Youth Ministry

• An alternative to mission trips: Co-Mission
• Continuing with the discussions about youth group mission trips, Tim says Short Term Student Mission Trips Are Worth It.
• This isn’t a youth ministry post, and I don’t really know what I think about the book recommendation in it, but in general he is right. All youth ministry people need to acknowledge The Value of Theology.
• Have a small youth group? Here’s some thoughts on Growing a Small Youth Group.
• The title says it all: Religion and Sex Among American University Students.
• What kind of teacher are you? Two kinds of schooling.
• Need cheap ministry ideas? The $1 Idea Bucket.
• The Declining Faith Of Our Teenagers? Thoughts on one of the latest Barna reports.

Church, Mission & Theology

• The ELCA made the New York Times: Lutherans Welcome Seven Gay Pastors. Some good reflections on the issue are here: Gospel Writ Large.
• Should preachers not seek to be a good preacher?
• David Fitch thinks churches should not make any public statements, for or against, on GLBTQ relationships. Here’s Why Pre-Labeling A Church Community’s Stance on Same-Sex Relations is a Bad Idea.
• Drew Tatusko is blogging again, thankfully. I think he’s one of the best bloggers out there right now. Two posts from this week–we cannot change unless we mourn & evangelical indulgences?: idolatry in reverse.
• Ed Stetzer talks about When Missional Churches Will Multiply
• More thoughts on the recent public fame of liberation theologian James Cone: for some context see this Interview James Cone, and for some opinion, see this article at The Other Journal
• On pastoral visitation: Doing Ministry in the Living Room
• A huge series with lots of thoughts: The Future of Mainline Protestantism