In my house, there's an ongoing debate. After finishing an audiobook, should you say you have "read" the book or "listened" to it (or both)? Regardless of where you come out on the question (I'm a fan of "read"), audiobooks are a terrific way to pass the time, learn something new, and have fun while you drive, exercise, or work around the house. I almost never leave the house without at least one audiobook on my phone and/or iPod, and I frequently have one checked out on CD from the library as well. Here are some great sources for audiobooks, including several that charge little or nothing, plus a peek at the last two audiobooks I listened to (and loved!)

For many church staff members and leaders, summer provides a bit of a breather and gives you an opportunity to do a few different activities. Sure, there may be VBS or a youth mission trip to plan and lead, but most of the Christian educators I know do have some down time for at least a couple of weeks. If that's true for you, consider doing what I'm about to do: take a Summer Sabbatical.

In last week's email I linked to a hilarious video about contemporary worship that I highly recommend you watch (or watch again) right now. The video points out a common trait of more contemporary styles of worship: the "flow" tends to be the same from week to week ("Opening song, opening song..."). Further, there are often secondary, less obvious meanings ("...but we're tracking it.") The video pokes fun at contemporary worship, but a similar critique could be made of traditional worship and of a lot of Christian education curriculum. As one who frequently writes curriculum for publication, I know well that there are many good reasons for developing lesson "rubrics" or outlines that flow in a similar fashion from one week to the next. It's easier to write to a pattern, and it requires less preparation effort on the part of the teacher, to name just a couple of the reasons. When you review curriculum, one of the decisions you need to make is whether or not you like the "formula" or pattern that material uses, and be aware of it so that you don't get stuck in a rut in your educational settings.

A small curriculum publisher called Wayfarer puts out a downloadable youth/young adult ministry curriculum called Room 1228. I discovered it via a Facebook ad and decided to take a closer look. There are a number of things I really love about it, and I think it's a good representative example of where a lot of curricula is headed, but there also are features that just don't work for me. I'll tell you more in just a bit (and provide you with a special offer code so you can get a discount on purchases!) First, though, it's good to remember that there are MANY ways that a youth or young adult group can look, and you don't have to follow a prescribed pattern or flowchart. Some youth groups meet only once a month, while others meet weekly or even more frequently. Some college ministries provide a highly varying blend of trips, projects, lessons, speakers, and fun nights, while others follow a structured, predominantly large group/small group format. When you evaluate a particular curriculum for your setting, it's easy to immediately reject it because it doesn't fit your style, theology, or personal interests. My hunch is that many readers of this review will not typically use the format of Room 1228. If that's true for you, I hope you'll take a close look at the material as a way of reflecting on what you understand to be true about how youth and young adults learn, what your group's purpose is, and why you structure your group the way you do. Now, on to the review...

The odds are good that your youth room is probably the coolest space in your congregation, filled with all sorts of technical gadgets, games, photos, and the like. But what about books? Have you considered having several books in the room that can be used for conversation starters, shared browsing, and time-fillers? Books are great for those youth that are visual or verbal/linguistic learners, and they can give the more shy kids in your youth group a way to interact with one or two others. Scatter them around the room, especially near where youth like to sit and hang out. Here are some suggestions...

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One of the places where I get the best tips about news, books, curriculum, videos, and other items of interest to progressive Christians is on Facebook. Here are 22 of my favorite pages you might "Like", and groups to "Join." You'll find many great people on these groups who you should also know, so poke around and meet some new folks! And if you know of a great group or page I missed, please add a comment below with the Facebook link.