Looking Good Naked
Youth Work and the Body of Christ
by Andy du Feu
Imprint: Resource Publications
What would it look like if an Avenger turned up to help in youth work? Perhaps it would breathe a fresh sense of purpose. Maybe the primary response would be relief that backup had arrived. They would certainly pull a crowd for a few weeks at least. Looking for a superhero might be a good idea. But there is a better one. It's called the church. Boring? Irrelevant? All dressed up but nowhere to go? Looking Good Naked strips off the ill-fitting outfits and recovers a biblical theology of the church as the body of Christ, drawing on the narratives of youth work and ministry. Written for the student of youth ministry, full-timer, part-timer or extra-timer, it is an engaging, practical, and deep book, seeking to renew our confidence in who we are in light of whose we are, so we can better engage with young people.
Andy du Feu is Vice-Principal, Academic at Moorlands College (UK). He is a youth ministry “lifer” and has led youth-work and theology degree programs for nearly a decade, with other research interests in undefended leadership and digital theology. He has served as a church pastor near Oxford, and has youth work and ministry experience from three continents, including three years in urban ministry on the US East Coast.
“Andy du Feu has given us here a much-needed fresh look at youth ministry in all of its facets. What he has written will be helpful to the newcomer to youth ministry as well as the veteran. His grasp of the theoretical as well as the practical is brilliant. Highly recommended!”
—Len Kageler, Emeritus Professor of Youth & Family Studies, Nyack College
“Packed with stories, biblical depth, and encouragement, this book is a real gift to youth ministry and the wider church. I just wish I’d been able to read it twenty years ago when I was just starting out.”
—Gavin Calver, CEO, Evangelical Alliance
“Andy’s work is insightful, incisive, and targeted in a godly way but is also fun, enjoyable to read, and percolates the wisdom of Jesus and his mission to his church. Let’s engage with it, and with the Holy Spirit’s prompting, put its findings into practice.”
—Colin Bennett, Vice Principal, Moorlands College
“With a delightful mix of whimsical storytelling and robust theology, Andy reminds us on every page that the best hope for our young people is not found in our superhero youth workers, but in God’s plan for the church. Potent and practical wisdom from one of the UK’s most experienced youth work voices. Grab a copy, read it and read it again!”
—Tim Gough, author of Rebooted: Reclaiming Youth Ministry For The Long Haul
“Dripping in his quick wit and deep wisdom in both youth work and church leadership, Looking Good Naked will be both an inspirational and at times uncomfortable read for anyone who cares enough to make Jesus known to this and subsequent generations. This isn’t a book just for youth workers. It’s too important for that. This is a book for all of us.”
—Rachel Gardner, Director of National Work, Youthscape