by: Mark H. Senter

• Format

  E-Book

  ISBN

  9781441207685

  Pub. Date

  Mar 2010

  SRP

  $28.00

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About

Senter traces the American Protestant church through three cycles of youth ministry, each beginning with a cultural shift that made obsolete the established methods of passing Christian values from one generation to the next. For each cycle, he evaluates innovations made by pastors and local churches in response to cultural shifts and shows how these innovations in youth ministry have impacted broader church life. Senter also highlights the evolution of adolescent spirituality in America and describes the major shapers of youth ministry over the last century. As he reveals the dynamics of changing youth ministry trends and eras, Senter uses history as a lens for responding to the future.

Endorsements

"Mark Senter has done it again! Those of us who have read and used The Coming Revolution in Youth Ministry have waited far too long for this rich addition to the field of youth ministry. When God Shows Up offers a remarkable sweep across the heritage of youth ministry, demonstrating the factors that have shaped us today. Students of youth ministry will benefit from this work for years to come. I urge all those who care about where youth ministry has been and where it is going to read this fine book."--Wesley Black, professor of student ministry, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

"When God Shows Up will be a standard text in the field and will help us all stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us with a passion to reach and nurture young people."--Leonard Kageler, executive administrator, Association of Youth Ministry Educators; professor, Nyack College

"Every family, every organization, and every movement has a history that informs, explains, and inspires. Mark Senter has done a wonderful job of providing historical context for American Protestant youth ministry, which is a family, an organization, and a movement all in one. A thorough understanding of the contents of this book will help those who care about youth ministry to appreciate its roots and to be awed and inspired by youth ministry leaders from the past."--Dan Lambert, professor of youth ministries, John Brown University

"Like a wise docent, Senter generously guides us through the archives of the history of youth ministry. Embracing a cyclical description of the evolution of youth ministry in America, Senter insightfully presents a well-researched, creative engagement with youth ministry in the Protestant church. Faithfully reporting the stories of our past, the text concludes with current observations and questions regarding our future direction. Comprehensive, accessible, and vital--a one-of-a-kind book that needs to be savored by every youth ministry professional!"--Cheryl A. Crawford, assistant professor of practical theology, Azusa Pacific University

"Weaving together stories of youth ministry pioneers and their organizations, Senter provides an intriguing historical perspective on the church's concern for its young people. Drawing on the lessons from history, Senter provides insight into this frustrating area of ministry and the challenges the church must address in order to spiritually engage young people. When God Shows Up is required reading for anyone remotely concerned with the future of the church's ministry to young people."--Darwin Glassford, associate professor of church education, Calvin Theological Seminary; book review editor, Journal of Youth Ministry

"Youth ministry changes--and must change--in the context of changing cultures. Mark Senter has experienced much of the history of modern youth ministry as a youth pastor himself and as a professor and leading scholar in the field. In When God Shows Up, Senter has produced a book that professors, students, youth leaders, and senior pastors should study. It challenged and expanded my thinking. Senter's latest book is grist for dynamic, ministry-transforming discussion."--Dean Borgman, Charles E. Culpeper Professor of Youth Ministries, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

"The profession of youth ministry has a debilitating case of amnesia. Senter's book is the antidote. He brings the untold stories of the past to life and draws valuable lessons for today's youth ministers. Every youth minister and youth ministry educator in America should read this book. This book is the most comprehensive history of youth ministry available. Senter approaches youth ministry sympathetically from a strong faith perspective, yet also critically, aware of the importance of learning from the mistakes of the past."--Thomas E. Bergler, associate professor of ministry and missions, Huntington University; senior associate editor, Journal of Youth Ministry

"This is not merely a history book; it is a compelling story of young lives--thousands of lives--transformed by the surprising grace of God. As a keen historian and reflective theologian, Senter provides a fresh perspective on the past that illuminates the future. When God Shows Up encourages those who care about young people to understand their past and challenges them to maintain the historic core conviction of helping young people encounter God."--Mark W. Cannister, professor of Christian ministries, Gordon College

"This book establishes Mark Senter as today's foremost youth ministry historian. When God Shows Up is a seminal work providing a historical analysis of Protestant youth ministry in America. Yet Senter goes beyond a historical survey to provide a sociological and theological exegesis of youth ministry from 1824 to 2010. When God Shows Up is a significant contribution to both the field of youth ministry education and modern American church history."--Fernando Arzola Jr., associate dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Nyack College; author, Toward a Prophetic Youth Ministry: Theory and Praxis in Urban Context

Reviews

"I've been a grateful fan of Mark Senter's work for years since his opus The Coming Revolution of Youth Ministry mentored me as a rookie youth worker. Rarely do you encounter someone who answers questions you didn't even know to ask. For that experience, I looked forward to reading this book. . . . What Senter is really after is helping student ministry have a more practical theology that considers historical and spiritual cycles, to which most of us pay little attention. . . . More than likely, another change in culture is coming, for which we're unprepared unless we understand how the church has responded in the past. If we won't wrestle with our own foundation through a read such as this, youth ministry in general will continue to reflect a lack of theological grounding."--Tony Myles, YouthWorker Journal

"The book offers a fantastic description of the history of spirituality regarding youth in America--and how churches have placed their emphasis on youth. . . . Weaving together the events of U.S. history, the changing dynamics of the country's youth population, and the evolving characteristics of churches is not a small task. But Senter does it with a professorial pen and a youth minister's touch. . . . Senter's heart for youth ministry exudes through the manuscript as he combines historical information and practical applications. . . . Senter gives 300-plus pages of relevance that can be used right now for today's youth leaders and for today's students. The material is rich and deep."--Randy Speck, Christian Chronicle

"A valuable work for several audiences. For those involved in youth ministry or teaching a seminary course on youth ministry, the work provides an important historical framework to investigate the ways Protestants have involved themselves in the lives of youth, and it may help seminarians think critically about their own understandings of youth ministry. For those interested in the study of children and religion, Senter's book is a good survey of these interactions, and it provides scholars a foundation from which to build future studies."--Todd M. Brenneman, Church History

"When God Shows Up is a near exhaustive description of the history of youth ministry as it relates to the changing culture. . . . Senter understands youth, youth ministry, and youth ministers and his careful description of the historical cycles of youth ministry is an important contribution to the academic conversation in youth ministry, an emerging aspect of practical theology."--R. Allen Jackson, Southeastern Theological Review

"[Senter] provides a great service to the church and academy by beginning a conversation about a historically neglected field of study. . . . The ways in which When God Shows Up answers questions one had only vaguely pondered before and points to new ones that were never previously considered will likely mark it as a seed-bearing work for years to come. . . . It ought to be a first stopping point for all those interested in academic study of the church's historical, contemporary, and future approaches to youth ministry. For youth pastors and others involved in the daily activities of the church, Senter's book is vital for uncovering the changing nature of such ministry and casting light on the ways in which addressing emerging culture requires a willingness to break with the past. . . . Senter's work is essential reading material for all those who are called to work with teenagers as they continue to wait, plan, and minister for that moment 'when God shows up.'"--Joshua R. Ziefle, Koinonia

"An erudite, well developed, and enjoyable read. . . . Senter's work will go a long way in providing youth ministry students with a valuable historical perspective."--Casey McCollum, Journal of Youth Ministry

"An enlightening read that enables one to appreciate how the church has responded to the sociological and cultural changes that have had an impact on young people. Anyone concerned about the spiritual formation of young people will find this book instructive as they wrestle with the place of youth ministry in a congregation as well as its being a useful tool for evaluating contemporary approaches to youth ministry."--Darwin K. Glassford, Calvin Theological Journal