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Logos in the 'Hood

It's funny whom God calls to ministry in the city. Former gang-bangers, junkies, and murders are all made straight and narrow by the love of Christ. Then, there's the real outcast of society, me. You see, I'm the one who came from the world of advertising.

But fifteen years of writing TV commercials for super athletes like Michael Jordan, as well as the odd sesame-seed bun, has given me quite the fodder to work with media-hooked urban teens. Though many consider TV the most dangerous force in the 'hood, I argue that what one learns from Sprite, FUBU, and Nike can be as valuable in urban ministry as what one learns from theology school.

One of the things that motivated me toward urban youth ministry was the trend I witnessed in advertising. Through friends working on mega-brands like Gatorade, Nike, and McDonald's, I have hardcore research revealing that the inner-city kid is the coolest creature on the planet. Successful teen marketers know that if you want to sell two all-beef patties to an all-American kid or athletic shoes to the non-athletic, all you have to do is place that product in the hands of a hip-hoppin' urban teen. If you don't believe me, just tune into MTV for a moment. You won't see Charlie Tuna doing his song and dance. Now it's a fifteen year old rapper named Lil' Bow Wow.

Now if you think the media don't have a grip on your teens, tune into these stats. The average teen:

• is exposed to 3,000 advertising messages every day, five scenes of violence every hour of prime time TV, and 17 minutes of commercials every hour of television.
• spends about 1,500 hours per year in front of the TV and 900 hours in the classroom.
• can recognize less than ten houseplants but more than a thousand corporate logos.
• is the driving force in our country's economy, spending more than $150 billion annually.
• looks to the urban youth market to set trends for clothing, soft drinks, music, and electronics, evidenced in the fact that 70% of all rap music is purchased by white kids.

If you're an urban youth pastor or leader, your mission should be to replace the brand names urban teens hold so close to their hearts with the brand marks of Christ. If we reach urban teens with the one message that really matters, those teens will be able to reach teens everywhere.

So how do we do it? Can the average urban youth pastor, whose annual budget roughly consists of the change found in the church van, really compete with the multi-million-dollar media machine for the hearts of these teens? Actually, you won't be competing with the media so much as using their impact to give your message more zip. Start by thinking like an advertiser.

Create a Craving for Christ
In the spring of 2002, Nike launched its newest Air Jordan XVII. Now this shoe didn't come with a decoder ring but it does include a CD-ROM. And it wasn't packaged in a box that you'd use to bury dead parakeets, either. These Air Jordans come in a stainless steel case and sport a price tag of $200. Nike never told teens they needed to spend the equivalent of a small car payment on Jordan's newest shoe—but they made teens want it. And to think that only 20% of all Nike athletic shoes are used for athletics.

What Nike did—and what all successful advertisers do well—is create a craving for the product. Those of us who work with urban youth want to create a craving for Christ.

Now, Chester Cheetah doesn't have to force-feed teens all those Cheetos whose remains you find scattered on your youth group floor. Ronald McDonald never tells them they need Big Macs, either. You learn quickly in the ad biz that telling teens they need a product is death for that brand. All of a sudden, the "needed item" is something that's good for them, and the product is solidly filed away in their brains somewhere between lima beans and orthopedic shoes. Case in point is the classic commercial with Mikey eating Life cereal. You tell the kid the cereal is good for him, and he won't touch it. The same holds true when you tell Tamika that she needs God, or Cisco to stop gang-banging. But getting them to crave these things for themselves is another story. Enjoying your relationship with Christ will make a teen crave the lifestyle you have, even if he or she never admits it. That's the ultimate anti-media message.

Remember, Image is Everything
If you've ever brought a group of inner-city teens to camp in the steamy, sticky summer heat of southern Missouri, you know that image is important to urban teens. The temperature's 95 degrees in the shade, and the humidity's even higher. Flies are getting heat stroke, and mosquitoes are sucking up Gatorade. Yet your teens are parading around dressed head-to-toe in their hot but stylish heavy denim gear as if they don't even notice the heat. It makes you sweat just looking at them. These teens would rather look cool than be literally cool. Believe it or not, a city teen's need to be cool can lead to a great lesson on the ultimate verse of self expression.

It used to be that the definition of cool was someone who had the guts to be different and whose wardrobe couldn't be replicated at one of the world's 4,175 Gap outlets. Today teens feel that they're only as cool as their athletic shoes are new.

So use Paul's words to challenge your teens to be the leaders of the crowd, not the followers: "Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)

Talk about the ER Factor
A top media executive, of all people, has been quoted as saying, "Advertising sells anxiety to teens, telling them that they are not thin enough, pretty enough, and that they're losers—unless they are cool, but I don't think anybody, deep down, really feels cool enough—ever."

Again, the anxiety media generates can work to God's advantage. The need advertisers instill in urban teens sets them up for a powerful lesson on the inadequacy of all of us apart from Christ. Call it the "ER" factor. Ask teens what "er" that they want the most. Do they want to be richer, smarter, a better b-baller, cooler, thinner, whatever-er? Spend a bit of time exploring their desires. But rap it up letting teens know that the very quality they lack can make their relationships with Christ better. Remind your teens that the only way anyone will ever feel adequate or all together, is through Jesus Christ.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Replace Their Media gods with Reality Role Models
As crazy as it sounds, urban teens actually live sheltered lives. They're exposed to lots of society's evil but only a bit of society's good. That's why many urban teens readily look up to the media stars (such as super athletes, rappers, and video divas) that come into their neighborhoods via the TV screens. These can be the only successful role models urban teens ever see. So it's important to constantly introduce your teens to "reality role models." For instance, introduce a graphic designer to your group's tag artist. Invite your friend who's successful at investing to talk to your teens about investing a dollar in stock vs. a dollar in a lottery. And especially keep track of the kids in your group who went on to a state university instead of the state penitentiary. If you don't want your teens to only emulate Snoop Doggy Dog and Ludicrous, you'd better supply them with alternatives.

These lessons are especially powerful with the gals. While the media might taunt the young men in your group with sexy images, those images are telling young ladies how they're supposed to look. And these standards of beauty are impossible to measure up to. While Marilyn Monroe was a size 14 and Christie Brinkley was a lean 8, today's models are about a size 4, at most. That's roughly the size of one of my thighs.

All in all, you want to help your young ladies look at the Bible for its definition of beauty, not Victoria's-Not-So-Secret. A good verse is 1 Peter 3:3-4: "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."

Stress to Teens That TV Is a Money Making Machine, Not Reality
Has anyone ever gotten a hamburger at a drive-through that looks anything like what you see in a commercial? Probably not. But teens are buying into the fantasy, in excess of 150 billion dollars a year. It's really quite a simple but impactful lesson when you show them it's just boloney. Bring in an advertisement picturing a Big Mac, then go through a drive-thru and buy the real thing. Get teens to start talking about how the media can make things appear better than what they really are. But perfect buns are only the beginning. Go on to talk about how TV paints a better picture of everything, from the lifestyles of rappers to prime time sex.

Find Out What They're Plugged Into
Media know that the biggest most important part of any campaign is knowing their audiences. McDonald's probably knows more about you than your own mother. They know how many sesame seeds you want on a bun, and how many times you like to chew a Big Mac before swallowing it. Another king of market research is MTV.

They snoop into the lives of their viewers to the point that not only do they know what fashion labels are hanging in kid's closets, but what fast food wrappers they have stuffed under their beds.

Tuning into the lives of your teens is import. While you might not approve of the media choices your teens make, it's important you know they exist. They'll give you a clue what messages your teens can relate to. Who are their favorite rap stars? What fashions are they into? What shows are they watching? What values are these choices reflecting?

Other Great Questions to Ask Teens

• Do you control what you watch and listen to—or does it control you?
• What's your favorite piece of clothing or favorite pair of shoes?
• Would you feel the same if the label was from Kmart?
• How do the media push your sexual on/off buttons—or at least turn up the power?
• What would Jesus think of the Jerry Springer Show?
• Be real. Which of your values are set by the Bible and which ones are set by the media?

But Most Importantly, Remind Teens We're All Advertising Something
While teens might talk the Christian talk, their lifestyles might be promoting something completely different. Everything they do and say, every choice they make, advertises their values, fears, and priorities. So challenge teens with the question, "What are you advertising? Is Christ really the name in your heart, or is it something else?" While there might be a lack in truth in advertising on TV, a person's actions can't lie. Let your teens know that if their actions aren't advertising their devotion to Christ, then maybe they're not as devoted to Christ as they think.

Teens will hear about 3,000 messages on any given day, but only one that matters—the message of Christ. So when you see your hip-hoppin' teens wearing the latest logos, share with them the ultimate logos. And that's the Greek Logos described in John 1. It's the one name that will never go out of style. It represents grace, divine wisdom, and eternal love. No other logos can claim that.

* Statistics have been taken from: Market research.com, Kaiser Family Foundation, Adbusters, Center for Media Education, and the US Census.

Ginger Sinsabaugh Macdonald left her career in advertising to devote her life to urban youth ministry in Chicago. She's the author of Help! I'm an Urban Youth Worker published by Youth Specialties. You can contact Ginger through her Web site.