Product Description:
In August 2010, Rev. Richard Guion began to offer free martial arts lessons at Christ Fellowship Church (CFC) to interested young people. This was in response to the big potential of being able to reach out to many teenagers attracted to the field of martial arts training. The goal was to lead them to Jesus Christ and make them His disciples. In the succeeding months, a good number of students enrolled.
However, it was evident that the potential of martial arts training as a context for youth evangelism and discipleship was not being maximized. After every martial arts class, Rev. Guion invariably just preached a mini-sermon. Later, he realized that the youth have peculiar development characteristics that necessitates specific methods if one is to successfully get through them and impact their lives. Unfortunately, what he was doing the club was devoid of any consideration of this.
So Rev. Guion decided to write his doctoral dissertation on this topic. He embarked on a serious investigation on youth ministry, adolescent development, martial arts vis-a-vis Eastern religions, the compatibility of martial arts of painstaking research and writing. Rev. Guion was able to develop a program that promotes a well-rounded and balanced growth in the essential areas of the Christian life, utilizes various elements of martial arts training, and is well-informed by an accurate perspective on adolescent development. Youth Martial Arts Ministry: A Developmental Approach is based on the said dissertation.
About the Author:
Rev. Dr. Richard A. Guion (B.Th., Center for Biblical Studies Institute and Seminary; M.Div., Biblical Seminary of the Philippines; D.Min., Singapore Bible College) is the Senior Pastor of Christ Fellowship Church in Davao City, Philippines. He began learning martial arts when he was thirteen years old. He now has black belts from American Bushido-Kai Karate Association (ABKA) and Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA). Moreover, he has received varying degrees of training and ranks in other arts such as jeet kune do, aikido, kali, muay thai, jujitsu, and krav maga. Dr. Guion is happily married to Ramar. They’re blessed with two lovely daughters, Rheeca and Regale.