Tag Archives: youth ministry
The Facebook Friend Manifesto: 10 things to remember
Perhaps we can all agree to some level that technology is not an enemy pure and simple nor is social media. The ability to deliver clean water to villages, to gather voices into revolution, to predict disasters, to give voice to the voiceless and hope and healing to many is truly a gift from God. Yet the role technology plays in friendship today is both a blessing and a curse … There’s more to read here.
MTV’s Skins: where teens are both consumers and products in America’s increased tolerance for child porn
As a theologian who works in areas of media culture and youth ministry education, it should come as no surprise that I have had a number of people encouraging me to comment on the latest MTV program Skins. For those not familiar with this latest attempt by MTV at capturing the coveted teen viewing market, Skins is a scripted TV show that first aired in the UK and … There’s more to read here.
iPod, YouTube, WiiFit – Technological Friendship among Emerging Adults
This summer I give a lecture for the Kindlings Fest 2010 Arts and Faith conference on Orcas Island. For those who follow the Kindlings Muse podcasts on iTunes, you will know something of the focus – an opportunity to talk about cultural questions of meaning with folks in a relaxed setting. The monthly Kindlings Muse program is hosted at Hales Brewery and Pub in the Fremont neighborhood in Seattle… There’s more to read here.
Glee and the “Grilled Cheesus” episode – The Supreme Court and truth of religion in public schools
Ever have that experience when you are listening to the radio or watching a television show and you know you are in the midst of a serious ‘water cooler’ moment? Back in the 90′s, episodes of “ER” and “Friends” evoked such ‘water cooler’ moments: entertainment that was sold as pop entertainment yet hit some nerve in the collective zeitgeist that once you got to work the next day everyone was … There’s more to read here.
The danger of MTD – Moral Therapeutic Deism – to Youth Ministry (but not what you think…)
Faith communities love acronyms. There are landfills full of WWJD? bracelets to prove that acronyms distill complex ideas down beyond a catch phrase to a few letters and allow a certain hyperlinkedness to vast amounts of data. In many ways, acronyms are a gift but they can also be a distraction by offering a seemingly summative and all-encompassing certainty. The latest acronym to take youth workers and many church leaders by storm is MTD … There’s more to read here.
The twilight of 20th century Youth Ministry – watching the end of an era at NYWC
“Any of you in high school during the 1980′s?”
This was a lead question by Tim Neufeld, lead singer of the band Starfield, during the opening Big Room session of the NYWC in San Diego (National Youth Workers Conference) this afternoon. The question was met with a roar of affirmation and in many ways was the right question to ask. Youth Ministry in America is a field that has … There’s more to read here.
