2.1. Relational youth ministry
For Pete Ward, ‘in the incarnational approach relationships are… very much to the fore’ they are, in fact, ‘the fuel on which youthwork travels’ (1997:43).
Pete Ward and his training centre, Oxford Youthworks, were largely responsible in the UK for the resurgences towards the incarnational theological approach in youth ministry in the 1990s. His view could be summarised simply enough as be like Jesus by being with young people. The incarnational theological approach influences this perspective in two ways:
1. Being incarnational means going to young people.
2. Being incarnational means growing friendships with young people.
We will look at both of these in turn.
2.1.1. Going to young people.
Borgman praises …show more content…
Ward leans on Phil. 2:5-8, which makes clear that ‘the eminence of incarnation was a self-emptying on the part of Christ’ (18). As imitators of this, it should invite the youth worker into a life of self-sacrifice and service (19), laying aside their own social agenda (18), in order to enter the territory where ‘young people feel at home, be it the local part, shops, pubs or schools (1992:30). Using Phil. 2, Ward believes that the youth minister giving up certain things to meet with young people on their territory is actually ‘doing exactly the same thing Jesus did when he became a human being’ (31).
There is much to respect in this use of incarnational theology. The prepositional direction of mission from they come to us to we go to you is clearly mandated by both the great commission and the post-ascension work of the disciples. There are also clear instructions in Phil 2 to be imitators of Jesus (vv.1-5). Further, the encouragement for the youth minister to be both self-sacrificial and a servant is a value prized highly by New Testament writers, especially in their qualifications for ministry (Tit. 1:5-9; 1 Pt. 5:1-4). There are, however, some theological …show more content…
This tips the balance heavily onto the human Jesus, while disregarding the pre-existent eternal nature of Jesus. Further, although Ward asserts that incarnation ‘includes the whole gospel story’ (17), he doesn’t explain that story beyond an abstract revelation of God to people and ‘God’s expression of care for the
For Pete Ward, ‘in the incarnational approach relationships are… very much to the fore’ they are, in fact, ‘the fuel on which youthwork travels’ (1997:43).
Pete Ward and his training centre, Oxford Youthworks, were largely responsible in the UK for the resurgences towards the incarnational theological approach in youth ministry in the 1990s. His view could be summarised simply enough as be like Jesus by being with young people. The incarnational theological approach influences this perspective in two ways:
1. Being incarnational means going to young people.
2. Being incarnational means growing friendships with young people.
We will look at both of these in turn.
2.1.1. Going to young people.
Borgman praises …show more content…
Ward leans on Phil. 2:5-8, which makes clear that ‘the eminence of incarnation was a self-emptying on the part of Christ’ (18). As imitators of this, it should invite the youth worker into a life of self-sacrifice and service (19), laying aside their own social agenda (18), in order to enter the territory where ‘young people feel at home, be it the local part, shops, pubs or schools (1992:30). Using Phil. 2, Ward believes that the youth minister giving up certain things to meet with young people on their territory is actually ‘doing exactly the same thing Jesus did when he became a human being’ (31).
There is much to respect in this use of incarnational theology. The prepositional direction of mission from they come to us to we go to you is clearly mandated by both the great commission and the post-ascension work of the disciples. There are also clear instructions in Phil 2 to be imitators of Jesus (vv.1-5). Further, the encouragement for the youth minister to be both self-sacrificial and a servant is a value prized highly by New Testament writers, especially in their qualifications for ministry (Tit. 1:5-9; 1 Pt. 5:1-4). There are, however, some theological …show more content…
This tips the balance heavily onto the human Jesus, while disregarding the pre-existent eternal nature of Jesus. Further, although Ward asserts that incarnation ‘includes the whole gospel story’ (17), he doesn’t explain that story beyond an abstract revelation of God to people and ‘God’s expression of care for the