Youth Culture Matters - A CPYU Podcast

Thomas Chisholm wrote the classic hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness, as a testimony to God’s enduring love. The hymn calls to mind the words of the prophet Jeremiah in Lamentations 3: "I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” How does one have hope like this? And how can parents and youth leaders nurture children and teens in ways that result in great hope? Our friends Cameron and Lauren Cole have experienced firsthand the kind of tragedy that leads to a downcast soul. But in the midst of that, God gifted them with great hope. We’ll be talking with the Cole’s about Cameron’s new book, “Therefore I Have Hope: 12 Truths That Comfort, Sustain, and Redeem Tragedy”, along with the importance of communicating these truths in our homes and youth ministries, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

It seems that you can’t watch the news or go online these days without encountering stories related to matters of gender and sexual identity. The conversations on these matters are progressing into unmarked territory that can leave parents and youth workers confused, and even paralyzed in terms of how to respond. In recent weeks, a new study has emerged that has opened the door for conversations about what’s being called rapid onset gender dysphoria that’s becoming more and more prevalent in the teen population. We’ll be talking about our need for knowledge, careful posturing, and a distinctively Christian approach to issues regarding gender and sexuality, on this edition of Youth Culture Matters.

Summer’s over and a new youth ministry season is here. If you’re a youth worker, your youth group schedule is ramping up and you’ve no doubt been planning. . . or should be planning. . . your teaching and ministry schedule for the coming school year. So let me ask you, have you done your youth ministry planning? What goals, objectives, and priorities have guided your planning? What do you hope to see happen in the lives of your students and their families this year? Effective ministry requires a combination of faithful prayer and careful planning. Stick with us as we talk to four youth workers who share how they have incorporated prayer and planning into their plans for this year, on this episode of youth culture matters.

It’s that time of year when the fall sports season is heating up, everywhere from the pre-school soccer fields to the NFL gridiron. Our sports-obsessed culture will be in full gear as we do everything from playing to spectating. If all of a Christian’s life is to be an act of worship, how can we engage in our playing, sports-parenting, and spectating to the glory of God? How do we push back on a culture that encourages us to idolize sport, winning, and sports stars? And how can we shift our priorities so that youth sports don’t eclipse the necessary task of nurturing the faith of our children and teens? We’ll be talking with John Perritt, author of a new book on youth sports, about these important issues, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

What did you learn about sex and how did you learn about it when you were growing up? Christian parents, with assistance from youth leaders and the church, are given the responsibility to bring up their children in the nurture and instruction of the Lord. This includes talking about God’s order and design for sexuality. And because we live in a hyper-sexualized world that’s providing its own narrative on gender and sexuality, taking on this responsibility to instruct our kids about God’s design is non-negotiable. It’s especially important that we correct the erroneous narrative the culture is throwing at our daughters. What should we be teaching them about sex and sexuality? How can we communicate the biblical narrative on this good gift from God? Stick with us as we chat with Tim Geiger about a letter on sex and sexuality that he’s written to his teenage daughter, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Somewhere along the way, many of us came to believe that if you are a follower of Jesus, you are promised a happy and carefree life. But when you read the Scriptures, you see that to follow Jesus means that you are also called to take up your cross. For most of us, it doesn’t take long to figure out that living life in a broken and fallen world means that you will encounter suffering and hardship. And, for the Christian living in this broken world, the Scriptures tell us to be prepared for additional difficulty and persecution because of our faith. What is suffering? What are the benefits of suffering? How are we to navigate a life filled with suffering? And how can we as parents and youth workers rewrite the narrative for kids so that they are prepared to live with suffering? We’ll talk about these questions and more with Dave Ripper, co-author of a new book, “The Fellowship of the Suffering: How Hardship Shapes Us for Ministry and Mission”, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

The poet John Donne once wrote that “no man is an island.” Donne was stating a basic truth about life. . . that is that human beings tend to do things not so well when we are isolated from others. We need community to thrive. That’s certainly what the Scriptures teach from Genesis to Revelation. If we’re in youth ministry, community is vital to our flourishing both personally and in ministry. Youth workers who have run the youth ministry race effectively for a long time are always networked and working with other youth workers. While we’ve encountered countless effective youth ministry networks globally, one that stands out is the long-standing youth network in western Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh area. What makes an effective youth ministry network? How can we get ourselves networked? And what can we do together than makes us all more effective? We’ll be talking to longtime networker Travis Deans about these questions and more, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

I was a twenty-one year-old college student when I first heard the term anorexia nervosa. I scratched my head for a moment, and then asked, “What’s that?” Yes, eating disorders and disordered eating were present in our culture forty years ago. But they were largely unknown and misunderstood. Today, the pressure to be thin and perfect is an ever-present part of our lives. Consequently, virtually all of our young middle school students are familiar with the names of these eating disorders. Many struggle with disordered eating themselves. As people who care for and love kids, what do we need to know about eating disorders and disordered eating? How can we recognize, prevent, and respond to the cultural pressures and the resulting health issues? Youth workers Susie Broms and Nick Mance join me to ask questions and learn about the epidemic of eating disorders from counselor Julie Lowe, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

One of the most controversial and often discussed Netflix series of all time is 13 Reasons Why. When season 2 of the series was released two weeks ago, our curious kids began binge-watching, just like they did last year with the release of season 1. Because of the shows controversial content and concerns about the influence on children and teens, 13 Reasons Why has been a hot topic for discussion and even disagreement among parents, counselors, teachers, youth workers, and media critics. Should we be watching 13 Reasons Why? How about our kids? Should we be letting them watch the show? What are the takeaways for parents and youth workers? How should we be talking with our kids about the show and its content? We’ll be talking about 13 Reasons Why Season 2, these questions, and a whole lot more with a round table of friends who have watched, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

With the culture changing at breakneck speed, we need to know the culture so that we can contextualize the unchanging Good news of the Gospel in ways that can be heard by a changing world. As a result, we talk a lot about the need for relevance in our churches and youth ministries. Is it possible that our commitment to relevance can lead us to focus too much on forms, with the result that we forfeit our knowledge of the Gospel? And, can we become so committed to relevance that we find ourselves falling into theological compromise and relativism? These are important questions for those who minister in today’s world. We’ll be discussing relevance, relativism, and a whole lot more with veteran youth ministry experts Dr. Duffy Robbins and Dr. Marv Penner on this episode, of Youth Culture Matters.

You can argue that if there is one band that’s been significant and enduring over the last thirty-plus years, it would be Ireland’s U2. Their story, their music, and their message has vaulted them to this place, making them one of the most beloved rock and roll bands of all time. What is it about U2 that makes them so provocative and compelling? How has the Christian faith played into the ethos of the band? And how should we be interpreting and processing the band’s music? Belfast native, pastor, and music critic Steve Stockman has written about U2 in his book, “Walk On.” Stay with us for a fascinating conversation with Steve about U2 on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

One way our culture has changed is the growing openness to new beliefs and behaviors related to sexuality, sexual orientation, and gender. Because we minister and parent on this changing landscape, we find ourselves engaged in all kinds of conversations with young people who express different beliefs and practices. As Christians work to be faithful to the Scriptures, we will encounter a variety of interpretations of the passages dealing with sex, sexuality and gender. How are we to look at and interpret these passages? What should we believe regarding God's order and design? And what posture should we assume as we engage with those from the LGBTQ community? We'll be chatting with author and theologian Preston Sprinkle about these questions and others, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Research and experience point way too often to the fact that our youth ministries and churches are failing at equipping kids to leave our youth groups with a deep, significant, and lasting faith. Too many kids graduate from high school and into the next phase of life seemingly pushing the pause or stop button on their Christian faith. Consequently, they aren’t ready to faithfully navigate the difficulties they are bound to face in life. How can we begin to take kids deeper into the Gospel? What are the steps we can take to promote spiritual maturity in our students? What are some of the key pillars of effective deep youth ministry? One youth worker has devoted his life to these matters after experiencing his own difficult adolescence, and the sudden death of his own three-year-old son. We’ll hear his story, discover how the truths of the Gospel carried him through the darkness of that time, and look to learn more about doing deep youth ministry, on this episode of youth culture matters.

As parents and youth workers, we are eager to see our kids come to faith in Christ, and to grow in maturity in Christ. Research and experience are pointing to the fact that some of the greatest strides kids make in their faith happen in the camp setting. What happens to kids when they go to a Christian camp? How has Christian camping changed over the course of the last few years? And what can parents and youth workers do to encourage a positive camping experience that yields real life change in the kids they know and love? With summertime fast approaching, you’ll want to listen in as we talk about the benefits and blessings of Christian camping with three camping experts, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

When youth workers ask me about the qualities they should seek to develop in their lives and ministries, there are three that I’m always sure to mention: humility, teachability, and cooperation. Pride kills ministry. Without a determination to learn we get horribly stale. And if we aren’t working with others we forfeit the great benefits of ministering together as part of the body of Christ. How can we intentionally position ourselves to serve Christ, kids, and families most effectively? What does it look like to be a part of a ministry team where all generations learn from each other? And what are the benefits of doing youth ministry in this way? We’ll talk to a multi-generational team of youth workers who are committed to carrying the youth ministry baton together, on this episode of youth culture matters.

Whenever Valentine’s Day rolls around our culture is prompted to think about romance, love, and sex. It’s no fluke that the latest installment in the Fifty Shades of Gray film series was released just a few days before Valentines Day. As followers of the one who created romance, love, and sex, we need to follow Christ by understanding and experiencing romance, love and sex in ways that bring honor and glory to God, rather than in ways that are broken and sinful expressions of sex and sexuality. This means that we have to consciously guide our kids through the minefield of pornography that litters today’s cultural landscape. What should we make of the Fifty Shades phenomenon? What does the interest in the films teach us about what to say and how to say it in our conversations with kids, young adults, and even parents? We’re having a conversation about cultural sexuality and biblical sexuality, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

We don’t like to talk about it, but we must. The spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being of our kids hangs in the balance. That’s why we need to be thinking about and strategizing for how to best push back and minister to kids in the midst of the growing epidemic of teen suicide. What are the signs? What are the myths? How can youth workers and parents intervene in a moment of crisis? Join us for a practical and hope-filled conversation with Dr. Marv Penner about teens and suicide, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Over the course of Walt Mueller's years of youth ministry, he's developed some wonderful friendships with a variety of youth ministry peers. Some of the most significant relationships have resulted in sometimes fun, sometimes serious, and always profitable conversation about their personal lives and ministry matters. They don't always agree, but they always work to sharpen one another. All of us need these kind of relationships where iron sharpens iron as we love each other and serve together. We invite you to listen in on one of these conversations among youth ministry friends, Walt Mueller, Duffy Robbins, Marv Penner, and Chap Clark... on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

One of the biggest mistakes we make in youth ministry is assuming that we are the ones primarily responsible for the spiritual nurture of teenagers. A second and related mistake is making the assumption that as youth workers, we can actually do a better job of nurturing kids than their clueless parents. Sure, parents might sometimes be not well-equipped to nurture their children in the faith, but they are still called to be the ones primarily responsible for the nurture of their children and teens. How can youth workers properly support and help parents as they fulfill this high calling? Are there steps we can take to be the kind of youth workers parents need? We'll be talking about how youth workers can help parents lead and disciple their teens, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Prayer is essential to the Christian life. As followers of Jesus, we must make the same request as one of His early disciples: Lord, teach us to pray. Once we learn how to pray, what should we be praying for? In today's incredibly confusing world, one of our primary prayers subjects must be our children and teens. What would happen if as individuals and churches we would begin to engage in daily prayer for each and every young person in our congregation? We'll be talking to Tony Souder about the Pray For Me campaign and how we can build our churches into communities that pray for children and teens, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Where are we to find our identity? Our current and powerful cultural narrative is convincing children, teens, and adults alike that we are to create, maintain, and find our identity in what we look like on social media. Consequently, we pour our time and energy into practices and habits that destroy us. It’s feeding the epidemics of anxiety, depression, and disordered eating. The path to hope, healing, and fullness is found in a different narrative, the biblical narrative, which leads us to find redemption and identity in Jesus Christ. How can we help our kids hear and follow this life-giving message? Stay with us as we talk about helping kids find their identity in Christ in a world of snaps and selfies with Kristen Hatton, author of the book Facetime. . . on this episode of youth culture matters.

Unless you’ve been asleep, you know that the last few weeks have been flooded with news stories about a growing number of political and celebrity figures and allegations regarding sexual abuse and assault. What’s now known as the Weinstein Effect was front and center again this week with the firing of NBC Today Show Host, Matt Lauer. Should we be shocked? Should we be surprised? We believe that this cultural moment provides us with the opportunity to look inward, to talk to ourselves, and to talk to our kids about a host of issues from a biblical perspective. What are those issues? And, how should we talk about them? We’ll be talking about how to capitalize on these teachable moments and more, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Drug and alcohol abuse is nothing new to youth culture. Sadly, it's been a part of the teenage experience for a long time. While anti-drug efforts have yielded a decline in the use of some drugs, the usage number on way too many drugs are on the rise. And not a day goes by when we don't read another sobering statistic or sad story related to the abuse of opioids or heroin. Today, kids are engaging with drugs and alcohol for a host of reasons. What is it like to work with a young person who is addicted? How can parents handle and navigate the horror of watching a son or daughter spiral down into the grip of drug and alcohol addiction? And what should we do as youth workers when these things visit our families? Stick with us as we hear a compelling first-person story of heartbreak and hope from our good friend Allen Jackson, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Youth workers and pastors are busy people. With the pace of life getting faster, we get busier and then have to prioritize the tasks of ministry. Sometimes we let certain tasks slip. In recent years, more and more of us have dropped the important task of study and preparation time. Some have even gone so far as to purchase, download, cut and paste, or even plagiarize talks and sermons prepared by others. This increasingly accepted practice can not only raise ethical concerns, but by moving us out of study and preparation, it can stunt our spiritual growth, lead to passionless-teaching, and eventually filter down to stunt the spiritual growth of our kids. Duffy Robbins and Walt Mueller have a spirited and important conversation with their friend Scott Gibson, author of Should We Use Someone Else's Sermon? about these issues and more on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Because we live as broken people with other broken people in a horribly broken world, we all face the temptation to take certain friendships over the line into the unhealthy world of emotional affairs. Once there, our tendency is to justify and downplay the seriousness of these relationships as no big deal. But even though emotional affairs might never lead to a sexual affair, they do cross a line. Emotional affairs are one of the most deadly obstacles facing us in life and ministry. They destroy marriages, families, ministries. and lives. They're especially prevalent in the church and in youth ministries. We'll be talking to Harvest USA's Ellen Dykas about the cautions, causes, and prevention of emotional affairs on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Were you ever bullied? Or, were you ever a bully? In today's world, bullying has reached epidemic proportions. Social media has created a landscape where bullying is now a 24/7 reality that for some, never ends. What can we do to build resilience in the bullied, and stop the bullies? This episode is a practical, gospel-centered conversation on bullying and what we can do about it, with counselor Julie Lowe.

We live in a broken world that is desperately groaning and longing to be fixed. As Christians we realize that the pain and suffering of life will exist until the day when Jesus ushers in the New Heaven and the New Earth. Until that day when things will finally be restored to the way they're supposed to be, we will experience pain and suffering in our lives. The cultural narrative works to convince us of a different perspective, that pain should be avoided at all costs and that we should only pursue pleasure. But God invites us into the suffering of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Those Christians who have experienced great suffering would say that their suffering led to deep spiritual growth. We'll be hearing one of those stories today as we talk to Russ Ramsey about his encounter with sickness and death on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

When it comes to dating and relationships, the rules have changed. The cultural narrative on dating, love, sex, and marriage has eclipsed the biblical narrative on relationships. Consequently, our kids oftentimes pursue a relationship path that is dangerous and destructive, and they don't even know it. How can we point them to an understanding and practice of dating that leads to their flourishing? What should we tell them about pursuing healthy relationships? There is a lot at stake, and the way we answer these questions will potentially shape or mis-shape our kids for the rest of their lives. Author and counselor Debra Fileta joins the podcast to discuss these issues and more.

It's been over fifty years since media theorist Marshall McLuhan said that "First we shape our tools, and then our tools shape us." McLuhan had push back as folks wondered at the time if what he was saying was true. But time has proven McLuhan's theory to be correct. Now that we've hit the ten year anniversary of the launch of the iPhone, we're beginning to see how much our smartphones are shaping and changing our lives. How do our devices shape our beliefs and behaviors? What do they reflect about what's most important in our lives? And how can we use these magnificent tools to the glory of God, rather than in ways that are destructive? We'll be talking to Tony Reinke, author of the new book "12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You," about this and much more, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

When I started out in youth ministry, there were two time-related realities that some seasoned youth workers shared with me. First, it takes three years to establish yourself in a new youth ministry setting. And second, the average youth minister stays in a youth ministry position for eighteen months. That math doesn’t speak well for youth ministry longevity and effectiveness. Fortunately, more and more youth workers are committing themselves to serving Christ through long-term youth ministry that allows them to build solid relationships with kids and parents. What are the secrets to longevity in youth ministry? And what practices and disciplines will equip us to minister for the long haul? We’ll be talking about longevity in youth ministry with long-time youth worker Mike Flavin, as well as his colleague Ted Jordan, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Late last year, Time Magazine ran a cover story on the current epidemic of anxiety among America’s adolescents. The story reports on what all of us who work with kids already know: that the pressures on today’s teenagers are so great that they are trying to navigate their lives while, as one teen says, "feeling like they are climbing Mount Everest in high heels." What is anxiety? What is feeding the anxiety epidemic? How does anxiety manifest itself in kids? And how can we provide Gospel-centered hope and healing for our anxious kids. We’ll be talking about children, teens and anxiety with Doctor Phil Monroe, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

If you spend any time at all on social media, you know just how important the "likes" are. Getting "likes" and positive feedback on your posts in money in the bank. It's a sign of social media success. But does the pursuit of online attention and a growing number of followers cause us to compromise ourselves? Researcher Donna Freitas has found that our engagement with technology has led to what she calls the Happiness Effect. What this means is that we are very easily driven to appear perfect at any cost, including our ability to be vulnerable, honest and in community. We're talking to Donna Freitas about her book "The Happiness Effect" and a whole lot more on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

The recently released Netflix series "13 Reasons Why" is getting a ton of attention from kids, parents, teachers and counselors. The show has sparked conversations about all sorts of adolescent issues, including suicide. But the show has also ignited controversy, as experts are divided over whether or not "13 Reasons Why" is motivating teenagers toward positive or negative behaviors. One thing is for sure: this is NOT a show to ignore. Our kids ARE watching it, they ARE thinking and talking about it, and they ARE allowing "13 Reasons Why" to shape their lives. We'll talk about these things and appropriate ways to respond, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Some would have us believe that if we find parenting difficult, we must not be following the right plan. They might also say that parenting well always results in Godly children. If you're like most parents, believing these lies can result in a heavy dose of guilt and shame. Because we live in a broken world as broken parents with broken kids, life is never easy. What we need is a heavy dose of realistic theology and good sense to help us navigate the difficult journey of parenting in ways that help us understand that there is no such thing as a perfect parent. Our friend Leslie Leyland Fields has lived this journey. Listen in as she talks to us about her book "Parenting Is Your Highest Calling: And 8 Other Myths That Trap Us in Worry and Guilt" and a whole lot more. Walt and Jason begin the podcast discussing news related to Richard Simmons and fame, tanning bed dangers, sexual abuse prevention, drug use vs. smartphone use, Converse, and how many germs iPhones have.

It's as if the landscape of our culture has changed overnight. The issue of transgenderism has moved front and center in our culture, our school, our churches, our youth groups, and in many of our homes. It's safe to say that this new gender landscape is one that we must understand, respond to and navigate. But as parents, how can we do so? What names do we use when addressing transgendered kids? And how do we handle the complex web of logistical issues including bathrooms and sleeping arrangements? We'll start the difficult process of tackling these questions and more, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters as we invite Ellen Dykas and Dan Wilson of Harvest USA to join the conversation.

Anybody who has ever worked as youth minister or youth ministry volunteer owes a debt of gratitude to Wayne Rice. One of the co-founders of Youth Specialities, Wayne has worked to equip and resource youth workers for almost fifty years. Over the course of that time he’s experienced a lot, rethought how we do youth ministry, and is now working to resource grandparents in their efforts to lead their grandchildren to Jesus. We’re thrilled to be chatting with our friend and hero, Wayne Rice, about youth ministry, grand-parenting, and a whole lot more, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters. To open the podcast Walt and Jason discuss youth culture trends related to a new friendship app called Yellow, e-cigarettes and dripping, sex ed and love, deadly teenage driving mistakes, apps to help track teen drivers and teens, Carson Daly and 'TRL.'

Studies say up to 65-80 percent of people who grow up in the church drop out of church when they become college-aged. It's not intentional. It just happens. But why is this happening? And what can we do as parents, grandparents, pastors, and youth workers to be sure our kids get plugged into a campus fellowship group and church when they arrive on the college campus? We’ll be talking to Sherri Nee, the co-founder of the College Church Connection service, about steps to take to make it easy to find Christian community right away. To open the podcast Walt and Jason discuss youth culture trends related to texting, biohacking, Tinder, terms for pregnant mothers, Metallica and the effects of pornography and the proper age for kids to get their own cell phones.

Walt and Jason begin the podcast with a discussion about gun violence in movies, body image and photo-editing, Russell Wilson ans Ciara, sports specialization, Millennials in the workplace, and heavy alcohol use and brain development. Research reveals the alarming fact that far too many of our boys and girls are being victimized by sexual abuse. It’s our belief that loosened sexual standards and the growing pervasiveness of pornography will only lead to a rise in sexual absue. And, whether you know it or not, the abusers and the abused are living in our midst. Sexual abuse is not benign. It is traumatizing. Consequently, it requires intervention, deep care, and healing. The journey to hope and healing is difficult and long, but it is a journey that can lead to redemption. We’ll be talking to world-class diver Denise Gater about her own story of abuse and redemption on this episode.

In recent years, researchers have sounded the warning that narcissism is on the rise in our culture, particularly among the emerging generations. If this is true, the tendency towards following self rather than following God will thwart our spiritual growth and development. Where does this focus on self come from? How is it being manifested in our lives? And what can we do to lead ourselves and our kids into a lifestyle of allegiance to God and service to others, when the world encourages us to look out for number one? We’ll be talking about the tendency towards too much focus on me, myself and I, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters. Walt and Jason begin the podcast with a discussion about a new college course, social media replacing drugs, social media and violence, the cost of raising a child, shortening sports broadcasts because of the shortening attention spans of Millennials, and the epidemic of stress among kids.

In the Gospel of Luke we read about a time when one of the the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Lord, teach us to pray." In a day and age where distractions are many and times of concentrated silence are disappearing, we'd do well to voice this same request. Here at CPYU, our prayer lives have been greatly enhanced through several books of written prayers, including books written by Scotty Smith. We're engaging with Scotty Smith in a lively and entertaining conversation about faith, culture, prayer and a whole lot more in this episode of Youth Culture Matters. Walt and Jason start the podcast off with a discussion about online pornography, new leadership at MTV, the 'American Dream', Pac Sun partnering with Budweiser, teen behavior across generations, and the Monitoring the Future Survey.

For those of us who lived through it, Beatlemania and the turbulence of the 1960s were watershed times in the history of popular culture. There had been nothing like it before, and there hasn't been anything like it since. Music journalist Steve Turner's's life in London gave him a front row seat and insider's look at cultural change that is fascinating. His insights are helpful to us as we think about the role pop culture plays in our lives. We'll be talking to Steve Turner about the intersection of faith and culture and his brand new book, Beatles '66: The Revolutionary Year, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters. This episode of Youth Culture Matters is sponsored by the Ministry to Emerging Generations Doctor of Ministry program at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Learn more at www.gcts.edu/emerginggenerations.

In recent years, more and more parents and youth workers have become legitimately concerned about what happens to their high school graduates once they head off to college. Among the many challenges students face is the diminishing of Christian faith. It seems that what they once embraced, is weakened and at times forgotten. Mike Gaffney discusses with us how we can encourage and support faith development so that it stands firm during the university years. Walt and Jason start the podcast off with a discussion about New Year's resolutions and youth culture trends related to the rise in STDs, parental media use, the "backpack challenge," virgins, and dating.

Our children and teens are like sponges, created to learn. Because of where they're at developmentally, they are especially impressionable and vulnerable. One of the most effective molders of young hearts and minds in the culture. As Christian parents and youth workers, our job is to nurture them in the Christian faith so that they will grow up to be lovers and doers of the truth of Christ. In this episode, our friend Dr. Terry Linhart will help us learn about effective nurture and instruction. We also begin the podcast with some fun Christmas movie trivia, as well as discussions about fruitcake and youth culture news including the use of laptops, concussions, technical virginity, teen suicide and cyberbullying, as well as distracted driving.

What is our culture telling us about sex and sexuality? Is the culture pointing us and our kids to a kind of sexual flourishing that reflects God's will and way for our sexuality? And what does it mean to have a biblical understanding of sexuality? In this episode, we're talking to college professor and author Dale Kuehne about his book "Sex and the iWorld," the current sexual mood on campus, how to have conversations with students about sexuality and a whole lot more. Walt and Jason open the podcast with a discussion about holidays, porn and sex ed, college loan money and spending, TIME's most influential teens, CoverGirl's cover boy, shoplifting and the phenomenon of drunkorexia.

Walt and Jason start the podcast off with a discussion about taking a trip to Mars, as well as youth culture news and trends related to the Chicago Cubs, energy drinks, new technological advancements, football and brain injuries, cyber dating abuse and media recommendations for kids. Then we chat with Jamie Smith about our cultural liturgies and his new book, "You Are What You Love," and what that means for students, parents, and youth workers.

Puberty. Adolescence. Sadly, those are words that sometimes strike fear in the heart of parents. But should it be that way? Taking the time to understand the realities of puberty and adolescence in today's world goes a long way in preparing us to parent, lead, and minister to teenagers in today's rapidly changing world. We talk with our friend Crystal Kirgiss about puberty, adolescence, and a whole lot more on this episode of Youth Culture Matters. Our opening segment takes a look at trends and news in the world of youth culture including the physical activity of adolescents, a 9-year-old who graduated high school, social media and the teen brain, an after-school Satan club, talking with your kids about drugs and alcohol and bottle flipping.

This episode begins with Walt and Jason discussing youth culture news related to education outside of schools, name pronunciation, technology, virtual reality headsets, a new music platform and generational differences in finances. Then former Major League Baseball player and 3 time World Series Champion, Jeremy Affeldt, joins the podcast. He discusses being a professional ball player in a sports obsessed culture as well as the pressures we place on our young kids to perform athletically. He also shares his heart about helping those in our communities who are hurting, specifically those dealing with hunger and sexual trafficking issues, and how we can empower youth to make a difference.

Walt and Jason open the podcast discussing youth culture news related to playing in the dirt, new words in the dictionary, teens and food insecurities, and a new app to combat bullying. Then during the interview segment our friend Rick Lawrence, the Executive Editor of Group Magazine joins us. Rick is a strong advocate for creative teaching methods. As the times change and youth culture morphs into new shapes and forms, parents and youth workers must consider how to best engage kids in conversations and learning opportunities about the Christian faith. While the message remains unchanged, our methods must be flexible. Join us as we pick Rick's brain and talk about today's youth culture.

When you were a teenager did you want to be seen and perceived as cool? In today's youth culture, the concept of cool is what drives fads, trends, and purchases. In fact, marketers are all about capturing, mass-producing, and selling cool. But can cool become a hindrance to spiritual growth? Can it become an idol that consumes our lives? Walt and Jason take a look at these questions and more in this "Pumpkin Spice" episode.

Walt and Jason discuss the latest in youth culture including stories about negativity in pop culture, college and social media, TV and Snapchat, and 'The Shame List.' For the 2nd and 3rd segments of this podcast, Sean McDowell joins Walt and Jason discuss issues of faith, culture, worldview and apologetics. As a professor at Biola University and also a part-time high school teacher, Sean also helps us know what we can do as parents and youth workers to help prepare our kids for college and to thrive in their faith once they arrive on campus.