Tag: teenagers

5 tips for engaging students on a Sunday morning

Newsflash. It can sometimes be difficult to connect with a teenager at church. Our culture does a lot to communicate to us that teenagers and adults shouldn’t engage with one another. As adults we think, “What could I have in common with a 14 year old?” And teenagers assume that adults don’t really want to…… Continue reading 5 tips for engaging students on a Sunday morning

Teenagers are incapable… until they aren’t

Gabrielle Douglas is 16 years old. This week she won 2 gold medals at the London Olympic games. She will be a junior in high school this year. Missy Franklin is 17 years old. She also won 2 gold medals in London and owns 2 world records. She’s entering her senior year in high school.…… Continue reading Teenagers are incapable… until they aren’t

Infantilization and deinfantilization of adolescence, part 1

In the last year I read and was deeply disturbed by the book, Teen 2.0. If you are going to read a book in 2011, make it that one. It shook me. One of the primary things that Epstein brought up in the book and has dramatically impacted my view of youth ministry is the…… Continue reading Infantilization and deinfantilization of adolescence, part 1

I like Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fj2HVYlD_4 Currently, Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream is top 10 on iTunes. It’s huge. And I am not ashamed to admit that when it pops up on my iTunes I listen to it 3-4 times in a row. While I’m sure most youth workers groan when they hear this song… I take a totally different perspective.…… Continue reading I like Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream

Savior: The Adult Desire to Save Teenagers From Themselves

Am I the only one who notices that adults seem to obsessed about teenage lives? More to the point, we seem obsessed with pointing out how we need to intervene before they destroy themselves and the human race. Our culture takes a very negative view of people between the ages of 13-18. If you work…… Continue reading Savior: The Adult Desire to Save Teenagers From Themselves

Hey youth workers… do you believe?

Here’s the deal. Dirty little secret time. I think a lot of youth pastors, youth ministers, youth directors don’t believe in the power of adolescents to flip their world on its head. Adults think they can do it all. And they backfill that belief with anecdotal information to make themselves feel better. They think kids…… Continue reading Hey youth workers… do you believe?

What’s all the fuss about sexting?

There have been a lot of newspaper articles about sexting lately. Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4 What in the world is sexting? Simply put, sexting is using your mobile device to send a sexy note to someone. What’s the big deal about it? It’s nothing serious. As long as kids have communicated…… Continue reading What’s all the fuss about sexting?