Julian doesn’t “give you a one-size-fits-all strategy but rather a picture of what a missional, contextual, environmental … [facilitating a conducive environment] …process-oriented, practical youth ministry might look like.”
A few of the 101 well-explained ideas are recycled or “old school,” but far more new ones (or at least with a new spin) encompass Julian’s big idea of “ACTS to create a disciple-making ministry,” involving four key elements: Adoration—an environment fostering a lifestyle fleshed out in expressions of prayerful adoration to Christ; Community—“an atmosphere of genuine caring, authentic relationships, and unity”; Truth-and-Grace—“a setting in which God’s Word is central to belief and behavior”; and Serving-and-Sharing—not only projects, but a lifestyle that “involves helping the whole person…contextually ministering to believers and nonbelievers.”
Julian provides loads of scriptural examples to inspire and help us remember the point. He reminds youth leaders, “transformation is totally in God’s court; we’re just responsible for serving up the environment.”
Youth Specialties, 2007, 176 pp., $18.99, www.zondervan.com
