Youth Culture Matters - A CPYU Podcast

Abuse makes it’s ugly presence felt in all kinds of ways and places. Fortunately, the curtain if being pulled back to expose the secretive and destructive world of abuse in our culture. Alarmingly, there has been a secretive world of abuse in the church. And, it’s a good thing that this is being exposed as well. What forms does power take? How is power abused, particularly in the church? And, how should we respond to abuses of power? Stick with us as we shed light on the dark world of abuse as we converse with Dr. Diane Langberg about her new new book, Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

When I was engaged in full-time local church youth ministry, it was obvious to me that my greatest youth ministry asset was my volunteers. They were nothing short of awesome. One of the mistakes we make in today’s youth ministry world is believing that the best youth workers are those who do it full-time with large budgets and lots of kids. That’s just not true. Here at CPYU, we believe that part-time youth workers, volunteers, and bi-vocational youth workers are essential and effective. That’s why we’re focusing today’s conversation on answering some of the unique youth ministry questions being asked by those who aren’t full-timers. Stick with us as bi-vocational youth worker Jordan Martin picks the brains of veteran trainers Duffy Robbins and Marv Penner, on this episode of youth culture matters.

On my shelf sits a Bible concordance that was given to me as a Christmas gift by my parents back when I was twenty years old and getting ready to embark on a lifetime of youth ministry. I recently opened it up and saw the words of Proverbs 19:20 that my mom had written inside the front cover. “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom for the future.” That imperative has served me well over the years, reminding me of my need to always be listening and learning. For those of us in youth ministry, it’s important that we remain teachable, listening to wisdom and advice of those who have gone before us, loving Jesus and ministering to kids. Ron Belsterling is one of those wise voice in our youth ministry world. Stick with us as we talk to Ron about his new book, A Defense of Youth Ministry, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

On the night before his crucifixion, Jesus prayed for his disciples in all times and all places, that we would be in, but not of the world. He knew that in our sinfulness, we would be prone to forsaking our duty to be a counter-cultural presence in the world, by allowing the culture to establish it’s presence in the church. In today’s world, the culture infiltrating the church through what’s called progressive Christianity. What is progressive Christianity? And why are people, especially young people, drawn to it? And, how can we as parents and youth workers point our kids to embracing and living the truths of historic Christianity? We talk to Alisa Childers about her own story, progressive Christianity, and her new book, Another Gospel? A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth In Response to Progressive Christianity, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Recent research tells us that about half of our eleven to twenty-one year old girls regularly alter their photos to enhance their appearance online in order to find acceptance. Researchers also tell us that our girls are much more likely to experience anxiety and depression than their male peers. What are cultural forces that are shaping and even mis-shaping girls in today’s world? Why are more and more of our girls struggling to figure out who they are and how to live in the world? And what can parents and youth workers do to guide girls through the earthquake of adolescence and into an adulthood where they flourish? Stay tuned as we chat with physician, counselor, and author Dr. Leonard Sax about his new book, Girls on the Edge, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.Full episode notes here: https://cpyu.org/resource/episode-116-girls-over-the-brink-with-dr-leonard-sax/

I once heard someone say that judging from how Christians choose to live these days, the ten commandments God gave to Moses should be relabeled as the 10 suggestions. That’s certainly justified when it comes to the fourth commandment which tells us to remember and keep a Sabbath. Who does that anymore? Our kids have no idea what is means to Sabbath. The frantic pace of life in today’s world has combined with other trends to undo a commitment to Sabbath-keeping. Sadly, we’re coming undone as a result, and we realize we’re weary. What is Sabbath? Why is sabbath important? And how can we rediscover Sabbath-keeping so that we can once again find rest in the midst of our busy lives? We’re chatting with A.J. Swoboda about our Sabbath dilemma, and his book, Subversive Sabbath, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Have you seen the comical T-Shirt based on the 1985 movie Back To The Future? It depicts the absent-minded Doc instructing young Marty McFly, “Whatever you do Marty, don’t go to 2020!” This has been a very strange year. All of us have had multiple challenges to navigate. In the midst of it all, youth culture marches on as does our responsibility to know what’s happening in the culture so that we might bring the light of God’s Word to offer needed correctives to the course of this world. What are the current youth culture trends we need to be aware of? Stick with us as I chat with four culture-watching youth workers about what they’ve seen trending in youth culture over this last summer, along with how to shape biblically-sound ministry responses, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Welcome to Youth Culture Matters, a podcast from the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding. We’re taking a short break from recording new episodes, so for the next few weeks of summer we’ll be highlighting episodes from our archive. Today's episode is a discussion about intergenerational prayer and the "Pray For Me" campaign. Listen in to a replay of Episode 50: "Intergenerational Ministry Through Prayer" with Tony Souder. The original episode has been edited to begin today's version at the onset of our interview with Tony. The full episode was originally released on December 22, 2017.

Welcome to Youth Culture Matters, a podcast from the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding. We’re taking a short break from recording new episodes, so for the next few weeks of summer we’ll be highlighting episodes from our archive. Today's episode is an encouraging conversation with Pastor Scotty Smith. Listen in to a replay of Episode 29: "Prayer, God's Story, and Preaching the Gospel to Yourself" with Scotty Smith. The original episode has been edited to begin today's version at the onset of our interview with Scotty. The full episode was originally released on February 1, 2017.

Welcome to Youth Culture Matters, a podcast from the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding. We’re taking a short break from recording new episodes, so for the next few weeks of summer we’ll be highlighting episodes from our archive. Today's episode is a look back at a discussion with Dr. Virginia Ward on the topic of racial inequality and youth ministry. Listen in to a replay of Episode 13: "Race, Youth Ministry, and The Church" with Dr. Virginia Ward. This episode was originally released on July 14, 2016.

Welcome to Youth Culture Matters, a podcast from the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding. We’re taking a short break from recording new episodes, so for the next few weeks of summer we’ll be highlighting episodes from our archive. Today’s episode begins with some fun banter about baseball, appropriate with the 2020 season about to get underway, and concludes with a very helpful conversation with James K. A. Smith and his book You Are What You Love. Listen in to a replay of Episode 24: “Liturgies, Our Loves and our Habits” with James K. A. Smith. This episode was originally released on November 21, 2016.

Earlier this week I read this short and gut-wrenching Facebook post from a friend: Today she would have turned 20. All that we wonder and all the ache that we feel melding into one vast teardrop. It’s saltiness stinging the souls and staining the pages of the lives of those she left behind. My friends teenage daughter took her own life a few years ago. I’ve been reminded as well that life in our tumultuous and uncertain times is contributing to a rise in the suicide rate. I want to invite you to listen in on a timely conversation with Dr. Karen Mason, author of the book Preventing Suicide: A Handbook For Pastors, Chaplain, and Pastoral Counselors, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

I wonder how history will remember the first half of 2020? We would all agree that so far, one of the biggest stories centers on the Coronavirus pandemic, and our culture’s efforts to reckon major changes to everyday life. One aspect of our retreat from physical presence has been a movement into engaging with others in digital space, for everything from church, to government meetings, to business appointments, to medical check-ups, to education. Today, we want to look at the impact of the coronavirus on education and learning. What is the good, the bad, and ugly when it comes to the shift from the classroom, to the screen? Stick with us as we chat with our friend, Professor Duffy Robbins and three of his college students about their pandemic educational experience, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

If all goes as planned, our nation should continue to open up over the coming weeks and months. We’ve been removed from being physically present at our jobs, our schools, our churches, and our familiar social settings. We all are longing to return to a more normal coronavirus-free life. One big question mark remains regarding schooling when the summer is over and the fall begins, particularly for incoming college freshman and other returning college students. In an effort to gain some sense of what we need to be prepared for regarding higher education, we chat with the president of Geneva College, Dr. Calvin Troup, and a team of Geneva College administrators, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

I’m guessing that for all of us, these last few weeks have been filled with the hopeful expectation that we will soon be coming out of our quarantines and getting back to life as normal. For those of us in youth ministry, we can’t wait to once again meet face to face with our kids. As we get ready to head back, we can’t forget the many lessons we’ve learned about ourselves and our ministries during the pandemic. When we return to ministry, perhaps there are old ministry elements we should jettison, and new ministry strategies we should enlist. Stick with us as we chat with Mike McGarry about how a biblical theology of youth ministry can help us get back at it with a new youth ministry normal that focuses on leading students to a deepened faith in Jesus Christ.

We’re all looking forward to the day when the stay at home order is lifted and the country is opened again. The Coronavirus pandemic has changed everything in our lives, including the way that we do youth ministry. As the pandemic has unfolded, more and more youth workers are dialoguing on what youth ministry will look like when this is all over. What changes should we make? And what changes should we avoid? Hopefully, our adjustments will reflect an increased focus on teaching the Bible and deep discipleship, while getting rid of ministry add-ons that really don’t matter. Join us for a lively and challenging roundtable conversation about post-pandemic youth ministry, as I chat with my friends Doug Franklin, Cameron Cole, Tony Souder, and John Perritt, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

The Coronavirus quarantine has changed just about everything in our lives. That’s certainly true for our kids as well. While they have already been spending several hours a day engaged with their smartphones, the stay-at-home order and school shut-downs have given them more time to fill with their eyes on their screens. One of the dangers is that this gives them more time to find pornography, and more time for pornography to find them. What can parents do to engage in constructive conversations about God’s design for His good gift of sexuality, and the dangers of pornography’s expression of broken sexuality? Stick with us as Jason Soucinek and I engage in a conversation with the author of the book Surfing for God, Michael John Cusick, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Over the years I’ve learned that difficulty and suffering serve us in positive ways when they peel away the layers of distraction that keep us from thinking about the things that really matter. Suffering and difficulty are great teachers. Dr. Carl Trueman believes that our current pandemic is doing us a favor by offering us a window into realizing that very few of us have been prepared well to face our own mortality. How can families, youth groups, and churches equip young and old alike to grapple with that gnawing inevitable reality that we all work so hard to avoid? Stick with us for an encouraging, practical, and yes. . . winsome conversation with Carl Trueman and Duffy Robbins about the opportunity we now have to learn how to live in the shadow of our mortality, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

As we navigate the unfolding realities of the COVID-19 epidemic, many are raising legitimate concerns about how well our kids and their families are dealing with the associated fears and anxieties. Mental health experts are developing models regarding mental health curves once this crisis is over. Youth workers and parents are called and positioned to work together to guide kids through this crisis with knowledge of the truths of the Gospel and the hope that is ours in Christ. Join us as we chat with counselor Julie Lowe, about seizing this opportunity to lead our kids to mental and spiritual flourishing over the coming days and weeks, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

All of us find ourselves navigating some difficult and trying times. The current global health crisis has led to lots of soul-searching as we think about an uncertain future. No doubt, our anxiety levels are high. For the Christian, understanding and handling anxiety has to happen from the perspective of the biblical narrative as opposed to the cultural narrative. Youth worker and parents have been given unprecedented opportunity to address anxiety with our children and teens. After all, they’re worried. Dr. Ed Welch is a valuable resource to us all as we think about and address anxiety from a biblical perspective. Stick with us for this very practical, helpful, and timely discussion with Ed Welch, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

We would agree that the past few weeks have been like none we’ve ever experienced before. The Coronavirus pandemic is changing everything about how we live. And while the coronavirus is a problem, it has also created huge youth ministry opportunities that we can’t miss. The fact that our kids are living in fear, anxiety, and uncertainty means that we have an unprecedented opportunity to point them to the grace, mercy, and peace of our burden-bearing Savior, Jesus Christ. Stick with us as I engage in a timely and practical discussion with a group of very thoughtful youth workers, as we strategize on how to best navigate this landscape filled with spiritual hunger, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

As youth workers, it is our high calling and high privilege to teach, speak, and preach God’s word to our students. With the Psalmist, we know that God’s Word is a lamp for the feet of our students and a light on their path as they navigate a difficult and confusing world. As teachers, speakers, and preachers who share God’s word from up front, in small groups, and in our one on one conversations with kids, we need to be responsible in the way we handle and communicate the bible. What practices are necessary to good preparation to teach God’s Word? And what do we need to know about our students and their cultures in order to lead them well? Join us as we talk to Matthew Kim, about teaching, speaking, and preaching best practices, on this very practical episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Whether you find yourself out in public, or in the privacy of your own home, chances are that when you are in the presence of others, many of them have their eyes focused on their smartphone screens. Our lives are so focused on our phones that we are seeing the breakdown of relationships, attention spans, and critical thinking. What would happen if we locked our phones away for an entire week? College professor Donna Freitas recently conducted an experiment where she had her students untether for seven days. Join us for a lively and eye-opening conversation with Donna about what she and her students learned about our dependence on smartphones and what happens when we shut down, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.Find full notes here: https://cpyu.org/resource/episode-98-no-phones-for-a-week-with-donna-freitas/

These days, I’m hearing fewer and fewer pastors, school-teachers, and youth workers praising parents for doing a great job with their kids. And more and more I’m reading research that laments the loss of absolutes, the lack of discipline, and increase in entitlement, and the decline in mental health among our children and teens. One of the clear causal factors feeding these trends is a decline in effective parenting. But there is hope. Christian parents can break out of the cultural flow and reassert their authority in ways that will lead kids to healthy spiritual, physical, and emotional growth. Join as we chat with one of the most insightful voices guiding us into an understanding of what it means to parent well, Dr. Leonard Sax, as we chat with him about his best-selling book, The Collapse of Parenting, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Kids and adults alike have been hammered with the idea that we are to seize the day. Sadly, how we understand and live out carpe diem is that we live in the moment, with little regard for the past and not much thought at all about the future. Our homes and youth ministries should be places where this notion is challenged, as we endeavor to become and to raise people who live in the now in light of our future eternal hope, while treasuring the rich spiritual history of the past. One of the greatest Christian thinkers and cultural analysts of our time, Dr. Os Guinness, joins us to talk about how to live rightly, discern the times, and redeem the day, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Because all of us have been created by God and given the good gift of our gender and sexuality, we all live out what can be called our personal sex story. How we choose to live out our gender and sexuality hinges on what larger narrative we choose for our lives. In today’s world, the culture tells us that we should live within a narrative focused on self-fulfillment and individual choice. But the creator of sex invites us to find true freedom in the story He has written for us. Christopher Yuan calls this Holy Sexuality. Join us as we chat with Christopher Yuan about finding our identity in Christ and not our sexuality, as we talk about his book Holy Sexuality and the Gospel, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

If there’s been a rising chorus of lament over young people in the church, it’s been the rate at which young people are graduating from high school and leaving the church. For several years now, research projects have identified this post high school exodus as a growing concern. But in their recently released book, David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock share research that helps us understand why those who stay, decide to stay. What are the youth ministry practices that build resilient disciples of Jesus Christ? What can we do to turn tide on this discouraging trend? We’ll talk to our friend Mark Matlock about the new book, Faith for Exiles, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Christian parents and youth workers over the years, it’s that they want the best for their kids. One area where many of us have struggled to teach God’s best is in the area of God’s grand and glorious gift of sex and sexuality. That struggle has played out in the church in a variety of ways, including the fact that for our evangelical teens and young adults, sex outside of marriage has become increasingly morally acceptable. What is the extent of premarital sexual activity among our unmarried young people in the church? And, how can we respond to these current trends in ways that effectively teach kids to both glorify God and experience sexual flourishing? We’ll tackle these and other matters as we chat with sociologist and researcher Dr. David Ayers, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Do you remember the old 1981 song from the band Loverboy? "Everybody’s working for the weekend" is how the familiar chorus goes. If you think about it, that chorus really captures how we’ve come to think about and engage in work. In today’s world, work is functionally seen as drudgery, or even as an unpleasant activity that’s necessary for no other purpose than to fund our leisure activities. But that is not what work is intended to be. In the larger Grand Story of the bible, our work matters. And if we fail to understand and teach a rich theology of calling, vocation, and work, we shortchange our kids. How can we recover a proper understanding of work? And who must youth workers become if we hope to disciple kids into doing all things to the glory of God? Stick with us as we talk about this largely neglected area of discipleship, along with a helpful new youth ministry resource we can use to prepare kids for vocational flourishing, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

If you’ve been watching NFL games this fall, you’ve no doubt noticed the amount of attention being paid to hits on defenseless players, helmet-to-helmet tackles, and dangerous blows to the head. It seems like a growing number of fines and suspensions are being dished out. This is all part of our growing knowledge regarding the dangers of sub-concussive impacts and concussions. Thanks to the work of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, awareness is growing regarding our need to reduce blows to the head, particularly at the level of youth sports. In fact, the Concussion Legacy Foundation recently released a PSA challenging parents to put off tackle football until the age of 14. Since we need to steward the health of our children and teens, we must learn what we can about concussions and the degenerative brain disease known as CTE. We’ll talk about the work of the Concussion Legacy Foundation with Chief Impact Officer Tyler Mayland, and get a view from the sideline with Athletic Trainer Sheila Mueller, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

In recent weeks, the news cycle has been filled with conversations about forgiveness. These conversations were started when the 18 year old brother of Botham Jean forgave the woman who killed his brother, convicted policewoman Amber Guyger and embraced her in the courtroom. What is forgiveness? And how and when should we forgive? Here in our local community, we continually see and hear stories of how our Amish neighbors choose and keep choosing to forgive. There’s much that we can learn from our Amish brothers and sisters that we need to be embracing in our own lives, and teaching our kids. Stick with us as we chat with our friends Jonas Beiler and Joel Kime about forgiveness, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

If you attended church this week, you no doubt sang. If you are running a youth group, you most likely get your students singing. And maybe your time at home or in the car is time spent listening to what is called worship music. In recent years, there have been mounting debates about what music is the best worship music. Are the new songs too shallow? Are the old hymns irrelevant and out of date? Does music teach and us and form us as followers of Christ? Stay tuned for a thought-provoking conversation about the power of music, along with an introduction to a new way of thinking about worship and spiritual formation, with musician Kevin Twit from Indelible Grace, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

The summer of 2019 has come to an end. If you’re like most, you were able to take some time off and enjoy a vacation. But youth culture didn’t take a break over the summer. What are some of the summer youth culture trends we should be aware of, track , and respond to? Do any of these developments offer us insights into our kids, what they believe, and how they behave? Stick with us as we look at what youth culture did over summer vacation, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

When it comes to our calling to love God and love neighbor, one of the most heated discussions taking place in the culture at large and in the church these days is how to fulfill this calling in response to the LGBTQ issue. If you’re like me, you wonder about how to navigate these unfolding realities in our homes, our youth groups, and our relationships. And, as with all issues, we run the risk of listening more to the Spirit of the times than we listen to the Word of God. What does it mean to remain faithful to God’s will and way regarding sexuality and gender? One voice addressing these questions is Rosaria Butterfield, a lesbian activist who experienced a radical and unexpected conversion to Christianity that turned her life upside down. Join me as I chat with Rosaria Butterfield about her conversion, along with how to understand, address, and navigate issues of sexuality and gender, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Since the advent of YouTube, I’ve met several teenagers who are engaging in self-promotion in order to develop their celebrity-presence and build a growing following. In recent months, there’s been growing conversation about the potential pitfalls related to pastors and youth workers who self-promote and pursue celebrity status. What is self-promotion and is it something that a Christian leader should pursue? Does self-promotion derail us from the pursuit of practices that are good, true, right, and honorable? And how does pride play into our tendency to seek the stage and spotlight in order to build a following? We’ll be conversing about self-promotion with our friends Mark Matlock and Derry Prenkert, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

When was the last time that you pondered, if ever, the architecture and layout of your church building or youth room? And, does architecture and layout even matter? Should our spaces be purely utilitarian in nature? Or, should they serve an even greater purpose? Winston Churchill once said, “First we shape our buildings, and then our buildings shape us.” The fact is that space does speak. And space can shape us in ways that lead to our spiritual flourishing, or space can undermine our spiritual growth and development. Dr. Bill McAlpine has studied and written on the power of sacred space. Stay with us as Marv Penner and Duffy Robbins join me for an eye-opening conversation with Bill McApline about our churches and youth rooms on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Insecurity is a painful reality that all human beings struggle with. In today’s social media saturated world, the ever-present insecurities gnawing away at our teens are amplified. According to author and youth worker John Perritt, there is a healthy and greater fear that can drown out this lesser fear that we call insecurity. It is by living in the fear of the Lord that insecurity can be defeated. In fact, the pain of our insecurities is there to point us to Jesus. We’ll be talking with John Perritt about his new book, Insecure: Fighting our Lesser Fears with a Greater One, and how we can lead ourselves and our kids into finding security in Christ, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

It wasn’t until the late 1960s and early 1970s that the term Transgender was first coined and used. In today’s world, the word sits front and center on our collective cultural consciousness as more and more people are referring to themselves as transgender, and as transgender activism intensifies. The reality is, more and more gender dysphoric kids are showing up in our youth groups. For those of us doing ministry in the church, we should be thinking about how to minister with grace, truth, and compassion to those who identify as transgender. Peter Lynas is approaching the issue in this way as he helps the Christian community in the U.K. think through the theological, pastoral, and legal implications of ministry to the transgendered. Stay with us as Peter guides us through the difficult issues related to what it means to love and care for the transgendered, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

In her book, American Girls, Nancy Jo Sales writes these sobering words regarding what it’s like to grow up as a girl in today’s youth culture: “The constant seeking of likes and attention on social media seems for many girls to feel like being a contestant in a never-ending beauty pageant in which they forever performing to be please the judges.” Navigating life in our appearance-obsessed world is dangerous business for girls and boys, young and old alike. What are the messages our girls are hearing regarding their identity? How do these messages undermine their flourishing? And what can the home and church do to change the destructive trajectory our girls are on? We’ll be talking about these questions and more with writer Heather Zieger, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters. Full episode notes with links can be found here.

Where have all the good men gone? We’re hearing more and more young women lament the lack of mature Godly men. One says, “The guys I dated were more like the kids I babysat than the dads who drove me home.” Research and observation increasingly point to the fact that it is taking longer and longer for our boys to mature into responsible, Godly manhood. What are the factors that contribute to this reality? Are our current youth ministry and parenting strategies working to remedy the situation? And what can we do in our churches and homes to help prepare our boys to become Godly men and leaders? We’ll be talking with youth pastor Chris Walker about what he’s discovered in his research and ministry about how to disciple our boys into maturity, on this practical and informative episode, of Youth Culture Matters.

A recent headline from the Barna Group reads, “Almost half of practicing Christian millennials say evangelism is wrong.” The Barna group has been conducting research on the faith-sharing experiences and expectations of Christians and non-Christians alike. And it seems that many millennials now believe that it’s wrong to share their faith. Join us as we dig into the data, talk through the implications, and think forward about the implications for the church, as we talk with Barna’s David Kinnaman, on this episode of youth culture matters.

If you’re active on social media, you know that not a day goes by without someone posting an article or news story which sparks sometimes heated disagreement and discussion over one of the many issues related to life and sexuality. Discussions center on topics like abortion, euthanasia, gender, and marriage. The reality is that even in the church disagreements and divides are on the rise. How can we build a strong biblical foundation that serves us well as we seek to respond according to a Christian world and life view? Do world views even matter? And what’s at stake in these conversations with our kids? We’ll be looking to find answers to the hard questions about life and sexuality as we chat with Nancy Pearcey, author of the book Love Thy Body, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Our youth sports culture is broken. That was the headline for a recent op-ed piece in the Port Huron Michigan Times Herald. Written by a highly-respected high school wrestling coach, the article has gone viral, drawing accolades from educators, coaches, parents, and youth workers. Even though we all live in this sports-worshiping North American culture, we are seeing clear signs that our obsessions and pushiness are not serving kids, families, communities, and the culture at large well at all. What damage are we doing to our kids as they get involved in youth sports? And what can we do to change the youth sports culture in ways that builds kids up, rather than tearing kids down? We’ll be tackling these questions and more as we talk to the article’s author, Coach Brandon Day, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

The Scriptures tell us with great clarity that all human beings have been made by God, in the image of God, and for a relationship with God. But the reality of life in our post-fall world has left everything broken, including all human beings. This brokenness touches us all deeply, but in a variety of different ways. This includes the many types of physical and cognitive disabilities in our world. This means that our churches and youth groups must be places sensitive to the unique needs of those among us who are disabled. How can we best minister to the disabled, from birth through old age? How can we create welcoming, safe spaces that foster spiritual growth and development among the disabled? Stay with us as we learn about ministry to and with the disabled as we converse with Ashley Belknap, from a ministry called Engaging Disability With the Gospel, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Before he ascended into heaven, Jesus issued what is now known as the Great Commission. He commanded his followers in all times and all places to go into the world and make disciples. That task follows our efforts to communicate the good news of the Gospel. Do our youth ministry efforts reflect a commitment to obedience to this command of Christ? What does it mean to do evangelism and discipleship with the emerging generations? How can we fuel our passions and abilities at evangelism and discipleship? We’ll talk about these issues and more with our friend, Dare 2 Share’s Greg Stier, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Four years ago, the band Twenty-One Pilots released a hit song focusing on the pressures of adulthood and a yearning to return back to the relatively easy years of childhood. Title Stressed Out, the song went to number one on the mainstream music charts. But judging from what we’re hearing from researchers, parents, youth workers, educators, and kids themselves, stress and anxiety is increasingly common among our children and teens. What is anxiety? How is it manifesting itself in the lives of our kids? What are its causes? And how does the Gospel speak to this new epidemic of anxiety among our kids? We’ll be discussing strategies for navigating the epidemic of youth anxiety on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Plato once said that “music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” While you might argue with the particulars of Plato’s words, you have to agree that music has power. And there’s no question that Scripture has influenced music since the first ever song was penned. Poet, author, and rock music critic Steve Turner knows this to be the case. And in his new book, “Turn, Turn Turn: Popular Songs and Music Inspired By The Bible,” Steve Turner takes an in-depth look at the lyrics and cultural context of 100 of the most popular songs ever written, and how those songs were influenced by the Bible. Stay with us as we talk music and the Bible in this eye-opening and informative episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Every now and then, a film comes along that offers a helpful, realistic, and compelling peek into the world of contemporary adolescence. The recent film, Eighth Grade, is a movie follows the last week of middle school before thirteen-year-old Kayla graduates and moves on to high school. It’s a good one that covers all kinds of issues including identity, family, social media, friendships, and sexuality. We recently sat with a group of youth workers to view and discuss the film. Does Eighth Grade accurately capture what its like to be a kid in today’s world? Are there issues the film raises that we need to be addressing in our youth ministries and in our homes? And, how can a youth worker use Eighth Grade as a ministry tool? We host a round table discussion with three local church youth workers on these questions and more, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Over the course of the last few years, youth workers and parents have been increasingly lamenting the exodus of kids from the church once they graduate from high school and launch into the next phase of life. A growing volume of research is offering ideas on why this is happening, and solutions designed to reverse this trend. Why is it that our kids are leaving the church in droves after they grow up? Have we come to a clear understanding of the reasons? And what steps can we take to prepare kids for a lifetime of spiritual growth and following Christ? We’ll chat with John Nielson about what he’s discovered about why youth stay in church when they grow up, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

We live in a marketing saturated world. When we engage with an average of 4,000 to 10,000 marketing messages a day, we become unaware of both the presence of marketing in our lives, and the power of marketing to shape our beliefs and behaviors. And for our vulnerable kids who are in the midst of growth and change, marketing is an especially powerful force. What would it look like to disciple our kids into thinking consciously, critically and Christianly about the thousands of marketing messages they encounter over the course of a day? Can we shape the way they engage with advertising now, in ways that will train them to be wise, shrewd, and marketing-savvy for the rest of their lives? We’ll be talking about some practical ministry tips that parents and youth workers can use to help kids manage marketing, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.