Book Review: On Teaching and Learning: Putting the Principles and Practices of Dialogue Education into Action by Jane Vella

epidemic proportions among teens, youth ministries and churches could benefit from creating a stronger culture of authentic friendship that fosters joy and reflects the love of Christ. Delighted admittedly creates discomfort. Joy is a companion with suffering; therefore, opening yourself to embrace others as Christ does is a very vulnerable endeavor. The authors warn of this vulnerability and share their stories of weakness and failure alongside their victories as encouragement. The book also contains several strong indictments of program-driven ministry and transactional relationships, which has been a significant conversation among youth workers. Although shifting to a joy-focused ministry strategy may resonate with our hearts, it is an extremely complex process and getting there may not be so joyful. It would be helpful to know more about how a youth ministry could take steps toward implementing these strategies into existing programs. For example, how can a youth ministry provide confessional space in a church that does not engage in confessional practices? This versatile book should be widely read. Busy ministry workers and lay leaders will appreciate the practical, accessible style, and academicians will appreciate the strong research base and theological grounding. It would be a useful companion text in a foundations or practical ministry course. Personally, Delighted gave me a new sense of joy, vision, passion, and purpose for ministry to youth.