Spiritual Disciplines for the Digital Web
Guest Blog Post from Jake Bier Walt Mueller invites Jake Bier – CPYU Research Fellow and Assistant Pastor at Springton Lake Presbyterian Church, Newtown Square, PA – to take over his blog. What follows is Part 2 of a blog…
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A Shifting Digital Landscape
Guest Blog Post from Jake Bier Walt Mueller invites Jake Bier – CPYU Research Fellow and Assistant Pastor at Springton Lake Presbyterian Church, Newtown Square, PA – to take over his blog for the next 2 weeks. What follows is…
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Shutting Down the Tech
A few years ago, a Harris Poll uncovered some data regarding the attitudes of Gen Z toward technology. Keep in mind that this is the generation born between 1997 and 2012, the first of which could experience the iphone when…
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Episode 222: “Surgeon General’s Advisory on Screen Time” A Youth Worker Roundtable
Download the podcast as an .mp3 by clicking here.Access from Apple Podcasts. FURTHER RESOURCES Resources, links, or other helpful tools mentioned in the podcast:CPYU Research FellowsJosiah RiosMike TerryJake BierSurgeon General’s Warning on the Harms of Screen UseThe Tech-Wise Family: Everyday…
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AI – Parents as Digital Gatekeepers
All this week we’ve been looking at AI and the potential role it will play in the lives of our children and teens. Specifically, were looking at some conclusions made by the Brookings Institution and their new report titled, “A…
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CPYU Youth Min and Culture Cohort 2026-2027
Introduction
How can we nurture our families, children, and teens into pursuing a growing passion for engaging in whole-life, biblically-faithful Christian discipleship as they navigate the difficult challenges of living to God’s glory in a rapidly changing culture?
As youth workers, we are uniquely positioned to facilitate these realities by engaging in what theologian John Stott calls “dual listening.” This means that we listen to both God’s Word and today’s world. By doing so, we will be prepared to not only bring the light of God’s Word to bear on today’s difficult and confusing cultural pressures and realities, but we can teach our students and their families to do the same. This will equip them to not only grow in their faith, but to integrate their faith into all of life, which is the kind of counter-cultural living we are called to as followers of Jesus Christ.
The Experience
The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding’s new Youth Min and Culture Cohort offers a unique opportunity for you to grow in your ability as a youthworker. As a member of the cohort, you will experience:
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- A guided cohort experience with youth ministry peers, designed to increase your knowledge, skills, and effectiveness in equipping your students to navigate culture and apply faith to all of life.
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- Eight 90-minute online meetings for practical instruction, discussion, and application with CPYU’s Dr. Walt Mueller.
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- Dedicated individual meeting/coaching time with Dr. Walt Mueller.
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- Registration is limited to 16 participants to allow for maximum cohort interaction.
The Schedule
Part 1 – Foundations: During our first four cohort meetings, Walt will introduce you to some necessary foundational practical theology and skills you can utilize in your ministry to both understand and address cultural realities, all with sensitivity to your students and faithfulness to God’s Word.
October 14, 2026 – Understanding Culture
October 28, 2026 – Culture as a Student-Shaping Influence
November 11, 2026 – Increasing Youth Ministry Effectiveness Through Cultural Exegesis
November 18, 2026 – Equipping Students To Navigate Culture Christianly
December – Individual Coaching Calls with Walt Mueller
Part 2 – Praxis: Our final four cohort meetings will focus on how to understand and practically address some of the main cultural influences and trends currently shaping children and teens. This may include issues related to digital technology, sexuality and gender, materialism, vocation/calling, social media, marketing, body image, etc.
January 6, 2027 – Issues in Current Youth Culture 1
January 20, 2027 – Issues in Current Youth Culture 2
February 4, 2027 – Issues in Current Youth Culture 3
February 17, 2027 – Issues in Current Youth Culture 4
Each meeting will take place over Zoom from 11:00AM – 12:30PM EST
Cost
$299
What Past Cohort Particpants Are Saying
“If you’re considering this cohort, I would recommend you do it! Serving in ministry can sometimes feel lonely or isolating, but this cohort provided a group of like-minded youth workers that shared both a heart for the gospel and for reaching youth. It was a highlight of my year and challenged me both personally and in ministry. Walt and his team are a tremendous resource with a wealth of knowledge and experience who desire to faithfully share the gospel to this generation of youth.”
Youth Worker from Virginia
“When I first entered into youth ministry straight out of college, I found myself laughing at all of the “old guys” and how out of touch they were with the current youth culture. Almost 20 years later now, I have discovered that I have become one of those “old guys”. Being a part of the Youth Min and Culture Cohort helped me re-engage the constantly changing culture with God’s unchanging Word. You’re never too old to keep learning, and the Youth Min and Culture Cohort is a great place to start.”
Youth Pastor from Michigan
“As a new but older youth pastor, I appreciated the chance to interact with others on the impact of culture on today’s youth. It gave me a chance to think and reflect on how and why we actively engage in this ministry.”
Youth Pastor from Iowa
“My past experiences in the CPYU online cohorts have been some of the best invested uses of time in my 30+ years of student ministry. Not only have I developed a deeper network of friendships sharing in our calling to student ministry through these cohorts, but I have also been challenged to think both strategically and critically about ministering to students and their families in this rapidly-evolving culture.
My personal library has expanded, my study time has been deepened, and my approach to student ministry has changed trajectory due to my time with Walt and the friends of CPYU. Logging in on my designated Zoom call cohorts was always a weekly ministry highlight that I anticipated and hope to continue.
I would strongly encourage anyone in student ministry wanting to grow their network and knowledge, desiring to become better equipped as youth pastors, to consider this resource and use of time by joining a CPYU cohort.”Youth Pastor from Kentucky

Are iPods Back?
Recently, I was watching one of those videos where a man was running a large sieve through the sand at a beach, to find coins, jewelry, and other treasures. At one point he pulled his sieve up out of the…
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Episode 219: “Making Tech-Wise Disciples – A Youthworker Addresses Screens with Students and Parents” with Jake Bier
Download the podcast as an .mp3 by clicking here.Access from Apple Podcasts. FURTHER RESOURCES Resources, links, or other helpful tools mentioned in the podcast:Jake Bier – Springton Lake Presbyterian ChurchCPYU Research FellowsCPYU Parent Prompt: Teen Loneliness & Smartphone UseCPYU Parent…
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The Dangers of AI
Paul Kingsnorth has written an engaging and thought-provoking book on technology which serves to warn us by looking ahead to the dangers that are coming due to our un-thinking embrace of all things digital. The book is titled Against The…
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Youth Ministry and AI
Does it make your head spin like it does mine? Mine’s been spinning since first learning about and then fiddling around a little bit with AI. Initially, I took the bait to dabble with the unpaid version of Songer, which…
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Parent Prompt: Never Alone, Always Lonely – Breaking the Cycle of Mediated Connection
CPYU Parent Prompts are a regularly released resource to spark biblically-centered conversations with your kids about the issues they face in today’s youth culture. Download the Parent Prompt here. By:Josh Good, CPYU Research Fellow and Ministry Director, Christian Endeavor USA,…
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Is AI Anti-God?
In his book Against The Machine, writer and thinker Paul Kingsnorth contends that thanks to digital technology and advances in AI, we are moving into a world that is governed by Algorithm’s and AI, rather than by God-imaging humanity. In…
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