Book Review--Reclaiming the Lost Soul of Youth Ministry: A Wesleyan Field Guide By Jeremy Steele

Before I review the book, I must confess two things: (1) Jeremy Steele is a friend of mine and (2) I’m a major Methodist nerd. Therefore, my review may be a bit biased. With that said, let me begin by saying that Jeremy has written a book I wish I had written. I recommend that every youth minister and pastor read through this material. Jeremy does a masterful job of weaving together Wesleyan theology and scripture with everyday insights for youth ministry. The book is full of great material and powerful quotes. Here are just a couple of examples:

“Prevenient grace changes our conversations. We are no longer introducing people to Jesus. We are no longer delivering to them something with which they have never been in contact. Instead, we are talking about the being who has been blessing, protecting, and wooing them for their entire life.”

“Sanctifying grace is not some magical motivational method to help you break bad habits and start good ones. It is not a new (old) way to justify legalism and judgmentalism. Sanctifying grace is a person captured by God.”

As someone who spent many years as a youth pastor, finding a youth ministry book written from a Wesleyan perspective is nearly impossible. This is why I’m so excited about this book being published. Jeremy Steele maps out a distinctively Wesleyan approach to youth ministry. He covers a variety of Wesleyan theology including prevenient grace, class meetings, and even the quadrilateral. He covers each topic in a very clear and concise way, and then gives the implications for ministry. I believe that is the strength of this book. Jeremy has a wide variety of knowledge, but he’s also an everyday youth minister. He has a good understanding of how Wesleyan theology can actually be applied to ministry with students.  In fact, the main point of the book is that what we believe about God should inform how we do ministry. Our theology should impact our praxis. “Reclaiming the Lost Soul of Youth Ministry” is practical theology at its best. John Wesley would be very proud!  

Who's to Blame?

Have you ever blamed someone else for something you did? God's people have made a tradition of blaming others for our failures and shortcomings. This shouldn't surprise us because this practice started at the very beginning. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve sin and then are confronted by God. What do they do? Blame someone else. Adam blames Eve and Eve blames the snake. We do the same thing.

We justify our road rage because the street is filled with "bad drivers." We excuse our impatience because the lines were too long or the service was too slow. We rationalize our jealousy and insecurity because it's obvious that we deserved the promotion and not the other person. 

Part of the issue here is that there is a hint of truth in each of these justifications. Enough truth to keep us from looking at our own selves. The real truth is that sin originates in you. Circumstances can certainly play a role, but the choice to sin is our own. The bad driver makes you angry, but the anger is already present in your own heart. The service may be slow and you may have deserved the promotion, but the impatience and pride is inside of you. 

Circumstances bring to surface what already dwells in our hearts. No one can provoke inside of you what does not originate there. Every human heart (including my own) needs sanctifying. We need God's grace to change us in deeper ways then we can imagine.

We really should thank God for the person (or circumstance) that exposes our sinful tendencies. That person reveals what's really in our heart and shows us areas where we still need to grow. Only by seeing our true selves and seeking God's grace can we begin to change. Blaming someone else may make us feel better, but it won't solve the real problem.