How Youth Ministry Can Change Theological Education: If We Let It

by Kenda Creasy Dean

Since 1993, forty-nine theological seminaries have created opportunities for high school students to participate in on-campus High School Theology Programs (HSTPs) that invite them to engage in serious biblical and theological study. Many of the young people who take part in these programs go on to become pastoral or lay leaders in their churches. What has made these programs so successful — especially given the well-documented “crisis of faith” among young people today?
 
In this book thirteen contributors — many of whom have created or led one of these innovative theology programs — investigate answers to this question. They examine the pedagogical practices the HSTPs have in common and explore how they are contributing to the leadership of the church. They then show how the lessons gleaned from these successful programs can help churches, denominations, and seminaries reimagine both theological education and youth ministry.
 

Genres: Theology

331 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2016

About the author

Kenda Creasy Dean is an ordained elder in the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference (United Methodist) and professor of youth, church, and culture at Princeton Theological Seminary, where she works closely with the Institute for Youth Ministry. A graduate of Wesley Theological Seminary, she served as pastor in suburban Washington DC and as a campus minister at the University of Maryland-College Park before coming to Princeton Seminary. She is currently appointed as the coordinating pastor of Kingston United Methodist Church in Kingston, New Jersey.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably more information than I needed about the program. Chapter my Strawn quite interesting.