Monthly Archives: February 2012

Writing 101 (A Word to Aspiring Writers)

Posted on by Alvin Reid in Blog | 2 Comments

I regularly meet aspiring writers and authors who ask me how to get published. I can hardly be considered an expert, but by God’s grace I have written or edited quite a few books. I hope to encourage hopeful writers while at the same time being realistic. In his outstanding book Quitter, Jon Acuff says what I would like to say to aspiring writers. Only he says it better. Get this book, but first read these excerpts to see his …

Want to Understand Millennials? Become a “Trader”

Posted on by Alvin Reid in Blog | 1 Comment

If you minister to students or young adults, or if you simply scratch your head trying to understand them, let me introduce you to some folks who do. More importantly, they understand the mission of God, which matters more than a demographic. Millennials want a cause, they seek a movement, they yearn for more than the minimalistic faith they often see. The ministry of RightNow.org understands that, and calls believers to trade the American Dream for the mission of God. …

The Gospel According to the Hunger Games

Posted on by Alvin Reid in Blog, Missional, Student Ministry | 5 Comments

This morning I sat down to enjoy a continental breakfast at the Hampton Inn in Tampa. Last night I had the joy of speaking to the great folks at Idlewild Baptist Church as part of their Engage Global Missions Emphasis. My topic: Reaching the Millennial Generation. I opened the complimentary USA Today slipped under my door during the night and turned to the section where I knew I would find the list of top books.  The top three books on …

Pop Culture & Student Ministry: Thoughts on the Grammys, Whitney, & Culture

Posted on by Alvin Reid in Blog, Missional, Student Ministry | Leave a comment

Few ideas epitomize pop culture like music and nothing identifies musical trends of the times like the Grammys. If you watched last week as I did you saw everything from the beautiful—the incredibly talented Adele, Jennifer Hudson’s tribute to Whitney Houston, The Civil Wars—to the surreal (Niki Minaj). I’m convinced the acts by Katy Perry and Minaj were nothing more than a channeled Lady Gaga from her fishnet-covered face in the audience, but I could be wrong. The night began …

Awakenings and Agnosticism: Tell Students of the Work of God

Posted on by Alvin Reid in Blog, Missional, Movements, Student Ministry | 2 Comments

In his book Real Teens researcher George Barna tells the following story: “Although her family was only nominally involved in the church, Jenny came to our youth group faithfully throughout her teenage years. She went on mission trips and attended Sunday school; she was a regular fixture in our program. We had been successful with Jenny, or so we thought. Jimmy, on the other hand, never quite connected with our youth ministry. We rally worked to get him involved with …