child, obtain medical supplies, build a well, or buy livestock for needy recipients, Strom decided to follow the money to see if it actually made it to the indented recipients. She points out the stumbling blocks to making a long-term difference and some lessons learned through culturally insensitive efforts in the past, and she found that, by and large, the money does, indeed, make a difference.

Strom uses her share of hyperbolic language, more than her share of Muslim-bashing, and enough evange-speak to make me a little queasy. But she also uses some terrific stories that make me want to open up my pocketbook a little deeper.
—Will Penner

Jesus-Centered Youth Ministry
Rick Lawrence
(Group)
One thing I’ve always admired about the executive editor of Group Magazine is his transparency; he writes in a way that invites the reader into his thought-process without pretense. Another thing I’ve admired is his ability to survey the big picture of youth ministry in extremely user-friendly ways; some easily accessible writers have limited vantage points, and many with big-picture perches can’t related to Joe-Average Youth Worker. Finally, I’ve appreciated Rick’s passion for Jesus; he continues to point to Christ as the reason we do what we do.

On the other hand, I’ve been a bit critical at times of Group’s overuse (from my perspective) of youth ministry “big names” and large organizations—and perhaps I’ve unfairly characterized it in my own mind as a purely business/marketing tactic. So when I saw so many of the big names on the cover, I braced myself for a hodgepodge of the same-ole, same-ole, repackaged to sell another book. What I got, instead, was an insight into Rick’s journey through a renewed passion for Jesus that made me groan a little in recognition of some stoicism and cynicism that’s slowly crept into my professional life of late, as well.

The big namers provide some terrific chapter introductions within their areas of expertise, around which Rick weaves a complex narrative of his involvement in Group Magazine, the National Study of Youth and Religion, and his friendships with youth ministry gurus to address how youth workers can re-focus their professional lives so that all they do (discipleship, small groups, working with parents, etc.) is done out of a primary focus on Jesus.

This is now in my top-ten list of books on youth ministry I’d recommend to new and seasoned youth workers.
—Will Penner

Preaching Re-imagined
Doug Pagitt
(Zondervan)
Doug Pagitt, pastor of Solomon’s Porch in Minneapolis, and founding leader of Emergent, feels that most of what passes for preaching these days is really what he calls “speaching”: a religious monologue that reflects only the views of the pastor and the orthodoxy of a particular belief system.

Pagitt says that instead the sermon time in worship should be used for what he calls a “progressional dialogue” led by the pastor, which is based on the practices of the first century church. While Pagitt’s presentation is fairly well reasoned and supported by this model’s success in his own congregation, this particular model he advocates has some serious limitations and probably will not work as well in other settings.

The book would’ve been more useful had he spent more time talking about the principles that underlie this particular model rather than spending so much time telling us how to copy it. That said, he raises a lot of great questions and may help your thinking about how you approach sermons, youth talks, and Bible studies. Definitely worth a look.
—Matt Kelley

Revolutionary Parenting
George Barna
(BarnaBooks)
Christian Barna sets out to determine what makes a spiritual champion by evaluating the decisions made by the parents of today's spiritual champions. He puts together a masterful argument for each of his findings and communicates it in a straightforward and simple fashion. The “revolutionary” qualities buck conventional conservative perspectives on having large families and home schooling children, which Barna finds disadvantageous. Primairly aimed towards new parents and parents of young children who are fairly conservative; for as Barna states, “The spiritual war occurring in individual lives is pretty much won or lost by the age of thirteen.”
—Dustin Nelson

When God Says Jump
J.R. Briggs
(Th1nk/NavPress)
Briggs offers readers a fresh look at both some of the more prominent and some of the lesser-known figures in Scripture. Each colorful narrative centers on the theme of “risk.” Briggs retells the Biblical stories with conviction and an unyielding belief that we all ought to risk more for God. He adds to the prose his own stories and reflections, giving it just enough personal touch to make it feel more like a good sermon from your youth minister. He also includes several questions at the end each narrative, making the book very user friendly for curriculum-focused churches. Without a doubt I would recommend this book as a small group or Sunday school study for high school students.
—Jason Santos

Outside the Box
Monty Python and Philosophy: Nudge Nudge, Think Think
Gary L. Hardcastle and George A Reisch, editors
(Open Court Books)
Many of your students know and love Monty Python. This book is a collection of essays that explore the philosophical, and often surprisingly theological, issues raised in “The Life of Brian”, “The Holy Grail”, “The Parrot Sketch”, etc. This book is part of the “Popular Culture and Philosophy” series of books that cover such diverse forms of entertainment as Seinfeld, The Matrix, Harry Potter, and The Sopranos. This book, just like all the others in the series, makes useful background reading to help provide theological context to the things your students are watching, and you could even use them to put together some very creative and thought-provoking Bible-studies.
—Matt Kelley

Shorts
The Case for the Real Jesus, Lee Strobel (Zondervan)—Another book from former atheist-turned-Christian journalist on the quest to refute six current attacks on Jesus’ true identity.

JCQ’s, Rick Lawrence (Group)—Card deck containing 150 questions about Jesus to spark discussions about who he really is.

Leveraging your Leadership Style, John Jackson and Lorraine Bosse-Smith (Abingdon)—Guide to how personality temperaments provide strengths and weaknesses in our abilities to lead others.

4Your Students

Shorts
Don’t Forget to Dream, Tim Dowdy and Tim Luke (Bethany House)—Stories and principles to help readers tap into God’s mission for their lives.

Living with Questions, Dale Fincher (invert/YS)—Practical and personal approach to apologetics for students based on real questions from real students.

Middle School Survivor Series, Kurt Johnson and Mark Oestreicher (invert/YS)—Books three and four in the series that began with My Faith and My Family. My Friends focuses on helping middle schoolers make the most of their relationships. My School helps kids overcome issues they face on campus.

Playing with Fire, Melody Carlson, (Multnomah)—Novel about a girl who has disturbing dreams that lead her to help people in need.

What to Expect when You’re Accepted, Christopher Michael Jones (Judson)—Short, practical handbook written specifically for African American Christians heading off to college.


4Your Interest

Chasing the Dragon
Jackie Pullinger
(Regal)
Humbling. Encouraging. Challenging. Inspiring. Convicting. I have learned more from this autobiography of one woman's simple faith in an amazing God and passion for the hardest of heroin-addicted Chinese gangsters—than I have about God in hours of youth pastor clinics and stacks of how-to-books. Chasing the Dragon is one of about five books I think every Christian should read.
—Ty Griffin

Francis of Assisi: A Revolutionary Life
Adrian House
(Hidden Spring Books)
Francis of Assisi is one of the great heroes of the Christian faith, but most accounts of his (or any saint’s, for that matter) life tends to be a little dry because he’s often portrayed as a superhuman who never had to deal with the problems real people face. This biography, however, shows Francis as a man who had to grapple with the social and political realities of his time, including conflicts with the institutional church.

House writes to help the reader understand the applicability of a 12th century Italian to today’s world. It’s a wonderfully written volume that restores the human face of one of the greatest Christians that ever lived. You could use this book with older youth who have a passion for poverty and other social justice issues.
—Matt Kelley

Subversive Orthodoxy: Outlaws, Revolutionaries, and other Christians in Disguise
Robert Inchausti
(Brazos Press)
Each chapter in this book gives brief biographical sketches of Christians who struggled to live out the gospel in the face of intellectual, social, political, and economic systems that pushed people to do otherwise. Some of them are people you’ve heard of, like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Dorothy Day. Others like Ivan Illich are people you should learn about. And there are even a few like Jack Kerouac and Fodor Dostoyevsky that might surprise you.

This is useful background reading and might even be useful for teaching youth about how Christianity can be countercultural. Be warned, though: Parents may not like you teaching about how faith runs counter to the system, but it could be some of the most life-changing teaching you’ll ever do. This book is definitely worth reading.
—Matt Kelley

Shorts
10 Habits of Decidedly Defective People, Doug Giles (Regal)—Written as a guide for how to be a loser in order to emphasize destructive behavior patterns in our lives.

Abortion: The Evangelical Perspective, Matthew Everhard (Bibal Press)—Surveys the history of Christian teaching on abortion, contemporary cultural mindsets, and rational-yet-compassionate pro-life responses to the most common justifications for abortion.

Beyond, Greg Laurie (Multnomah Books)—Daily devotional from the mega-church pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California.

Free Indeed? Shean A. Smith (Living Press Publishing)—The author asserts that all too often the expectations of the church shackle believers into following laws and manufactured traditions that have nothing to do with the Gospel.

The Lord of the Ring, Phil Anderson (Regal)—History meets epic. History of some friends who vow to serve their Lord and another observer who tells the story as he experiences it.

My Visit to Hell, Paul Thigpen (Realms)—Novel about a man  on a journey through the place of the damned looking for a way for his soul to be purged so he can make it back out.

Praying with the Church, Scot Mcknight (Paraclete)—Understanding Jesus through our daily rhythms (and his).

A Short History of Slavery, James Walvin (Penguin)—Exactly what the title claims.

Spiritual Disciplines Devotional, Valerie E. Hess (Formatio)—A year’s worth of daily devotions focusing on core disciplines of the Christian life.

Starving Jesus, Craig Gross and J. R. Mahon (XXXchurch)—Focusing on “Christians’ inability to get things done.”

Surprised by Jesus, Tim Stafford (IVP)—A cultural and historical ride through what Jesus was really like.

Touchdown Alexander, Shaun Alexander with Cecil Murphey (Harvest)—NFL record holder, and MVP winner talks about his life of faith.

Tracing the Footsteps of God, C.S. Long (Fortress Press)—Stories and illustrations from around the world, especially Asian perspectives, and processes for personal theological development.

Why Good Arguments Often Fail, James Sire (IVP)—Apologetics re-imagined.

Discovering Soul Care, Mindy Caliguire (Formatio)—Introduction to caring for the soul; a guide for individuals and group study.

Spiritual Friendship, Mindy Caliguire (Formatio)—Building quality relationships with others as a spiritual discipline.

Jeff Bachman, student ministry director at The Well Community Church in Fresno, California
Rachel Erickson, youth pastor’s wife in Williams Bay, Wisconsin
Ty Griffin, youth minister at All Saints Church in Florence, South Carolina
Matt Kelley, pastor of Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Clarksville, Tennessee
Jason Santos, youth worker, speaker, and student at Princeton
Dustin Nelson, minister to students at First Baptist Church in Ellisville, Missouri
Marcus Pittman, volunteer youth leader at Riverside Baptist Church in Newport News, Virginia, and founder of www.transplantministries.com
Will Penner, executive editor of The Journal and youth worker just outside Nashville, Tennessee
Devin Penner, author, speaker, and high school sophomore in Fairview, Tennessee (all non-attributed books listed by Devin)
Dave Urbanski, music, movie, and culture critic (all music reviewed by Dave)