Youth Culture Matters - A CPYU Podcast

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.