68: Should Youth Ministry be Incarnational? (Tim Gough)

We often anchor relational discipleship in Christ’s incarnation, but is that the best biblical and theological foundation? In what ways might “Incarnational Ministry” have shaped the way we think about the Incarnation, rather than it being the other way around? For this reason, it’s important to get clear on the doctrine of the incarnation as we evaluate the biblical heart of relational ministry. 

Discussion

• How did this question get on your radar and what motivated you to sink your teeth into it?
• When people talk about “Incarnational Ministry,” what do they tend to have in mind, and what’s the typical argument for it sound like? 
• Could you walk us through the doctrine of the incarnation and share your hesitations about continuing with “incarnational ministry” language? 
• Is this just splitting hairs over nitpicky theology or is there something really at stake? What do you propose instead? 

Tim Gough is the center director for YFC in North Wales, chief editor for the Grove Youth series of books, and adjunct lecturer in youth ministry at various colleges in the UK, and is pursuing his PhD at University of Manchester. 

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