Youth Culture 101 doc

[...]... their culture and world You need the knowledge to affirm culture s positives and counter its negatives But where do you begin? If you feel out of touch and confused by your teen agers’ world, please know you’re not alone! It’s my hope that this book will provide you with the information necessary to navigate what’s often youth culture s perplexing maze But also keep in mind that Youth Culture 101 is... experience the joy of letting God work powerfully in and through us to affect the world—through our teenagers // 29 0310273137_yc101_int.indd 29 9/27/07 10:56:10 AM This page is intentionally left blank The Times They Are a-Changin’ 2 YOUTH CULTURE YOUTH CULTURE 101 // 31 0310273137_yc101_int.indd 31 9/27/07 10:56:11 AM 2 I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do... emphatic “yes” to Christ’s life-changing invitation: “Come, and follow me.” // 10 0310273137_yc101_int.indd 10 9/27/07 10:56:09 AM Good News: There’s a Teenager in Your Life! 1 YOUTH CULTURE 101 // 11 0310273137_yc101_int.indd 11 9/27/07 10:56:09 AM 1 It is time for us to reject the wholesale cynicism of our culture regarding adolescence Rather than years of undirected and unproductive struggle, these... teach youth culture and the principles of walking alongside and mentoring young people Pastors I pray this book will be a ready guide as you build your un derstanding of the complex interplay between the cultural forces molding and shaping the values, attitudes, and behaviors of the kids in your congregations—and that it provides hundreds of win dows into new sermons and teaching YOUTH CULTURE 101 Bible... table conversation to school That’s what HOTS does!”5 YOUTH CULTURE 101 Sadly, the HOTS program exists to fill a void left by parents who no longer see the importance of spending time together as a family When parents give up these responsibilities, no matter what the age(s) of their kids, others—by default—take over In today’s rapidly changing youth culture, we hand over the parent ing reins to a variety... having a ready answer about the culture in which you will communicate God’s truth Finally I hope Youth Culture 101 will open many eyes to the real world of today’s teenagers—a world we often choose to ignore or simplify And then so armed with that understanding, as well as a growing, vital faith in the God who calls us to minister to the young, we can work together to help youth hear and respond with an... people who eagerly fulfill their God-given responsibilities to raise their kids Any Kid, Anywhere, Anytime During a youth culture seminar I was leading a few years back, I made an effort to help parents and youth workers see that a variety of factors combine in our world to make the voice of the culture far more compelling and attractive to kids I told them it doesn’t matter where they live, whom they live... involved,” I replied YOUTH CULTURE 101 “Well, what do you think of it all?” he asked I answered, “Sad, but not surprising.” I didn’t know the fami lies, nor did I know enough about their backgrounds to make com ments on the tragedy However, this situation and the specifics as we knew them prompted some thoughts that have continued to evolve as I study the Scriptures and observe our Christian sub culture For... kids, parents, and youth workers But should we be afraid? Usually this fear manifests itself in a desire to remove our kids from the world and thereby keep them from harm Or it immobi lizes us, keeping us from fulfilling our God-given roles in our teen agers’ lives While we should be cautious, watchful, and discerning, we cannot allow ourselves to fall prey to fear YOUTH CULTURE 101 Jesus addresses... while God never promised we’d be immune to life’s difficulties, he did promise we wouldn’t be overcome by them (Psalm 91) Getting Personal YOUTH CULTURE 101 Think for a moment about how you handle the trying times par enting throws your way If you’re involved in youth ministry or some other activity with teenagers, think about the hard times you’ve encountered in that role Can you say like the apostle . four kids myself and a culture- watcher, I wrote Youth Culture 101 to help you—and me—answer that question. YOUTH CULTURE 101 0310273137_yc101_int.indd 90310273137_yc101_int.indd 9 9/27/07 10:56:09. 467 0310273137_yc101_int.indd 70310273137_yc101_int.indd 7 9/27/07 10:56:09 AM9/27/07 10:56:09 AM introduction YOUTH CULTURE 101 // 7 0310273137_yc101_int.indd 80310273137_yc101_int.indd 8 9/27/07. 0310273137_yc101_int.indd 10310273137_yc101_int.indd 1 9/27/07 10:56:08 AM9/27/07 10:56:08 AM 0310273137_yc101_int.indd 20310273137_yc101_int.indd 2 9/27/07 10:56:09 AM9/27/07 10:56:09 AM Youth Culture 101