Fractal Generations

The third in a series of anthologies of stories by teenagers and publised by St Mary’s Press. This volume shares teenagers’ experiences of finding hope and inspiration when life becomes too hard to cope and when they discover in the present the possibilities for a brighter future.

The stories contained in the book are real, fascinating, inspiring and moving. They would form a great resource as discussion and reflection starters and could also be used as readings for worship. They would also be a useful tool for inspiring young people and adults to write their own stories.

A must for the library of anyone involved in youth ministry.

This is a new edition of the classic 1976 critique of Christian education by John H. Westerhoff. Westerhoff argues that for too long Christian education has modeled itself on the instructional model that exists in schools and that has been a major reason for the failure of Christian education. He argues for a paradigm shift towards a model that sees faith formation happening in a variety of contexts – family, church community, school, church school. In the book, he argues that it because Christian education has been relegated to Sunday morning classes, Christian education has become focused on learning facts about religion rather than experiencing and learning faith. The book provides some answers to the questions around how we can be faith communities that can nourish and nurture faith development, instead of just teaching facts.

“I am convinced that the very foundations upon which we engage in Christian education are shaking. And while a host of builders attempt with varying degrees of success to shore them up, there is a dearth of architects engaged in designing new structures. The church’s educational problems rests not in its educational programs, but in the paradigm or model which undergirds its educational ministry – the agreed-upon frame of reference which guides its educational efforts.” Pg. 5

This new edition includes a new foreword, updates at the end of each chapter and an afterword that provides some insight into where Westerhoff’s thinking stands at present and how it continues to develop.

This book is highly recommended, it raises some interesting and important questions around how and why we communicate our faith to children and young people.

This book is a wonderful exploration of confirmation as a rite of passage in the Christian church. I have wrestled for some time about the purpose and goal of confirmation, especially since increasingly it has become something of an exit ritual within many churches. Becoming & Belonging has helped me think through and develop a more contemporary and relevant understanding of confirmation.

The book is divided into two main sections. The first section deals with developing a working theory of confirmation. I found this section extremely helpful. The authors spend time exploring the history of confirmation, look at models of confirmation and engage in a fairly indepth exploration into the connect/disconnect between youth and the church. There is also a transcript of conversations between the 4 authors of the book – probably one of the most fascinating and interesting elements in the book.

The second section sets out a program for confirmation based on four elements discussed in the first section: tradition, covenant, ministry and pilgrimage. The most useful part of this section was the selection of ideas for activities for each of the elements.

Overall, a helpful book and useful in helping those involved in working with teens to think through the whole confirmation process and to engage in some theological reflection on the process.

“The theological challenge youth pose to the church is blunt: Are we who we say we are? Do we practice passion, transformed by a Love who never disappoints, and live by a faith so convincing that we stake our lives on it? Or are we just another sagging social convention, like Dracula, that needs young blood to survive?”

The first thing to say is that this book is definitely NOT a step-by-step how-to-manual for starting or leading youth groups. If that is what you are looking for I suggest you look elsewhere. The author, Kenda Creasy Dean, is profesor of youth ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary. As the quote above points out, the problem that Dean sees in the church and in the practice of youth ministry these days is the lack of passion. She argues that most of our mainline churches don’t live out what it means to be passionate and we need to offer something for our adolescents who are searching for something worth dying for which would then provide them something to live for.

She argues that when the church does not practice its passion, youth take their passions somewhere else often filling the void left by being unable to live passionate lives with fleeting attraction to other causes, addictions and the like. Dean proposes that youth ministry must be grounded in young people’s participation in the practices of a passionate church.

Dean uses some colourful metaphors and lively turns of phrase throughout. I think my favorite metaphor is that of youth ministry taking place in the “shallow end of the theological swimming pool.”

Dean offers a theological prescription both for youth ministry and also for the whole church. Her thesis is that “a passionless church will never address passionate youth.” Come to think of it, one could argue that it will never address passionate adults either.

This book is well worth a read. It raises some interesting questions and challenges for what it means to be church today, as well as a much-needed critique of the practice of youth ministry.

This new book, edited by Dorothy Bass and Don Richter, was published in 2002 by Upper Room Books. 18 teens and 18 adults collaborate to write chapters about Friends, Stuff, Bodies, Food, Prayer, Music, Truth, Grieving, Creation to name a few (there are 20 different topics in the book). Rather than being a preachy book of don’ts, or offering predictable answers to predictable questions, the teens and their adult co-authors give some solid reflection and points of view on these different topics, and challenge teens with some practical suggestions to discover a “Way to Live” that brings God into all parts of their lives. Many of the adults who helped author this book are involved in youth theology programs like Ask & Imagine.

It makes a great book for youth groups, or for any teen who wants to see how their Christian faith connects to the world, and discover a “way to live” that faith. You can check out the Way to Live website for more information.

“...This book invites you into a community of people who don’t just go with the flow. This community’s image of ‘the good life’ is not about having lots of stuff or being more successful than other people. Instead, it’s about getting involved in the loving, challenging life of God.” Way to Live p 6

***This review is from the Ask & Imagine website***