TWIST - new resource

Received this notice today from the guys at Bible Society SA about a new resource, promotion and competition they are soon to launch - looks good!

"You would be aware – and quite possibly have used– twentyfour and BiG.
These youth Bible resources have been produced by the Bible to Youth
Consortium to support you in your passion to see young people
better engage with the Bible.

To date over 4,500 youth across SA have used these resources.

We are currently working on our resource for 2009.

Called ‘Twist. Digging into the parables of Jesus’, this is a 4-session
series on DVD format which is designed to equip youth with the skills
to interpret and better understand Jesus’ parables.

Twist will be set out in a curriculum format, with full running sheets,
including session topics and aims, and all worksheets in printable PDF
format. Each session will also include video clips of a narrator who
introduces the sessions, and draws together key points.

It is designed to be used in a school classroom setting (as a part of
RE/ Christian Living curriculum), as well as in a youth group setting.

Twist will tie in with a competition, where young people can re-tell one
of Jesus’ parables in a digital media format, and submit it via our website.
There is more than $2,000 in prize money up for grabs! The competition
will be open through term 3, with all details on the website over the next
few months.

We will have a sample of Twist on our website by the end of April, as
well as order forms – ready for you to use from the start of term 3.
Twist will cost $100.

….more details to come over the next few months."


www.bty.com.au

Reading in Community

Several months ago I began a Bible reading plan know as the "Essential 100" (published by Scripture Union). It involved daily readings focusing on the key passages of the Old and New Testaments. A few weeks after I began this personal reading journey, I started a nightly Bible session with my two kids (8 and 5 years old) based on the readings I had done in the "Essential 100" programme.

Interestingly, my personal reading programme has collapsed and been overtaken by the nightly Bible times with my family. I've been unable to sustain the personal discipline to continue on my own (a familiar trend in my life), but my kids won't let me stop our group times!

Now maybe a lot of factors have contributed to this and maybe I'm not that great with private, systematic spiritual disciplines. But I wonder if there is a lesson here? Bible reading just seems more engaging and inspiring when I do it with others. The fellowship and accountability of group reading keeps me moving forward. The original thoughts from my young children challenge, surprise, confound and amuse me.

I'm finding the Bible is most engaging when it is read as a story, systematically, creatively and in the context of inter-generational relationship. Why then do we support Bible reading approaches that are private, individual, selective, predictable and homogeneous?

Post Evangelical Youth Ministry

Wow, I love this article from iMonk on post-evangelical models of youth ministry. He decries the segregationist approach to youth ministry and calls for a return to family/community based youth ministry. The implications of his arguments are massive! I believe the ministry approach he is calling for would actually be the best environment for effective Bible engagement if a faith community could pull it off.

What is Evangelism?

Recently I have been engaged in an interesting conversation with friends and colleagues about what the true nature of 'evangelism' is. In the circles I mix in, evangelism is often understood as telling people that they have sinned and fallen short of God's perfect standard, but that they can be saved by believing in Jesus whose substitutionary death on the cross will justify them. Now I happen to believe that is true, but interestingly Jesus and the Apostles NEVER took that approach! You never see them preaching the 'atonement' to non-Christians!

Twice in the Gospels, Christ is asked directly what one must do to receive eternal life. On one occasion he responds by telling the enquirer to sell all his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. On the other, he tells the parable of 'The Good Samaritan'. It seems Jesus is always testing people to see whether they will make him Lord through repentance and faith - he doesn't seem to be testing people's knowledge of sacrificial atonement.

In the book of Acts, we get a few glimpses of the Apostles 'evangelistic' messages to non-Christians (EG - Paul in Athens). Their message focuses on the authority of God (Creator, resurrection, judgment, repentance) and an appeal for surrender and submission to Him.

When we present the Gospel to young people as a series of abstract beliefs to be assented to, are we misrepresenting the Biblical story? What about a call to repentance and radical discipleship? In my 15 years of youth ministry, I have seen so many young people give some allegiance to Christ (public confession/'decision', baptism etc.) and just not go on with it. What did they think they were getting in to? Was I upfront with them about the COST?

Maybe the reason I keep presenting an abstract Gospel is that a message of repentance and faith confronts ME too much! Is Jesus really the 'boss' in my life? Evangelist, preach to thyself!