Published in Youth Worker Journal- Date: November/December 2011

The Graduate’s Survival Guide

Rachel Cruze

Lampo Press, 2011, 132 pp., $19.95, DaveRamsey.com

Finances and college life are not exactly the most entertaining or hot topics to cover in your youth group, and youth and even parents might not think these topics are worthy of air time in your youth ministry.  Yet these topics and issues are very important to the youth in our churches, especially those who will soon be learning to manage their freedom and independence after high school.

The Graduate’s Survival guide includes a DVD with four short sessions as well as a Q & A book about college life and financial management. The vignettes on the DVD are informational conversations covering topics such as roommate relationships, college finances, student loans, registering for classes, marketing to college students and other aspects of college life. The book provides answers to a variety of questions on topics including credit cards, student loans, financial planning, working while in school, career planning and more.

This product could be helpful to parents thinking about and discussing college life with their teenagers. It can serve as a great tool for creating healthy dialogue about various aspects of college life. The short video clips address a wide variety of topics important to college life, and the length and organization of these clips makes them easy to use. The product does not address all of the topics claims to address, at least not with depth and clarity. This product may not reach most teenagers, because it is geared entirely to those who are going away for college. There is little conversation about faith and the impact one’s faith has on the issues being addressed. The product does not feel developmentally appropriate and many youth who watch the clips may have trouble connecting with the individuals in the clips as they appear to be the perfect kids many of our youth feel like they cannot measure up or relate to.

Buy this product if you are looking to help parents engage in dialogue with their youth, especially if you are looking for a resource for families to use with their youth who are preparing for college. Do not purchase this product if you are looking for a tool to use with your whole youth group to talk about college life and finances. While I enjoyed the product, it would not land with my youth group, so I would not be likely to purchase it.

Rev. Marcus J Carlson

Associate Pastor, Bethel Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO (marcusjcarlson.com).

Book Review

Just in Case you Ever Wonder by Max Lucado

This children’s book by Max Lucado is written as an affirmation to children that they are valued, loved, and that God is with them no matter what. It could be used for any child, especially a child who has been adopted. It also seeks to talk about heaven. The illustrations are simple and childlike. The tone is simple and gentle and easily accessible to children. The book could be read to anyone, but it fits best with younger children. The book talks about the various things that children might face that would make them feel alone. Certainly children can feel alone, especially in today’s culture.

Max Lucado has written some wonderful and powerful children’s books. This book is very sweet and innocent. It is a good book with a message that can be shared with all children. This however is not a great book, especially compared to some of his other children’s writings. There is no cute or clever story to follow and it really feels like a series of statements. The book did not draw me or my children in, but it was enjoyable. Lucado is a great storyteller, and unfortunately in this book, he did not tell much of a story. I would not discourage someone from reading it or buying it, but I do not give it a rave review.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Rev. Marcus J Carlson

Published in Youth Worker Journal- Date: TBD

Grapple Jr. High: Three Big Questions

Simply Youth Ministry

Group Publishing, 2011, 123 pp., $29.99, Group.com

A challenging aspect of youth ministry programming is finding the right curriculum to use with your group, particularly junior high youth.  It can be frustrating to find easy to use, relevant and Biblically sound curriculum that does not require a significant amount of editing. Junior high is a critical time in the faith formation of these energetic youth.

Grapple Jr. High: Three Big Questions is a twelve lesson curriculum for junior high youth. The lessons address a variety of relevant questions organized around three topics: God, others, and self. This product includes the book with the twelve detailed lessons and resources, a CD containing a team guide, leader guides, and student guides for each of the lessons that can be easily distributed to leaders and students. Also included is a DVD, which contains 2-3 minute video clips used in the lessons.

This curriculum would be very useful for junior high programs in most ministry settings. The topics organized around the great commission are relevant and diverse. This comprehensive tool provides a hard copy of the lessons as well as electronic versions, tools and resources that can be easily used and reproduced for leaders and youth. The well-organized lessons provide a variety of activities and approaches to the lesson that engage the various learning styles of youth. Each part of the lesson varies in length to help break up the lesson while providing focus for the topic and question addressed. The video clips are short but may seem too infantile to some junior high youth. This curriculum provides more lesson material and ideas than will be needed for most youth programs, which means youth leaders will need to select which parts of the lesson are most helpful and relevant. This product would be a great choice for youth ministries of all types and sizes looking for quality, relevant, theologically and Biblically sound lessons for junior high youth providing all of the tools that paid or volunteer youth workers would need to lead the lesson. This product would be helpful for youth ministries who are seeking to address relational questions junior high youth face. I would not recommend this product for youth ministries in need of a curriculum that can be implemented without any preparation or planning. I would recommend this product for use with junior high youth and plan on using it in my own youth ministry.

Rev. Marcus J Carlson has worked with children and youth for over 13 years and is a spiritual director. He current serves as Associate Pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, CO. (marcusjcarlson.com).

Published in Youth Worker Journal- Date: TBD

Review:

Evangephobia Curriculum and Devotional

Simply Youth Ministry

Group Publishing, 2011, 120 pp., $29.99 Curriculum, $8.99 Devotional, Group.com

Finding the tools to help youth workers talk about evangelism, the sharing of the good news of Jesus, is not an easy task, yet the curriculum Evangephobia and the related devotional assist youth workers in reclaiming evangelism in youth ministry.

Evangephobia is a four-session curriculum addressing evangelism by Greg Stier from Dare2Share Ministries. With lessons covering the fears, motivation, the steps and benefits of evangelism for youth, this product includes a DVD with four 5-6 minute lessons, a CD containing discussion guides, many resources and other tools for using the curriculum in a youth ministry. I cannot think of a good youth curriculum on the market that covers evangelism like this one. It would be very useful to any youth ministry desiring to address this important topic with their youth. With relevant, easy to follow topics, the curriculum addresses the key issues related to evangelism. Short, clear, helpful and relevant DVD clips utilize scripture, story and personal examples. Tools for leaders, promotional material and discussion guides allow this product to be used in a variety of youth ministry settings and could be used in almost any youth ministry program with relative ease. One lesson is not likely to fill more than 30 to 45 minutes of a program, however, and may not be as effective with junior high youth. It would be a great choice for any youth ministry looking to cover evangelism in a relevant way with their youth in a manageable time frame or for youth ministries looking for a short small group curriculum.

An additional product, a devotional containing 30 devotionals for youth on evangelism, can be used in conjunction or separate from the curriculum. It would work well with small groups or with youth who are seen as leaders. It is very simple to follow and is not time consuming. Most youth would be able to use the devotional with ease, but it would be more effective in conjunction with the curriculum product.

As a whole, this product would be especially helpful for evangelical churches seeking a quality curriculum on evangelism. I would not recommend this product for churches that do not emphasize an evangelical approach to salvation, such as some mainline churches. Additionally, this product may not work well in settings where many youth do not have a clear conversion story to share. I would gladly use this product in any ministry setting professing a theology consistent with the curriculum.

Rev. Marcus J Carlson has worked with children and youth for over 13 years and is a spiritual director. He current serves as Associate Pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, CO. (marcusjcarlson.com).

Published at Youthworker Online (A part of Youthworker Journal)

Read the online article here

There are very few things as powerful as story, especially in the context of youth ministry. In youth ministry, we utilize the power of story all the time, recognizing that our youth (and others) connect with story — not to mention Jesus was a storyteller. God has, is and will continue to write a story in our world and in our lives. We must connect our youth to God and God’s story so they can begin to see the story God has for them. Max Lucado is a great storyteller. While the stories in the book are great and it’s an enjoyable book, its value in a youth ministry setting is limited to the possible use of some of the author’s stories. It’s neither a book that can be used as a curriculum or teaching series, nor is it a book I would recommend having youth read. This book contains some great stories that youth workers may find helpful in communicating God’s story to their youth, but I would not recommend using it for any other purpose in a youth ministry setting.

–Rev. Marcus J. Carlson

Published at Youthworker Online (A part of Youthworker Journal)

Read the online article here

The Complete Visual Bible is a great tool for youth workers trying to prepare meaningful and accurate lessons using the Bible. This handy tool can bring passages of Scripture to life with some nice images and very helpful descriptions of background and history and a good overview of the books of the Bible. While it is not something that can be used for significant exegesis, it is a helpful aid in understanding context and background.

–Rev. Marcus J. Carlson

Book Review

Published on Book Sneeze & Amazon

Unleashed by Erwin McManus

This book Erwin McManus is a revision and re-release of his book The Barbarian Way, which I have read several years ago. I have heard Erwin speak and have always found his material to be enjoyable. In this book, Erwin challenges the corporate, safe, neutered faith that many Christians have chosen. McManus calls all followers of Jesus to a Barbarian faith, one that is raw, authentic, risk-taking, and kingdom minded. McManus is a great storyteller and uses a lot of personal stories, especially relating to his own family to talk about living a passionate faith that is not tamed by the expectations of the church or the world.

I really enjoyed reading this book and found it to be a fast and easy read. Even though I had read the previous book, I did not feel as though this book was a repeat at all. I enjoyed the stories in the book, although sometimes they were hard to follow or longer than they needed to be. McManus give the American church a message that it needs to hear, that we have packaged our faith and are not living it out with passion. No matter where you are in your faith journey, this book will encourage you to something greater. I found the message of the book to be a kingdom message. The book is more motivational than it is practical or theological which did not weaken it at all. Erwin brings a kingdom message and reminds his readers that Christ has come to transform our lives and that we are called to transform the world. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants more of the abundant life that Jesus has promised his followers.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Rev. Marcus J Carlson

Book Review

Published on Book Sneeze & Amazon

The Sacred Meal by Nora Gallagher

This book by Nora Gallagher is part of a series on Ancient Practices put together by Phyllis Tickle. In this book, Gallagher examines the nature of communion or Eucharist, which is where the title of Sacred Meal comes from. Having a deep passion for communion I was excited to read this book. Gallagher uses story and deep, honest personal reflection to discuss the various realities of the practice of communion. The term practice is important in this book as Gallagher talks about communion as a practice, highlighting throughout the book the significance of the word practice. Without diving into many of the theological nuances of communion, Gallagher shares her journey and story as she invites all to participate in the sacred meal.

I had high expectations and found myself enjoying the book very much even though there were some pretty disappointing aspects to the book. It was a very easy to read book and I found the stories to be meaningful. Gallagher relies heavily on the use of story in this book, but the stories are not anecdotal in nature, rather they are deeply personal and reflective. Gallagher touches on many of the key aspects and realities of communion, bringing it to life in many refreshing ways. Early in the book, Gallagher admits that she is not dealing with the theology of communion in this piece. This is problematic because it would seem dangerous if not impossible to talk about communion without theology entering the discussion in a significant way. Gallagher does not address theology much, other than to criticize until the later part of the book where theology comes into her writing in a very scattered and inconsistent way. Even though it is an enjoyable read, I am not sure it meets the criteria of examining communion in a way that is consistent with spiritual practices or disciplines. This book is a perfect reflection or devotional on communion, but it does not have the theology, organization or the strength that I had hoped. Overall, I would recommend the book to those interested in the topic of communion, especially those who are looking for a devotional on communion. It offers wonderful stories and powerful quotes. For those looking for a book that looks both at the practical and discursive elements of communion while addressing practice and theology in a meaningful way, you may be disappointed.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com http://BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Rev. Marcus J Carlson

Book Review

The Sacred Journey by Charles Foster

This book by Charles Foster is part of a series on Ancient Practices put together by Phyllis Tickle. In this book, Foster examines the nature of a pilgrimage and the negative attitude towards pilgrimage in Christendom today. Foster points out that Jesus himself was fond of those who were wanders and that our faith is expressed in a journey. Without specifically defining or laying out the structure of a pilgrimage, Foster examines the Biblical and historical aspects of a pilgrimage while describing the joys and benefits of a pilgrimage. Pilgrimages are hard to define and are experienced internally and externally, with the destination having less significance than the journey.

I found this book to be an easy and enjoyable read. I found Foster’s examples, stories and metaphors to be very helpful. I appreciated that Foster points out that we are all wanderers and on a journey and found his use of Scripture to be accurate and helpful. Foster engaged with a deeper yearning and reality in my own life faith journey in this book. Perhaps I have been on a pilgrimage more often that I realized. I have a tendency at times to need to hike or travel, because of some yearning in my soul. I suspect this desire is connected to much of what Foster talks about.  The book probably could have been much shorter and made the same points and conveyed the same information in a stronger way. At times, it was hard to follow the organization of the book, yet I still found the book to be very appealing and would recommend it to others, especially those interested in spiritual disciplines.

Rev. Marcus J Carlson

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”