Inside Jokes in an Outside World

Amanda Drury (PhD Princeton Seminary) is Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at Indiana Wesleyan University with teaching interests in: youth ministry, homiletics, and spiritual formation. She is author of “Saying Is Believing: The Necessity of Testimony in Adolescent Spiritual Development.” She lives in Marion, Indiana with her husband and three kids.

Matthew Beck is currently serving in his seventh year as the youth pastor of College Wesleyan Church, while working on his Masters of Divinity at Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University. He and his wife, Jami, have four children.

Dr. Drury and Rev. Beck joined us on January 6, 2016 to speak on the potential for the practice of testimony to help adolescents lead joyful, flourishing lives:

“The verdict is out: when our teenagers talk about their faith, they are formed into more faithful people. But being a "more faithful person" doesn't necessarily lead to a joy-filled life. In fact, in many cases, we see evidence of God-talk resulting in loneliness and guilt. Why is it that some conversations about God increase our joy and intimacy while others simply leave us feeling isolated and miserable? What if the teenagers within our ministries could find their conversations about God to be life-giving? What if articulating their faith was a meaningful experience? Throughout this lecture we will explore various factors of testifying that contribute to a joy-filled life.”

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