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Book Review: 99 Thoughts for Youth Workers by Josh Griffin

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My friend Josh Griffin just came out with his first book 99 Thoughts for Youth Workers. I read though this book and have some very good things to say about it. It didn’t hurt that he wrote the nice inscription (below) inside the book. I think a better title for this book is The Best Of MoreThanDodgeball.com. Josh has pulled the best from his blog and put them into a pocket-size book of essential nuggets of wisdom for youth ministry. I highly recommend grabbing this book. At $4.99 per copy, it’s even a great gift book for youth ministry leaders. It would be a great way to say “Thank you”, “I believe in you”, “Happy birthday” or “Merry Christmas”. Of course, don’t forget to include a $5.00 Starbucks giftcard so they can enjoy a tasty beverage as they read it.

Movie Review: 9

I got invited to see this movie I’d never heard of. Now that I’ve seen it, I want to tell everybody to go see it!

Reviewing this movie would be difficult without spoiling the story line. Instead, I’ll write why I’m so excited about it from a youth ministry point of view. Depending on your bent toward youth ministry or ecology, you may have a different reason to be happy with what you see. You can be passionate about either (or both) and have reason to be excited about how the content promotes your cause.

From my vantage point as a youth worker, I spent the entire movie drawing parallels between the story line and God’s desire to do a new thing through us. The plot of 9 illustrates our rescue us from a certain destruction of our own creation. In 9, you’ll see obvious references to David and Goliath, Israel taking the Promised Land, Jesus’ rebuke of the religious leaders and the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made through his death on the cross.

This is a movie for leaders to see with their small group students. A great idea is to prepare students ahead of time by telling them to look for the biblical themes. Following the movie, leaders can have an amazing discussion with students about how it illustrates the biblical truths so boldly portrayed throughout the movie.

Book Review: The Year of Living Biblically, by A.J. Jacobs

The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

Finishing this book was like saying goodbye to an old friend. From the moment I began the journey through its pages, I knew I’d want to take my time. I savored every page. A.J. Jacobs, though his genuine search for truth, invites his readers into his home and to tag along on some adventures seeking truth. While Jacobs does not believe in God, his journey reveals an amazing amount of culture behind why Jews and Christians believe and do the things we do. He’s clumsy in his approach at times, surprisingly reverent at other times and incredibly funny throughout. No matter where you stand on your beliefs about religion or God, you will be glad you joined A.J. on his journey. I highly recommend this book to anybody who likes an easy read with a good sense of humor and adventure.

Curriculum Review: Dangerous Devotions for Guys

Group Publishing recently came out with this devotional book for guys written by Tim Shoemaker. It’s called Dangerous Devotions for Guys. I was asked to review this book for my blog. Anything for a free book, right?

This is a great resource because:
– It takes an imaginative approach to illustrating the point of each lesson
– Guys are actively engaged in each lesson rather than sitting and listening
– Students will interact with God’s word in ways I’ve not seen in any other curriculum

This is a bad resource because:
– Some of the lesson activities will be repeated and could cause catastrophe (ie: the lesson that shows them how to build a flame thrower)
– It could cause more conflicts with parents and church staff than it’s worth because of the experiments

Here’s my recommendation:
– Buy this book for your guy small group leaders
– Read through and approve which lessons your ministry will allow
– Make it very clear to your small group leaders that they are not allowed to do the lessons that you disapprove (or rip those lessons out of the book)

Bottom line:
I love this book. The concept is like Boy Scouts, science and the Bible are all wrapped into each lesson. The messages are great. Just use it with great caution.