Youth Culture Matters - A Cpyu Podcast

Because we live as broken people with other broken people in a horribly broken world, we all face the temptation to take certain friendships over the line into the unhealthy world of emotional affairs. Once there, our tendency is to justify and downplay the seriousness of these relationships as no big deal. But even though emotional affairs might never lead to a sexual affair, they do cross a line. Emotional affairs are one of the most deadly obstacles facing us in life and ministry. They destroy marriages, families, ministries. and lives. They're especially prevalent in the church and in youth ministries. We'll be talking to Harvest USA's Ellen Dykas about the cautions, causes, and prevention of emotional affairs on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Were you ever bullied? Or, were you ever a bully? In today's world, bullying has reached epidemic proportions. Social media has created a landscape where bullying is now a 24/7 reality that for some, never ends. What can we do to build resilience in the bullied, and stop the bullies? This episode is a practical, gospel-centered conversation on bullying and what we can do about it, with counselor Julie Lowe.

We live in a broken world that is desperately groaning and longing to be fixed. As Christians we realize that the pain and suffering of life will exist until the day when Jesus ushers in the New Heaven and the New Earth. Until that day when things will finally be restored to the way they're supposed to be, we will experience pain and suffering in our lives. The cultural narrative works to convince us of a different perspective, that pain should be avoided at all costs and that we should only pursue pleasure. But God invites us into the suffering of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Those Christians who have experienced great suffering would say that their suffering led to deep spiritual growth. We'll be hearing one of those stories today as we talk to Russ Ramsey about his encounter with sickness and death on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

When it comes to dating and relationships, the rules have changed. The cultural narrative on dating, love, sex, and marriage has eclipsed the biblical narrative on relationships. Consequently, our kids oftentimes pursue a relationship path that is dangerous and destructive, and they don't even know it. How can we point them to an understanding and practice of dating that leads to their flourishing? What should we tell them about pursuing healthy relationships? There is a lot at stake, and the way we answer these questions will potentially shape or mis-shape our kids for the rest of their lives. Author and counselor Debra Fileta joins the podcast to discuss these issues and more.

It's been over fifty years since media theorist Marshall McLuhan said that "First we shape our tools, and then our tools shape us." McLuhan had push back as folks wondered at the time if what he was saying was true. But time has proven McLuhan's theory to be correct. Now that we've hit the ten year anniversary of the launch of the iPhone, we're beginning to see how much our smartphones are shaping and changing our lives. How do our devices shape our beliefs and behaviors? What do they reflect about what's most important in our lives? And how can we use these magnificent tools to the glory of God, rather than in ways that are destructive? We'll be talking to Tony Reinke, author of the new book "12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You," about this and much more, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

When I started out in youth ministry, there were two time-related realities that some seasoned youth workers shared with me. First, it takes three years to establish yourself in a new youth ministry setting. And second, the average youth minister stays in a youth ministry position for eighteen months. That math doesn’t speak well for youth ministry longevity and effectiveness. Fortunately, more and more youth workers are committing themselves to serving Christ through long-term youth ministry that allows them to build solid relationships with kids and parents. What are the secrets to longevity in youth ministry? And what practices and disciplines will equip us to minister for the long haul? We’ll be talking about longevity in youth ministry with long-time youth worker Mike Flavin, as well as his colleague Ted Jordan, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Late last year, Time Magazine ran a cover story on the current epidemic of anxiety among America’s adolescents. The story reports on what all of us who work with kids already know: that the pressures on today’s teenagers are so great that they are trying to navigate their lives while, as one teen says, "feeling like they are climbing Mount Everest in high heels." What is anxiety? What is feeding the anxiety epidemic? How does anxiety manifest itself in kids? And how can we provide Gospel-centered hope and healing for our anxious kids. We’ll be talking about children, teens and anxiety with Doctor Phil Monroe, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

If you spend any time at all on social media, you know just how important the "likes" are. Getting "likes" and positive feedback on your posts in money in the bank. It's a sign of social media success. But does the pursuit of online attention and a growing number of followers cause us to compromise ourselves? Researcher Donna Freitas has found that our engagement with technology has led to what she calls the Happiness Effect. What this means is that we are very easily driven to appear perfect at any cost, including our ability to be vulnerable, honest and in community. We're talking to Donna Freitas about her book "The Happiness Effect" and a whole lot more on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

The recently released Netflix series "13 Reasons Why" is getting a ton of attention from kids, parents, teachers and counselors. The show has sparked conversations about all sorts of adolescent issues, including suicide. But the show has also ignited controversy, as experts are divided over whether or not "13 Reasons Why" is motivating teenagers toward positive or negative behaviors. One thing is for sure: this is NOT a show to ignore. Our kids ARE watching it, they ARE thinking and talking about it, and they ARE allowing "13 Reasons Why" to shape their lives. We'll talk about these things and appropriate ways to respond, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Some would have us believe that if we find parenting difficult, we must not be following the right plan. They might also say that parenting well always results in Godly children. If you're like most parents, believing these lies can result in a heavy dose of guilt and shame. Because we live in a broken world as broken parents with broken kids, life is never easy. What we need is a heavy dose of realistic theology and good sense to help us navigate the difficult journey of parenting in ways that help us understand that there is no such thing as a perfect parent. Our friend Leslie Leyland Fields has lived this journey. Listen in as she talks to us about her book "Parenting Is Your Highest Calling: And 8 Other Myths That Trap Us in Worry and Guilt" and a whole lot more. Walt and Jason begin the podcast discussing news related to Richard Simmons and fame, tanning bed dangers, sexual abuse prevention, drug use vs. smartphone use, Converse, and how many germs iPhones have.

It's as if the landscape of our culture has changed overnight. The issue of transgenderism has moved front and center in our culture, our school, our churches, our youth groups, and in many of our homes. It's safe to say that this new gender landscape is one that we must understand, respond to and navigate. But as parents, how can we do so? What names do we use when addressing transgendered kids? And how do we handle the complex web of logistical issues including bathrooms and sleeping arrangements? We'll start the difficult process of tackling these questions and more, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters as we invite Ellen Dykas and Dan Wilson of Harvest USA to join the conversation.

Anybody who has ever worked as youth minister or youth ministry volunteer owes a debt of gratitude to Wayne Rice. One of the co-founders of Youth Specialities, Wayne has worked to equip and resource youth workers for almost fifty years. Over the course of that time he’s experienced a lot, rethought how we do youth ministry, and is now working to resource grandparents in their efforts to lead their grandchildren to Jesus. We’re thrilled to be chatting with our friend and hero, Wayne Rice, about youth ministry, grand-parenting, and a whole lot more, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters. To open the podcast Walt and Jason discuss youth culture trends related to a new friendship app called Yellow, e-cigarettes and dripping, sex ed and love, deadly teenage driving mistakes, apps to help track teen drivers and teens, Carson Daly and 'TRL.'

Studies say up to 65-80 percent of people who grow up in the church drop out of church when they become college-aged. It's not intentional. It just happens. But why is this happening? And what can we do as parents, grandparents, pastors, and youth workers to be sure our kids get plugged into a campus fellowship group and church when they arrive on the college campus? We’ll be talking to Sherri Nee, the co-founder of the College Church Connection service, about steps to take to make it easy to find Christian community right away. To open the podcast Walt and Jason discuss youth culture trends related to texting, biohacking, Tinder, terms for pregnant mothers, Metallica and the effects of pornography and the proper age for kids to get their own cell phones.

Walt and Jason begin the podcast with a discussion about gun violence in movies, body image and photo-editing, Russell Wilson ans Ciara, sports specialization, Millennials in the workplace, and heavy alcohol use and brain development. Research reveals the alarming fact that far too many of our boys and girls are being victimized by sexual abuse. It’s our belief that loosened sexual standards and the growing pervasiveness of pornography will only lead to a rise in sexual absue. And, whether you know it or not, the abusers and the abused are living in our midst. Sexual abuse is not benign. It is traumatizing. Consequently, it requires intervention, deep care, and healing. The journey to hope and healing is difficult and long, but it is a journey that can lead to redemption. We’ll be talking to world-class diver Denise Gater about her own story of abuse and redemption on this episode.

In recent years, researchers have sounded the warning that narcissism is on the rise in our culture, particularly among the emerging generations. If this is true, the tendency towards following self rather than following God will thwart our spiritual growth and development. Where does this focus on self come from? How is it being manifested in our lives? And what can we do to lead ourselves and our kids into a lifestyle of allegiance to God and service to others, when the world encourages us to look out for number one? We’ll be talking about the tendency towards too much focus on me, myself and I, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters. Walt and Jason begin the podcast with a discussion about a new college course, social media replacing drugs, social media and violence, the cost of raising a child, shortening sports broadcasts because of the shortening attention spans of Millennials, and the epidemic of stress among kids.

In the Gospel of Luke we read about a time when one of the the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Lord, teach us to pray." In a day and age where distractions are many and times of concentrated silence are disappearing, we'd do well to voice this same request. Here at CPYU, our prayer lives have been greatly enhanced through several books of written prayers, including books written by Scotty Smith. We're engaging with Scotty Smith in a lively and entertaining conversation about faith, culture, prayer and a whole lot more in this episode of Youth Culture Matters. Walt and Jason start the podcast off with a discussion about online pornography, new leadership at MTV, the 'American Dream', Pac Sun partnering with Budweiser, teen behavior across generations, and the Monitoring the Future Survey.

For those of us who lived through it, Beatlemania and the turbulence of the 1960s were watershed times in the history of popular culture. There had been nothing like it before, and there hasn't been anything like it since. Music journalist Steve Turner's's life in London gave him a front row seat and insider's look at cultural change that is fascinating. His insights are helpful to us as we think about the role pop culture plays in our lives. We'll be talking to Steve Turner about the intersection of faith and culture and his brand new book, Beatles '66: The Revolutionary Year, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters. This episode of Youth Culture Matters is sponsored by the Ministry to Emerging Generations Doctor of Ministry program at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Learn more at www.gcts.edu/emerginggenerations.

In recent years, more and more parents and youth workers have become legitimately concerned about what happens to their high school graduates once they head off to college. Among the many challenges students face is the diminishing of Christian faith. It seems that what they once embraced, is weakened and at times forgotten. Mike Gaffney discusses with us how we can encourage and support faith development so that it stands firm during the university years. Walt and Jason start the podcast off with a discussion about New Year's resolutions and youth culture trends related to the rise in STDs, parental media use, the "backpack challenge," virgins, and dating.

Our children and teens are like sponges, created to learn. Because of where they're at developmentally, they are especially impressionable and vulnerable. One of the most effective molders of young hearts and minds in the culture. As Christian parents and youth workers, our job is to nurture them in the Christian faith so that they will grow up to be lovers and doers of the truth of Christ. In this episode, our friend Dr. Terry Linhart will help us learn about effective nurture and instruction. We also begin the podcast with some fun Christmas movie trivia, as well as discussions about fruitcake and youth culture news including the use of laptops, concussions, technical virginity, teen suicide and cyberbullying, as well as distracted driving.

What is our culture telling us about sex and sexuality? Is the culture pointing us and our kids to a kind of sexual flourishing that reflects God's will and way for our sexuality? And what does it mean to have a biblical understanding of sexuality? In this episode, we're talking to college professor and author Dale Kuehne about his book "Sex and the iWorld," the current sexual mood on campus, how to have conversations with students about sexuality and a whole lot more. Walt and Jason open the podcast with a discussion about holidays, porn and sex ed, college loan money and spending, TIME's most influential teens, CoverGirl's cover boy, shoplifting and the phenomenon of drunkorexia.