what people are reading

What are you reading or browsing these days? What gets you thinking, stirs your soul, enriches your ministry, or stretches your imagination and faith? We'd love to hear from you. Send descriptions of your favorite "reads" (books, Web sites, periodicals, or online publications) to rod.boriack@elca.org. The following are some responses and suggestions submitted by youth ministry leaders—good reads!

The opinions and recommendations of the following people do not necessarily represent the viewpoints or theological perspectives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA Youth Ministry, ELCA Youth Gathering, or the organizations the contributors currently work for. The ELCA Youth Ministry staff have the responsibility to edit all submissions. There, we had to say that.

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Good Reads Web sites and online publications

Some places to look for
good reads:

Good reads at the ELCA Youth Ministry Network
Web site:

Jeremy's Book Club
Youth Ministry Bibliography

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Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell. Zondervan, 2005. An excellent resource for folks who are stretching their muscles but don't want to get lost on the way as they try to understand some of the mysteries of faith, scripture and God. It is personal, easy to read, thoughtful and yet touching.
(Rev. Jay Gamelin, Ohio State University)
The Church on the Other Side by Brian D. McLaren. Zondervan, 2003. Brian McLaren is the person to read for a glimpse at a changing church which is focused on this side of the Parousia (second coming of Christ) for young adults. This book is a little more nuts and bolts as opposed to thoughts and musings, so it has potential for real use.
(Rev. Jay Gamelin, Ohio State University)
Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller. Nelson Books, 2003. Excellent, excellent, excellent. Definitely for older readers and with a little more discriminating taste, but oh so good.
(Rev. Jay Gamelin, Ohio State University)
The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church by Reggie McNeal. Jossey-Bass, 2003. This book was very provocative and offered tangible ways to connect with what God is already doing "out there" versus our propensity to focus on God as only being present in the four walls of a church. From an exploration of the modern era and the church to Postmodernity and missional paradigms, McNeal uncovers the pitfalls of the current institution and the hope that comes along with honest conversations, spiritual practices, and revitalization of the "church."
(Rozella White)

Beyond Guilt: Christian Response to Suffering by Rev. George S. Johnson. Self published, 2000. (ISBN 0970302800) A wonderful, thought and action provoking book about the urgent call for "justice" in our individual and corporate ministries. Johnson weaves together the riches of scripture, current social issues, quotes from prophetic voices, probing questions for discussion, and helpful suggestions for action in this little gem of a book. I’m using it in my “Let Justice Roll” class here at Trinity Lutheran College and my students love it.
(Rev. Dr. David Ellingson, Issaquah, WA)
Engaging 'Tweens and Teens: A Brain Compatible Approach to Reaching Middle and High School Students by Raleigh Philp. Corwin Press, 2006. (ISBN 141294483x)
(Paul Hill, Bloomington, MN)

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Luther for Armchair Theologians by Steven D. Paulson. Westminster John Knox Press, 2004. (ISBN 0664223818)
(Paul Hill, Bloomington, MN)
Marriage and Modernization: How Globalization Threatens Marriage and What to Do About It by Don S. Browning. Eerdmans Publishing, 2003. (ISBN 0802811124)
(Paul Hill, Bloomington, MN)

Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool's Guide to Surviving with Grace by Gordon MacKenzie. Viking Adult, 1998. A quick-reading, playful, insightful, book. MacKenzie looks at how one stays creative, productive, alive, and healthy in any institution or organization—large or small.
(Rod G. Boriack, Chicago, IL)
Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future by Margaret J. Wheatley. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2002. In a time of personal electronic devices and online relationships Wheatley drives us back to the power of face-to-face, deep conversations. These are skills every person needs for ministry. I love all of Wheatley's books!
(Rod G. Boriack, Chicago, IL)
The Power of Asset Mapping: How Your Congregation Can Act on Its Gifts by Luther K. Snow. Alban Institute, 2004. Congregations have all the gifts and resources (assets) they need to do what they need to do—they just haven't identified them and put them to use. A great process for congregations that think they don't have the money, staff, or resources to do effective youth ministry.
(Rod G. Boriack, Chicago, IL)

The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine. Morgan Road Books, 2006. (ISBN 0767920090)
(Paul Hill, Bloomington, MN)

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The Wit of Martin Luther, by Eric W. Gritsch. Fortress Press, 2006. (ISBN 13:9780800638030)
(Paul Hill, Bloomington, MN)
Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinard, founder and owner of Patagonia, Inc. Penguin (Non-Classics), 2006. Read past the Gore-Tex jackets and outdoor gear and you'll see a business and CEO that are wrapped around a passion for the environment, humanity, and changing the world. It's all about mission. Lots of lessons for the church here.
(Rod G. Boriack, Chicago, IL)
Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker J. Palmer. Jossey-Bass, 1999. “How long it can take to become the person one has always been.” With this opening, Palmer's book invites the reader to begin considering the fundamental question of vocation. Through the story of his own life, Palmer, a Quaker, helps people think about who they are called to be, not what they are going to be when they “grow up.”
(Kristen Glass, Chicago, IL)
Big Questions, Worthy Dreams: Mentoring Young Adults in Their Search for Meaning, Purpose, and Faith by Sharon Daloz Parks. Jossey-Bass, 2000. An excellent book for working with young adults. Like Palmer, Parks helps to frame the questions of faith within the context of what is going on in one's life. Big questions are the stuff of faith, real life is the stuff of God. A great book.
(Kristen Glass, Chicago, IL)
The Last Kiss movie (rated R) (in theaters now). DreamWorks Pictures, 2006. www.lastkissmovie.com “The world is moving so fast now that we start freaking long before our parents did because we don't ever stop to breathe anymore.” The Last Kiss is a film in which a man about to turn 30, faces his own fear of commitment in a relationship. It's an interesting look at what happens in the late 20's and how issues of love, marriage, fidelity, commitment, and growing up are faced by some in their late 20's. For anyone who works with young adults or is a young adult, I recommend seeing this movie.
(Kristen Glass, Chicago, IL)

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The Godbearing Life: The Art of Soul Tending for Youth Ministry by Kenda Creasy Dean and Ron Foster. Upper Room Books, 1998 (www.upperroom.org). It's a standard in youth ministry circles, with good reason. All those serving young people in the church should read it. As I continue my struggle to better understand how Christian servanthood relates to God's call for justice and peace in this world, I'm carefully re-reading Section 3 on ingredients of the Godbearing life. I find it's always good to re-read important works with different questions and struggles in mind.
(Jason Reed, Mt. Holly, NJ)
Santa Biblia: The Bible Through Hispanic Eyes by Justo L. Gonzalez. Abingdon Press, 1996. (ISBN 0687014522) “Gonzalez explores how a Hispanic perspective illuminates the biblical text in ways that will be valuable not only for Latino readers but also for the church at large. Introducing five ‘paradigms’ for Latino biblical interpretation, Gonzalez discusses theory and provides concrete examples of biblical texts that gain new meaning when read from a different perspective.”
(Len Mason, Chicago, IL)
Clothed in Nothingness: Consolation for Suffering by Leonard M. Hummel. Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 2003. Where is God when one suffers? How may one be consoled? How do people understand their religious beliefs in relation to suffering? Leonard Hummel takes three of the most important insights of the Reformation—the doctrine of justification, the theology of the Cross, and the priesthood of believers—to see how they have been reappropriated by Christians in contemporary settings. He examines the theology of consolation as formulated in the early Lutheran tradition and as practiced by contemporary Lutherans. He describes the "religious coping" of seven believers who have suffered personal or social ills and how their capacity to cope was enhanced or affected by their belief. These vivid case studies are then used to illumine how pastoral theology and caregivers might bring traditional theological beliefs into a distinctive "lived theology."
Sharing Food: Christian Practices for Enjoyment by L. Shannon Jung. Fortress Press, 2006. Jung’s book encourages us to think about what we eat and why we eat it. At the basis of his writing is the belief that we should spend more time enjoying our food, thinking about where our food comes from, and how we extend Christian hospitality through our meal-sharing with others.
Sustaining Simplicity: A Journal by Anne Basye. ELCA Church in Society, 2007. Available from Augsburg Fortress. This is an interesting 212-page book giving a peek into Anne's life and wrestling with living simply and justly. The format resembles Web pages and a journal so it's easy to pick it up, read a little, and pick it up later again to read. Her writing style reminds me of Herb Brokering's. (www.elca.org/Hunger/resources/simple/sustaining.html)
The Memory Book by Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas. Ballantine Books, 1996. Having trouble remembering young people’s names? Having trouble making the memorization of the first article of the catechism fun for the whole family? This book might be for you. It blew me away with really practical ways to remember important things. I have already implemented some of the techniques and it has benefited me a great deal in my ministry.
(David Scherer, Agapé)

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Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott. Riverhead Trade, 2006. Not since Mike Yaconelli has someone been able to be so authentic and yet so faithful at the same time. Lamott really reminds all of us that you don’t have to have your act together to still be a recipient of God’s boundless grace. When I want to hear about dogma and piety I go elsewhere, but when I want to hear the Good News of God’s redemption for the imperfect, I find myself drawn to Lamott's work.
(David Scherer, Agapé)
Portraits of Protestant Teens: A Report on Teenagers in Major U. S. Denominations by Phil Schwadel and Christian Smith. National Study of Youth & Religion, 2005 (www.youthandreligion.org). This is a good primer for understanding the basic beliefs, practices, and values of youth in our congregations. Youth of the ELCA and Lutheran Church Missouri Synod were included in the study. It's easy to read and understand for those of us who are statistically challenged—colorful graphs, concise summaries, and lots of white space on the page!
Practicing Passion: Youth and the Quest for a Passionate Church by Kenda Creasy Dean. Zondervan/Youth Specialties, 2006. This excellently-written book provides a foundation for understanding and responding to adolescent’s needs as a means for communicating the gospel. Dean relies heavily on developmental psychology (namely Erik H. Erikson’s work) and believes that adolescents are excellent “theological texts,” meaning that youth ministry work is done when our theology and faith is in dialogue with a particular local context. This is a meaty book with lots of good stuff to chew on… it certainly gets your mind thinking about how we can do youth ministry with better intentions!
(Mark Jackson, Issaquah, WA)
Good News About Injustice: A Witness of Courage in a Hurting World
by Gary A. Haugen. InterVarsity Press, 1999. A call to action in the world as Christians and the church. A youth version of this book is available.
(Rev. Dr. David Ellingson, Issaquah, WA)
Why Christian?: For Those on the Edge of Faith by Douglas John Hall. Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 1998. In these dialogues with doubt, Hall enters into an earnest search with a young inquirer who is on the edges of Christian faith, asking, "Why be Christian?" In a passionate and personal way, Hall probes fundamental religious questions and wrestles with the basic Christian convictions about Jesus and God, religious belief and the human predicament, unauthenic forms of Christianity, and what is missing in human life today.

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Web sites & online publications

ColorLines Magazine (http://www.colorlines.com/). Interesting articles and news items about racism, justice, poverty, and politics in the United States. The online version has a lot of content available even if you choose not to pay for the subscription. Then again, why be cheap when it comes to a good resource?
California Newsreel: Film and Video for Social Change http://www.newsreel.org/main.asp. "California Newsreel produces and distributes cutting edge, social justice films that inspire, educate and engage audiences. Founded in 1968, Newsreel is the oldest non-profit, social issue documentary film center in the country, the first to marry media production and contemporary social movements." You can find films appropriate for high school youth on the California Newsreel site at http://www.newsreel.org/nav/topics.asp?cat=22
(Dianha Ortega-Ehreth, Chicago, IL)
Failure Magazine. http://www.failuremag.com. An “online publication full of humankind's boldest missteps” and the interesting things that happen in society as a result. Not a religious magazine, per se, but it’s an interesting look at the world for those of us who depend on the grace of God.
(Rod G. Boriack, Chicago, IL)
Relevantmagazine.com (http://www.relevantmagazine.com/beta/index.php) From the mouths of those who bring you Relevantmagazine: "We're twentysomething Christians. We want to break stereotypes, challenge status-quo and enact change through the media. We're seeking God, living life and striving to impact the world around us. It's pretty simple, really. Oh yeah, and we're a self-contained, for-profit business not affiliated with any other companies, denominations or organizations." "Relevant Media Group is a multimedia company whose purpose is to impact culture and show that a relationship with God is relevant and essential to a fulfilled life." Cool stuff; thought provoking and wired into pop culture.
(Rev. Jay Gamelin, Ohio State University)
BBC's Religion & Ethics Web site (www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/) My favorite cheat-sheet when someone asks me what Zoroastrianism or Mormons believe. Thank you British Broadcasting Company (BBC)!
(Rod G. Boriack, Chicago, IL)
AdAge Digital (http://adage.com/digital/). Advertising Age may be geared for marketing and business gurus but it is full of interesting news and trends that often relate to pop culture, social trends, and youth. The daily articles are great.
Speaking of Faith (http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/). A radio program of American Public Media... something we tend to blur with PBS, NPR, etc. Very interesting radio programs on religion, spirituality, ethics, different faith communities, history, and culture. Well produced and gets at some current issues and questions.
(Betty A., Salinas, CA)

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