OMG: A Youth Ministry Handbook

by Kenda Creasy Dean (Editor), Roland D. Martinson, Amy Scott Vaughn

"Most contemporary young people operate far enough from Moses’ moral compass that it never occurs to them that “OMG” (“oh my God,” in teenspeak) has anything to do with the Ten Commandments, much less that it breaks one of them. After all, the phrase is a nearly ubiquitous adolescent throw-away line...Yet Christians should hear the phrase “oh my God” differently. Youth ministers, parents, teachers—anyone who has ever loved an adolescent—know that “OMG” can be a prayer, a plea, a petition, a note of praise, or an unbidden entreaty that escapes our lips as we seek Christ for the young people we love." from the book

Using six lens the authors detail current practices and tease out underlying questions as youth ministry becomes more self-consciously aligned with practical theology.

Contributors Kenda Creasy Dean, Mike Carotta, Roland Martinson, Rodger Nishioka, Don Richter, Dayle Gillespie Rounds, and Amy Scott Vaughn.

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion, Theology, Faith

163 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2010

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

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was awesome. A must read if you are a youth minister. I will continually be chewing on this material for some time to come.

[Kyle Alt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book does a good job in places where it raises important questions about contemporary practices. I also appreciate the desire to integrate theology into every aspect of youth ministry, but at times it seems forced. I also struggle with heavily they rely on the sacraments for their discussion of ministry.

[Hailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some really great ideas in here. I like how scripture is integrated into the themes. There are parts that are a bit dry. I skipped most of the last chapter because it wasn't about an issue I was concerned with.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty much awesome. Exactly what I was looking for - a great "big picture' of youth ministry today.