Huntington College professors contribute to journal

HUNTINGTON, IN -- Dr. Mark A. Lamport and Dr. Dave Rahn of the Link Institute for Faithful and Effective Youth Ministry at Huntington College recently published articles in the Spring 1996 edition of the Christian Education Journal. Lamport served as guest editor of the journal.

Lamport's editorial focused on "Advancing the Field of Youth Ministry." He states that there are some in the Christian community that view youth ministries as having a "backseat" to others. He disagrees, arguing that "the best days for youth ministry are still ahead." Lamport cites recent developments that will enhance the field, including better books and academic journals. He also describes a new "multicontinental" movement spawned from a convention held in England which brought together youth ministers and academics from all over Europe and Australia.

Lamport's additional article, "What is Youth Ministry?" attempts to define the field and focus on what Lamport calls the "universal characteristics of youth ministry." The article encourages practitioners to develop a biblical philosophy of youth ministry. It concludes by predicting the future of youth ministry.

Lamport's colleague at Huntington College, Dr. David Rahn, contributed an article entitled, "What Kind of Education do Youth Ministers Need?" Rahn discusses "three broad headings" that address the educational needs of a student who wishes to become a youth minister. These are "Christian maturity," "youth ministry understanding," and "youth ministry competencies." Rahn also invites four leaders of various parachurch youth ministry organizations to comment on the education needed by youth ministers.

Rahn and Lamport are co-directors of the Link Institute for Faithful and Effective Youth Ministry and serve on the educational ministries faculty at Huntington College.

Rahn serves as educational ministries department chair and has been a member of the Huntington College faculty since 1985. He is a thirteen year veteran of Youth for Christ and a frequent speaker for churches, camps, and conferences. He earned his Ph.D. from Purdue University, MA from Wheaton Graduate School and BA from Huntington College.

Lamport earned his Ph.D. from Michigan State University, Th.M. from Princeton Seminary, MDiv from Evangelical School of Theology, MA from Wheaton Graduate School, and BA from Huntington College. An internationally known scholar in the field of youth ministry, he has published more than 30 articles in North American journals, and will be published later this year in the Australian journal, New Trends in Youth Ministry.

Huntington College's Link Institute for Faithful and Effective Youth Ministry seeks to champion cutting edge youth ministry which is thoroughly and deeply biblical, while making original contributions to the larger Church through research and reflection. Its mission is "to be a catalyst to the Church for the development of biblically faithful youth ministry which is increasingly effective in our rapidly changing world."

Huntington College was founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. For nearly 100 years, Huntington College has offered high-quality academic programs to equip men and women to impact our world for Christ. The four-year liberal arts college offers graduate and undergraduate programs in nearly 50 fields of study. Located on a contemporary, wooded campus in Huntington, Indiana, the College is among the fastest growing members of the Coalition for Christian Colleges and Universities.