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!
