Gymea/Miranda Uniting Church Young Adults Group
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New Creation Gymea/Miranda Uniting Church Young Adults Group |
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BOOK REVIEWS |
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| Title | Author |  |
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| Practicing Passion | Kenda Creasy Dean | Review by Darren Wright - Canberra Region Youth Ministry Worker |  |
Practicing Passion by Kenda Creasy Dean
Quite Seriously this is the best Youth
Theology book I have ever read. This is an inspiring read as well as a
challenging one. Kenda challenges the church, not to look at it's Youth Ministry
but instead challenges it's Youth Theology. Kenda challenges us with the idea
that what the Church is facing at the moment is not a problem of sociology;
instead it's a problem of Theology. I drooled at times while reading this book
at its call towards a passionate theology, faith and discipleship.
4.5 stars
"Every stage of life brings out certain human characteristics, and
according to Kenda Creasy Dean, adolescence is particularly characterized by
passion. If the church is to speak meaningfully to youth and in turn reap the
many benefits that young people have to offer, then its ministry must be
predicated on passion - the Passion of Christ, the passion of youth, and the
passionate faith that results when these two things come together.
The uniqueness of Practicing Passion lies in its relocating youth ministry in
practical theology rather than in educational theory or psychological or social
development. While youth ministry has routinely capitalized on the passions of
adolescents, little attention has been given to the theological mooring that
youth need to connect with the church and hold firm amid the growing demands of
popular culture. Focusing on the theological resonance between the Passion of
Christ and adolescents' experience of passion, Dean develops a framework for
youth ministry that draws on the historic practices of the Christian community
as a "curriculum of passion."
Offering a compelling new model for reaching, discipling, and empowering today's young adults, Practicing Passion is a vital resource for anyone already engaged in or preparing for youth ministry."
[provided by Robert Levee]