Contemplative Youth Ministry

A lot of bloggers have posted about this book recently. Maggi referred to this review today; Jonny Baker here and here; Ian at youthblog; and many others. I picked up the book this weekend on these recommendations. This is an important book to be read alongside Kenda Creasy Dean's Practising Passion. The first chapter is spot on in its analysis of how many adults feel about young people and argues that much of this in due to the separation of child and young people from adults. The growth of youthworkers in churches is both positive and negative - positive because its recognising that young people are not yet adults; negative because it takes away our responsibility as churches to be involved in the discipleship of our young people (i.e. the responsibility gets shifted over to the youthworker/s). All of us in our churches need to read a book like this, especially those in leadership and who shape the way we exist as church. A book like this only serves my frustration and belief that the way that many of us are and do church is flawed and cannot  ultimately help our children and young people grow in Christian discipleship (see my earlier post here for some related thoughts on this subject).