My congregation uses the wonderful Here We Stand confirmation ministry curriculum from Augsburg Fortress Publishers. Though no curriculum is perfect, I like Here We Stand (HWS) because it is intelligent, engaging, and flexible. I've used it with a large group of kids in a church that made great use of technology and enjoyed the sillinessContinue reading “Teaching the Bible in Confirmation Class”
Category Archives: Youth Ministry
Relational for a Reason?
My mind-bending immersion in the theology and practice of youth ministry took a wicked turn this morning. To recap, on Thursday and Friday I was in a two-day course at the ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza on the Exemplary Youth Ministry Study. This study identified 44 "faith assets" of congregations noted for nurturing mature faithContinue reading “Relational for a Reason?”
Paradigms and Theological Language of Youth Ministry
Argh. I'm being challenged by what I've learned during a two-day course on the Exemplary Youth Ministry Study at the beginning of the ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza. I've been bowled over by a new paradigm of youth ministry – from program-centered to formation-focused, from event-based to outcome-oriented (see yesterday's post). This is a youthContinue reading “Paradigms and Theological Language of Youth Ministry”
Youth Ministry: Producing Programs or Nurturing Faith?
Yesterday I wrote about some of the anxieties I was feeling in advance of the ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza. I was bracing myself for the possibility that I would find at this conference a mess of bad theology and dangerous personality-driven ministry practices. My fears were based on what I head experienced ten yearsContinue reading “Youth Ministry: Producing Programs or Nurturing Faith?”
Anxious & Excited to Explore Youth Ministry
In about 12 hours I'll be at the ELCA Youth Ministry Network's Extravaganza, an annual gathering of Lutheran youth workers. It will be my first time at the Extravaganza, and I'm looking forward to it. Most significantly, I'm looking forward to immersing myself in the youth ministry conversations that are taking place today – it'sContinue reading “Anxious & Excited to Explore Youth Ministry”
The Lutheran Zephyr 