I should not have done this on a day off...

I picked up Marko's new book "Youth Ministry 3.0" in Sacramento and decided that since Erin's partying it up elsewhere tonight that I would see how far through it I could get.

I finished it. Mind you, it's not a long book, so don't give me too much credit!

Anyways, Marko introduced us to many of the thoughts in this book when he led the last General Session at NYWC, so I felt that this book filled in many of the gaps that I was left with after his talk. In some ways I felt like the talk was a teaser for the book.

The book describes many of the major shifts that have occurred in youth ministry over the years and how he believes that we're making another shift now into what he would call Youth Ministry 3.0. A new approach to how we "do" it.

I'm just going to say a big I DON'T KNOW.

I am absolutely in agreement with some of what he says.

At the same time I find myself wrestling with other parts of it.

I've heard the arguments from many other youth pastors that the way we're doing it (youth ministry) isn't working. I've said it myself after watching countless students that have participated in leadership retreats and missions trips totally walk away from their faith.

It is frustrating and confusing.

Maybe I've done it wrong in the past. Maybe I'm doing it wrong now.

But then again, maybe that's life? Maybe that's what our journey with Jesus is supposed to look like? Maybe it is supposed to contain more living it out and less trying to figure it out?

I'm always trying to figure stuff out. How to teach better. How to understand teenagers better. How to reach parents. How to have quiet time. How to...how to...how to.

I wonder if maybe we're missing the "here and now" aspect. Maybe we need to stop trying to figure out the next great thing and do "here and now" what works.

I'm not even sure what that looks like. How do we ever know if it works? Are we supposed to?

Good stuff to think about though. But since I think so much about praxis, all this general thinking is causing my head to swirl at an unreasonably high rate. And that is just not allowed on a day off.

I'm going to have to find something mindless to do until Erin gets home.

Thoughts? (Not on what to do now. Thoughts on what I've rambled about?)