Culture

'Gen M' Defined by Media By Steve Rabey

"I want my MTV...and Internet...and everything else."
Journal of Student Ministries Interview: jeff obafemi carr and Steve Taylor on The Second Chance and Race Relations By The Journal of Student Ministries

"Let's just be honest. If I could wave a magic wand right now, and all the white males here could trade places with me and be black men in this society--because of all the advantages I have over you--honestly how many of you would do it?"
A Brand New Jesus By Jonny Baker

The swoosh, the arches, the cross: Jesus as brand makes a youth minister wondes whether young people need so much protection from the stuff of popular culture.
A Fanatic for the Cross By Greg Stier

Thoughts on Mel Gibson's The Passion of The Christ, and the relevance of the cross.
A Literature Lesson from Professor Lewis By Steve Rabey

Culture expert Steve Rabey discusses "A Literature Lesson from Professor Lewis," where the Narnia author warns against using art for our own purposes.
A Second Reformation Is at Hand By Mark Driscoll & Chris Seay

The postmodern cultural shift has created a ton of changes that youth workers must address. But first, the authors urge, let's reconsider long-held assumptions and beliefs that will get in the way of ministering to the countless tribes of kids out there.
A Serious Look at Cartoons By Steve Rabey

Instead of letting kids retreat to their high-tech bedroom hideouts for hours of unsupervised cartoon viewing, why not watch with them and see what they're seeing?
A Theology for 'Thug-ology' By Efrem Smith

Kids are being wooed by the thug image in our culture, and it's not a new phenomenon.
All Is Not Lost: A 2003 Cultural Retrospective By Jamie Dean

Evangelical Press Association News Editor Jamie Dean takes a look at culture over the past year through a biblical lens.
All Messed Up By Bart Campolo

Find out what's been stretching the thinking of this urban youth worker. Authentic, transparent, thoughts-in-process.
All Work and No Play By Bo Cassell

Why students see church as irrelevant
Are You a Minister or Entertainer? By Steve Taylor

Beloved musician, producer, and "roaring lamb," Steve Taylor humorously, yet pointedly, offers a vision for nurturing young Christian artists to make their mark in the mainstream.
Bowing at the Altar of Relevance: The Church Has Sold Out By Lucas Land

We must re-imagine what it means to be the church in the world. We must find the point where the gospel and culture intersect without bowing at the altar of relevance. The Church must always be both countercultural and transformative, calling the world out of itself into something new and different-and at the same time relevant and accessible to the world it seeks to encounter. In this balance we'll encounter the divine present in the midst of our humanity.
Catching Up with the Children of the '60's Spiritual Revolution By Steve Rabey

"One aspect of the 60s that has received less attention than it should is the impact this revolutionary decade had on the children of the young people who, as Jimi Hendrix put it, let their freak flags fly."
Christian Education By Tony Jones and Sean McDowell

"Should private schools and home schooling only be last resorts?"
Christian Isolationists and Cultural Redemptives By Tiffany Marshall

Between those who seek complete isolation from culture and those who seek to redeem all aspects of culture, there are those who seek to look at culture, and the people within it, with a discerning eye.
Consuming Kids: How Sellers Create New Generations of Buyers By Steve Rabey

Culture expert Steve Rabey discusses "consuming kids" and how sellers create new generations of buyers.
Corporations Want Your Kids By Steve Rabey

Culture expert Steve Rabey explores how corporate America is targeting your teens.
Crash Into Me By Mark Matlock

"Recently, the Oscar-award winning movie Crash joined the list of pop culture contributions that have attempted to show that we are more the same than we are different, emphasizing that it's our societally-constructed stereotypes that keep us from truly connecting with one another. But is this true?"
Cries in the Dark By Steve Rabey

Culture expert Steve Rabey examines films like Elephant and Thirteen that provide disturbing insight into teen anguish.
Culture Isn't the Problem; We Are By Andy Harrington

"As some guy called Dylan once said, 'The times they are a changin'.'" Andy Harrington argues that it's time to embrace culture and love culture in order to transform culture.
Culture: Enemy or Friend? By Steve Rabey

"Unlike older generations of Christian "culture warriors," many younger believers focus less on battling pop culture and spend more time decoding its metaphysical messages. They prefer to see pop culture as both a barometer and influencer of mainstream tastes and beliefs; and instead of seeking to silence or suppress it, they seek to understand it and utilize it in their ministries."
CultureWise: Sanitize or Avoid? By Mark Matlock

We can't handle the truth.
CultureWise: What Isn't Persecution By Mark Matlock

The word persecution is thrown around a little too casually these days.
Decoding the Postmodern Teenage World By Marv Penner

If you sometimes have trouble understanding kids today, Marv can help remove some of the mysteries.
Developing a Theology of Pop Culture By Steve Rabey

Comments from seminary students before and after intensive study on "A Christian Perspective on Popular Culture."
Do We Need Youth Ministry Any More? By Dan Kimball

A response to a provocative statement. "We should shut down all youth ministry. Youth ministry is a bad thing for youth and families, and we need to kill it."
Do We Need Youth Ministry Any More? (continued) By Holly Rankin Zaher

"In the previous issue of 'What's On My Mind,' Dan Kimball mentioned that a person spoke up at the Emergent Convention in San Diego and declared that we should do away with youth ministry. Well...that person was me."
Evaluating Culture: High and Low and In Between By Steve Rabey

How do we distinguish between art and sensationalism, highbrow "culture" and lowbrow pandering to the crowd?
Fame is the Name of the Game in Youth Culture By Steve Rabey

Culture Expert Steve Rabey examines young peoples' insatiable appetite for fame.
From Blind Consumption to Informed Engagement By Steve Rabey

Culture expert Steve Rabey discusses moving "From Blind Consumption to Informed Engagement."
From Where I Stand... By Tony Campolo

Why the future belongs to the Religious Right... and what's wrong with that.
God: A Pop Culture Superstar By Steve Rabey

Popular culture has become much more diverse than ever before, and this means that there is a much broader variety of messages available to young people, as well as a proliferation of vangelically-oriented materials.
Harry Potter: Leading the Troops as the War Begins to Turn By Connie Neal

"War has broken out in Harry Potter's world. Judging from the smile on my 12-year-old daughter's face, the battles may be starting to turn in Harry's favor."
How Kids Are Changing and What It Means for Youth Workers: An Interview With Chap Clark By Chap Clark and Kara Powell

Have you ever wondered if it's true when it comes to the kids you work with? Given the vast changes in youth culture, are kids still fundamentally the same? If they've changed, are the changes fairly minor or are they absolutely mega?
Hunks & Hotties Hooking Up By Steve Rabey

"Some young people are finding creative newways to use the Internet as a key part of their social lives. If you''ve never heard of sites likehotornot.com and bangable.com, read on."
Igniting a Moral and Spiritual Revolution By George Barna

Barna discusses what's influencing teens and what we should do about it.
In Other Words: Choosing the Timeless over the Transient By Titus Benton

"Bottom line: Our faith doesn't need to be "pimped," and Christianity isn't "hot" as modern mumbo-jumbo might suggest. Satan isn't merely a "gangsta," and when we sin, it doesn't simply mean we're "trippin." Aren't there more meaningful ways of imprinting truth? Aren't there other words?
Indoctrinating or Educating?: Political DVDs in Youth Ministry By David Wilkerson

How do we navigate the swarm of politically-themed DVDs being marketed to us to show to our youth groups?
Interfaith Collaboration in Service By J. Drew Johnson and Noah Silverman

"While the desire and call to share gifts with others is a common thread, the Christian's encounter with God is a unique result."
Investigating Teens, Pop Culture, and Spirituality By Steve Rabey

How do teens deal with the spirituality in pop culture? Lynn Schofield Clark, a professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder decided to find out.
Jesus Goes to the Movies By Dave Urbanski

Music and culture critic Dave Urbanski explores the interplay between Hollywood and the church.
Keeping The Passion of the Christ in Perspective By Kevin Lausch

"For what it's worth, this is what I'm sending to the parents of my church concerning the movie The Passion of the Christ."
Kids for Sale: Corporate Consumerism and Its Primary Target By Steve Rabey

Telling commentary on corporate consumer marketing and its primary target--our kids.
Matching Resources to Needs By Tiffany Marshall

"What are you and your students or church doing to stop injustice in America and especially around the world?"
Mourning Over Youth Ministry "Battle Cries" By Steve Argue

"War is not cool--unless you're in youth ministry, it seems."
Mueller's Musings on MTV's VMAs By Walt Mueller

Youth culture expert Walt Mueller describes the MTV Video Music Awards as both a map and a mirror of our culture, and he shares his thoughts about what happened at the most recent one.
On Fantasy By Chris Walley

To what can we attribute such a growing fascination with fantasy, especially among young people?
One Nation under Walt By Jack Gabig

The life, work, and teaching of Walt Disney has had a profound influence on American culture and consequently on the world because of its exportation via mass media.
Ragged Rock: From Emo to Screamo By Steve Rabey

Death, loss, despair, and the pain and confusion that are a regular part of life are recurring themes in contemporary screamo.
Reculturing Your Student Community By Chris Folmsbee

Even when our youth groups look good from the outside-and perhaps especially then-we need to continually search for ways to improve the overall ethos of our ministries.
Redefining Relevance By Marv Penner

Penner questions how important knowing all of the latest cultural trends really is in order to effectively minister to kids.
Remembering MTV By Steve Rabey

Looking back on one of the most significant culture-altering phenomena in recent history.
Retro-worship: Challenging the Techno Paradigm By Bruce Curtis

Should the idea that teens are on techno-overload drive youth leaders to pitch their computers and monitors in the dumpster and don Gregorian robes?
Roleplaying Revisited By Mike Perschon

Switchfoot is blaring over a small P.A. Girls in bathing suits teetering precariously on the edge of demure are trying to look nonchalant while boys sporting dark tans and the kind of stomach only a sixteen-year-old metabolism will permit are looking cool enough to take the edge off the summer heat. A powerboat, wake boarder in tow, shoots past the dock surrounding a lagoon teeming with teens. As staff pastor at summer camp, I spend my afternoons amidst this tableau, catching rays and reading a novel. It's a ruse, enabling me to hang out on the beach so I'm available for the campers to approach and talk to.
Saving Kids from 'Nature-Deficit Disorder' By Steve Rabey

"I like to play indoors 'cause that's where all the outlets are."
Seven Trends to Watch in the Next Decade By Assorted Authors

Experts and in-the-trenches youth workers describe what's coming down the pike for youth ministry, including the coming teenage flood, the narrative gospel, the return of ancient spiritual practices, and the multicultural, intergenerational, and postdenominational church.
Shifting Cognitive Styles: Changes in the Way We Think By Mark Matlock

Better than understanding postmodern philosophy, realizing differing cognitive styles can help us more effectively minister to this emerging generation of young people.
Spiritual Formation in Unexpected and Dangerous Places By Brian McLaren

"I'm thinking about spiritual formation—about the ways we're formed spiritually for good or ill by sources and forces less obvious than sermons and worship songs on the one side, or smut and sleaze on the other."
Survival of the Meekest: Competition for Christians By Jon Waind

I also wonder how Christians would do when competing in another popular game; Survivor? Could a Christian win the reality TV game or, given the theory set forth by the "No Fear" t-shirt campaign, would they be unable to "outwit, outplay, and outlast" their fellow castaways for the million-dollar prize?
The Blair Witch and the Problem of Fear By Dave Urbanski

It's a disturbing film that's already garnered a youthful cult following. If your teens are running gleefully to the theaters, the issue it raises about unseen fears might be a door into their souls.
The Fear-Driven Church By Mark Matlock

Fear sells--in the marketplace and in ministry
The New Global Youth Culture By Julian Hamilton

A look inside the head of "a wee Irishman come on a working holiday to Australia and preach his way around it for work."
The Power to Counteract a Godless Culture: A Revolutionary Approach to Parents By Connie Neal

Connie Neal argues that we must equip teens to "rise above the corruption of our culture."
The Sexual Revolution Continues By Steve Rabey

How can we respond to the world as the sexual revolution continues?
Third Millennium Teens By George Barna

This premier researcher's newest project takes a wide-angle look at the issues facing the teens of our new century: here you'll get a peek at an excerpt focusing on the four key needs of young people: safety, love, power, and trust.
To Laser Tag or Not to Laser Tag? That is a Serious Theological Question! By James Wheeler

In "To Laser Tag or Not to Laser Tag?" the author uses the popular youth group destination event to explore the proper balance in the relationship of Christian to culture.
Toddlers Tuning In By Steve Rabey

Sure, there are thousands of movie DVDs and teaching videos available for your use, but will Veggie Tales or Mel Gibson really do a better job of teaching your kids than you?
Truth: Can It Be Found Outside of Christianity? By Matt Rindge

"If our audience doesn't accept Scripture as a source of authoritative truth, aren't we wasting our time using Scripture as an authority?"
Tu-Pac's Insights for Youth Workers: ‘Don't Get It Twisted' By Dan Hodge

"I believe that Tu-Pac had a message in his music. I also believe that while he himself admitted his inability to solve all the world's problems, he had a relevant message for youth workers both urban and suburban. So that leads us to a key question: What might Tu-Pac have to say to us?"
Unity in Diversity: We Are One People By René Rochester

Cultural differences are often attributed to subgroups based on ethnicity or socioeconomic status, but we can find commonalities among the differences.
What the Internet Revolution Means for Youth Ministry: An interview with Quentin Schultze

The Internet expert ganders into his crystal ball and tells us what the 'Net will look like in the coming years and how it will change and influence the way youth ministry is approached.
What's a Youth Worker to Do with The Passion? By Doug Clark

What's a youth worker to do? How often does a film come out that is so integrally related to the core message we are trying to teach this largely biblically-illiterate generation?
When is a Youth Not a Youth? By Fuzz Kitto

Speculations on what it means to be a youth—or no longer a youth—and how the definition of "youth" shapes youth ministry.
Who Do You Say I Am? Jesus in the Movies By Matt Glover

Matt Glover offers a look at the Jesus presented by movies from the silent era to today and the glimpses into the "real" Jesus that each provides.
Why I Don't Live in the Bunker: Reflections on the Youth Worker's Place in Culture By Walt Mueller

"While we've all heard of the so-called 'culture war' that's been raging between Christians and culture (and usually those in it), there's another cultural war over the proper place of the Christian in relation to his/her world. The side we choose will have a profound effect on how we do youth ministry."
Youth and Pop Culture Marketing: A Fair Fight? By Michael Hammer

They're not selling products. They're selling values.
Youth and Religion: An Interview with Christian Smith By Tony Jones

YouthWorker Journal advisory board member Tony Jones speaks with Christian Smith, sociologist, lead researcher on the massive National Study of Youth and Religion, and author of Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers.
Youth Workers as Cross-Cultural Missionaries By Connie Neal

Neal uses the controversial Potter stories to illustrate principles for using the secular for the glory of God.