When Youth Ministry Is Counter-Productive. . .
I’m convinced that one of the reasons so many teenagers and young adults are walking away from the heritage of their faith is that we haven’t given them a complete heritage. Many of our kids have a church experience that’s…
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When It’s No Longer Normal, It’s News. . . .
Gotta love this story. In a day and age of self-centered sports posturing, this is all about selfless service and sportsmanship. Gotta love Clay Soule and his service to Kevin Koenig, who was having trouble tying his shoe. Awesome. Sadly,…
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Youth Ministry and Technology. . . How The Electronic Age Has Mis-Shaped Our Kids. . .
Something said by media critic Marshall McLuhan may have initially fallen on deaf ears, but its truths scream loudly about the contemporary power of media, technology, and electronic tools. McLuhan once said, “We become what we behold. We shape our…
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Pitbull, Mediocre Music, and the Call to Create Good Culture. . .
So tonight, Pitbull is going to let the world know on a CNBC special (“Pitbull: Fame & Fortune”, 10pm) how to make a boatload of money and status in today’s world. . . particularly in the world of popular music. When…
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The Teen Brain, Alcohol, and Drugs. . . A Helpful Infographic. . . .
Recently, I’ve had several youth workers lament the fact that they are ministering in churches and communities where adolescent drug and alcohol use is being promoted rather than prevented by parents. . . the very people who should be intervening to…
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Flipping Bats and Flipping Self. . . Promoting And Reflecting A Culture of Disrespect. . .
Last evening I found myself glued to a fascinating and frightening discussion unfolding on Philly Sports Talk, a daily one-hour show on our local Comcast Sports Network that features lively chatter about what’s happening in the world of sports. When you…
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What the Sexual Revolution Got Wrong. . . And What We Must Get Right. . .
In thinking about the changes announced at Playboy magazine and what I blogged on two days ago, I started to dig through my memory and my notes (you should see my desk!) to find an article on the sexual revolution that…
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Playboy’s Move In A Changing Cultural Landscape. . . A Call To Respond. . .
The New York Times headline offers up what appears, at first, to be good news. In reality, the headline reveals just how sexually indulgent and broken we’ve become. “Playboy to Drop Nudity as Internet Fills Demand” we’re told. In other words,…
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Teens, Bullying, & Social Media. . . A Helpful Infographic
The good news is that if you missed Monday night’s CNN special report on kids and social media, #Being13: Inside the Secret World of Teens, you are able to catch it online. The show was well-done and informative. I’m recommending that…
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Listen and Watch! . . . Kids, Sexual Identity, and Social Media. . .
This is a simple “heads up!” If you care about understanding kids and pointing them in the direction of Gospel-centered human flourishing, then I’m about to point you to three listening/viewing opportunities that I hope you won’t ignore or miss.…
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Sex Trafficking, Porn, and A Powerful video Message For Our Kids. . .
Earlier this morning I arrived at our CPYU office and logged on to my computer. As I do many mornings, I checked to see what kind of traffic we had on our website yesterday. But it was today’s traffic stats…
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Self-Exposure. . . Yep, We Show & Tell Too Much. . .
I have not read Lena Dunham’s best-selling recent memoir, Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s Learned. In all fairness to Dunham, perhaps I should. It’s not, however, even close to the top of my priority list.…
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