It Was 50 Years Ago Today. . . Youth Culture, The Beatles, And How Time Flies. . .
I remember my pre-teen self feeling four news-induced punches to the gut during my “wonder years”. Three were assassinations. The TV news bulletins (no Internet back then!) disrupted the normalcy of our days when JFK, RFK, and MLK were each…
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Teen Slang. . . A Helpful Infrographic. . .
TBT. . . most of us older folks are clueless on the latest teen slang. There are new words, acronyms used in texting, and a lexicon that’s sometimes motivated by a desire to continue to keep us in the dark.…
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Who’s Changing Who? Youth Ministry, Culture, and Truth. . .
It’s been an interesting couple of weeks spent with my good buddy Duffy Robbins. I’ve been poked, prodded, and pushed to think about new things in new ways, and new things in light of old ways. Last week it was…
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A Streaming Peek Into Today’s Youth Culture. . .
Netflix is now streaming the film “Eighth Grade.” If you’re a parent, grandparent, or youth worker who wants to jump into the world of today’s teens and and learn what it’s like to grow up in today’s youth culture, then…
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How To Block Porn On Kid’s Devices. . . .
Whenever I’m speaking to parents and/or youth workers about matters related to our Digital Kids Initiative, I am inevitably asked for recommendations regarding blocking software or technologies that can keep kids from danger and danger from kids. I never know…
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Youth Workers. . . Guilty Of Oppression? . . .
Oppression is a word that’s used quite a bit these days. In most cases, I think that’s a good thing. One way that the dictionary defines oppression is as preventing people from having opportunities and freedom. When a people group or individual…
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A Youth Worker’s New Year’s Resolution. . . “Read And Feed!”. . .
Quit and begin. That’s just about always what a New Year’s Resolution is all about. We resolve to quit something that’s destructive. In it’s place, we aim to begin a habit that promotes our flourishing in constructive ways. Typically, our…
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Parents. . . Christmas And How Time Flies. . .
A few simple words today and something that caught and brought a little bit of moisture to my eyes. My wife decorated our tree with a scheme that put these four hand-made ornaments in close proximity to one another. .…
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Teens, Wicca, And Alternate Spiritualities. . .
“Huh???” That was my response when, as a young college student, one of my campus pastors told me that “all human beings worship.” In my naivete, I wondered how one could worship when they weren’t a follower of Christ. But…
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Your Mid-Year Youth Ministry Checkup
I’m not a hunter, but I’ve got a son who is. A few weeks ago he took a couple of hours to head out to friend’s farm to “sight in” his rifle. It’s a process of getting everything lined-up so…
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Movies, Ministry, And Asking The Right Questions. . .
Later this morning I’m engaging in a fun and eye-opening little exercise that can yield powerful ministry opportunities, responses, and results. I’m going to be meeting with a group of local youth workers who have a passion for knowing Christ…
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Self-Injury. . . The Scream On The Skin. . .
As a culture-watcher, I sometimes like to “rewind” as a way to gain perspective on just how much and how fast youth culture has changed. The practice serves to wake me up at times when familiarity with what was once…
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