I love the image of God as a Potter. It is an ancient biblical image, one that highlights God’s care, passion, individuality, and artistry in our loving creation. We are beautifully and wonderfully made, as Scripture tells us, through this process of crafting. In the same way, we are invited to be part of our ongoing and dynamic growing, in the actions we take and the choices we make. In our ministry, it is reflected in the deliberate ways that we craft our skills, perspectives and ideas with intention and love. How are you choosing to mould yourself? As a launchpad from this, here are some resources that span perspectives and wisdom that may aid you as you craft, more deeply, your ministry skills.
Back-Pocket God: Religion and Spirituality in the Lives of Emerging Adults by Melinda Lundquist Denton, Richard Flory, and Foreword by Christian Smith
One of the most fundamental lessons in engagement in any field is knowing your audience. In youth ministry, there are a number of insightful and detailed collections of data that can positively contribute to deeply understanding the faith perspectives of young adults. This book, Back-Pocket God builds on previous volumes grounded in the National Study of Youth and Religion from the United States of America. This study has followed the same group of young people over the course of a decade and provides a more nuanced story of emerging adults and their relationship with religion and spirituality than is available from recent books and other reports.
The Communication Book: 44 Ideas for Better Conversations Every Day by Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschäppeler
Communication is a key skill across every profession. In youth ministry, the relationships that are formed and the dialogues in those relationships are central. Here is one resource that offers interesting and broad perspectives for working smarter in your professional environments. The authors have suggested 44 important communication theories ranging from Aristotle's thoughts on presenting, through Proust on asking questions, to the Harvard Negotiation Project. A fascinating read!
100 Ideas for Teaching Religious Education by Cavan Wood
Looking for something for application in designing and implementing workshops and educational opportunities? While the book is targeted to new and experienced teachers alike, it contains 100 inspirational ideas on teaching and engaging with religious education for a number of contexts. Its practical focus can serve as an important stimulus for a range of activities and sessions across ministerial settings.
Sacred Stories, Spiritual Tribes: Finding Religion in Everyday Life by Nancy Tatom Ammerman
We know the power of people’s story. Deep listening to a person’s truth is one of the most important gifts we can offer one another. This book offers this opportunity in a beautiful and gentle manner. Here is some information about this engaging book:
Nancy Tatom Ammerman examines the stories Americans tell of their everyday lives, from dinner table to office and shopping mall to doctor's office, about the things that matter most to them and the routines they take for granted, and the times and places where the everyday and ordinary meet the spiritual. In addition to interviews and observation, Ammerman bases her findings on a photo elicitation exercise and oral diaries, offering a window into the presence and absence of religion and spirituality in ordinary lives and in ordinary physical and social spaces. The stories come from a diverse array of ninety-five Americans across a range that stretches from committed religious believers to the spiritually neutral. Ammerman surveys how these people talk about what spirituality is, how they seek and find experiences they deem spiritual, and whether and how religious traditions and institutions are part of their spiritual lives.
