Edited by youth ministry specialists Alison and David Booker, this book gathers together contributions on a number of practical areas of mission, as well as provocative reflections on the tensions that continually need to be addressed by those engaged in youth work. The book draws on the experiences of writers with a range of experience in working with young people, to explore issues such as:
- How Christian youth subculture can distance young people from the Church
- Whether ‘mass action mission events’ are effective in engaging individuals with a sustainable foundation for a growing faith
- Helping young Christians understand other faiths and the implications of living as Christian in a multi-faith society
- The challenges and benefits of working alongside uniformed organisations such as Scouts, Guides and the Boys’ and Girls’ Brigades.
Young People and Worship – a practical guide (ISBN 978-07151-4057-4) priced £11.99
Taking another of the National Youth Strategy’s themes as its cue, Young People and Worship, edited by Mark Montgomery, calls on churches to rethink the way that they engage young people in worship. Stressing the fact that there is no ‘one size fits all’ way of involving young people in the liturgical life of the church, the book covers creative approaches to worship and wider issues of spirituality through contributions from a range of youth work specialists. The importance of providing prayer and Bible study that resonates with young people’s own experiences and stimulates their imagination is highlighted, as is the need for ‘all-age worship’ to be based on a participatory approach rather than seen an opportunity to simply ‘entertain’ younger members of the congregation.
Mission-shaped Youth – rethinking young people and church (ISBN 978-07151-4082-6) priced £7.99
Mission-shaped Youth collects together stories of people and projects that are responding to the call to mission made in the landmark Mission-shaped Church report. These case studies – ranging from monthly worship events organised by a group of churches, to church youth workers employed in secondary schools – are used to draw out some of the key challenges and encouragement for the wider Church, as well as offering inspiration for churches seeking to develop their work with young people both inside and outside the Church building.
All three books are available from Christian bookshops including Church House Bookshop, 31 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BN, telephone 020 7799 4064 or email.
reviewed by Steve Martin
