Good morning. We are approaching a long weekend here in Canada. Officially, the first Monday in August is called “Civic Holiday,” but strangely, some provinces mark it, while others don’t. Even stranger, it goes by different names in different provinces and sometimes even in different cities. Here in Ontario, only government and bank employees officially get the day off, though many businesses grant it as well.
Sales & Deals
Today’s Kindle deals include two helpful books by Stephen McAlpine: Being the Bad Guys and Futureproof. There are other choices as well, of course.
Recommended Reading
When Should We Just Call Young Adults ‘Adult-Adults’? I think this is a really good question for churches to ask: When should we consider young adults “adult-adults?” “Young adults ministry, like all targeted ministries, needs to be conscious of the theological and practical risks of the homogeneous unit principle. However, if we accept that targeted ministries can have a healthy place in church life, there are some potential negative consequences in stretching the age-range of ‘young adult’ too wide, and investing in specialist ministry to this broad cohort.”
Who Is Missing in Your Church Who Is Already There? Here’s another worthy question: Who is missing in your church who is already there? “The question that has challenged me recently is not how we define an active member, but how people become one. We often assume that if someone wants to be involved, they simply will. They will sign up, introduce themselves, volunteer, and find their place. While there is certainly personal responsibility involved, I wonder if we have unintentionally shifted too much of the burden onto the individual.”
Five Ways to Help Teenagers Actually Love the Bible. Many parents and youth leaders default to short, simple Bible lessons for teens — but Anna Meade Harris and Chelsea Kingston Erickson (Rooted Ministry) suggest teenagers actually crave more substance. In this piece for TGC, they offer five practical ways to deepen a teen’s engagement with Scripture: working through whole books, praying the Psalms, leading their own inductive study, tracing the Bible’s one unified story, and persevering in prayer. (Sponsored)
Count the Cost of Missions, but Don’t Forget the Joys. We are accustomed to making sure that potential missionaries count the cost of missions, but Matt Rhodes reminds us that it’s important to count the joys as well. “Those considering missions should count the cost, but they shouldn’t stop there. They should also consider the reward. In one of his most difficult seasons, Paul wrote that ‘this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison’ (2 Corinthians 4:17). Whatever hardships we suffer for Christ are temporary. The reward he promises lasts forever.”
Godly Friends and Gospel Schemes. Jacob Crouch: “Too many are content to be in nominal friendships. You may be ok to be around the things of God together, but the thought of bringing each other into your spiritual life seems weird. To bring up spiritual matters makes you uncomfortable. You’re ok to talk cars, or football, or politics, but Christ and Him crucified is a step too far. If you find yourself in friendships like this, I want to be the voice of reason for you: You need godly friendships.”
Words Are Very Unnecessary. Stephen McAlpine considers how the church may need to adapt to the reality that many young people don’t engage in the real world as much as previous generations did. “What might it mean to accommodate a whole generation of new church-goers who are unused to talking on a regular basis, don’t know how to strike up a conversation (especially with a fellow young person of the opposite sex), and certainly don’t know how to navigate a conflict verbally?”
Biblical Respect in a Disrespectful Age. Here’s a helpful piece on emphasizing biblical respect in a disrespectful age. “Regardless of the status and authority of others or ourselves, respecting others is God’s command. By doing so we show ourselves to be followers of Christ Jesus, who love him by keeping his commandments. Rather than the disrespect our culture often seems to enjoy showing to others, as Christians we are commanded to be respectful and honoring to those over us and also to those who have been placed under our authority. We honor God and show respect to him by demonstrating his love in our own behavior.”
Book Reviews
I like to write book reviews, but also to read them. Here are a few that caught my attention this week:
Alistair Chalmers was as impressed with A Heart Aflame for God as I was. “Matthew Bingham argues that Reformed Christians do not need to look outside their theological heritage to discover a rich, serious and deeply experiential approach to the Christian life. Drawing particularly upon the Reformers and Puritans, Bingham retrieves a vision of spirituality that is firmly grounded in Scripture, shaped by the gospel and centred upon communion with God.”
James Ritchey enjoyed The Redeemed Man (edited by Joel Beeke, Richard Phillips, and Paul Smalley) and says, “If you seek a book on godly manhood that is truly grounded in Reformed theology, piety, and practice, this is such a book. You will be edified and reminded of truths that endure in every generation.”
Ryanne Molinari was excited to read Stories Woven in Silver “about using literature to disciple children’s imaginations.” It didn’t let her down.
Garrett Conner reviews Dave Kiehn’s book Pulling the Thread: A Pastoral Philosophy on Church Revitalization and writes, “I felt like I was sitting down for a thoughtful conversation about church revitalization with a loving and faithful pastor who was genuinely interested in the work the Lord had given me to do.”
Flashback
Should We Exercise “Pronoun Hospitality?” The authors of the book The Gender Revolution speak to the subject of so-called “pronoun hospitality” along with the pressure to tell others your own preferred pronouns and provide their guidance.
It is tragic to go through our days making Christ the subject of our study but not the sustenance of our souls.
—Vance Havner
