Attempting a Series

We finally are situated in our new home, which consequently means I finally have my office set up and a place to (sort of) call my own. This being the case, I am going to attempt to undertake a series on a book that I am reservedly excited about. It's called Jesus Centered Youth Ministry. I am excited because this is the approach to youth ministry that I (hopefully) employ. Everything I do and say needs to point others to Jesus Christ. I am reservedly excited because I'm not sure how theological the book will end up being, and what the underlying Christology is that forms the framework for the argument. I've barely started the book, but it might be the case that to be Jesus-centered might simply mean somehow relating everything we do some teaching of Jesus, which in itself is not entirely bad. However, to be completely Jesus-centered, we need to locate those teachings in who Jesus was, and therefore relate all of what we say and do in youth ministry not only to the teachings of Jesus, but also to his person and work. Therefore, I am going to blog my way through this book, offering some critical feedback as I go. The purpose of this series is twofold: 1) I hope to develop a discipline of getting up early in the morning, doing some reading, and thinking theologically about what I'm reading. When the grind of ministry starts, its very easy to lose touch with things that most energize you about being a pastor, and this, frankly, is one that energizes me. This leads to the second purpose. 2) I hope this series will help clarify some of the vision that I have for what I will be doing this fall and beyond. My challenge will be to move from theological articulation to practical implementation, and I am hoping this series will be an integral part of that process. If anyone reads these anymore, feel free to offer feedback and advice.