Youth Culture Matters - A CPYU Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 51: "Supporting Parents" with Walt Mueller Jan 05, 2018

Show notes

One of the biggest mistakes we make in youth ministry is assuming that we are the ones primarily responsible for the spiritual nurture of teenagers. A second and related mistake is making the assumption that as youth workers, we can actually do a better job of nurturing kids than their clueless parents. Sure, parents might sometimes be not well-equipped to nurture their children in the faith, but they are still called to be the ones primarily responsible for the nurture of their children and teens. How can youth workers properly support and help parents as they fulfill this high calling? Are there steps we can take to be the kind of youth workers parents need? We'll be talking about how youth workers can help parents lead and disciple their teens, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Episode 50: "Intergenerational Ministry through Prayer" with Tony Souder Dec 22, 2017

Show notes

Prayer is essential to the Christian life. As followers of Jesus, we must make the same request as one of His early disciples: Lord, teach us to pray. Once we learn how to pray, what should we be praying for? In today's incredibly confusing world, one of our primary prayers subjects must be our children and teens. What would happen if as individuals and churches we would begin to engage in daily prayer for each and every young person in our congregation? We'll be talking to Tony Souder about the Pray For Me campaign and how we can build our churches into communities that pray for children and teens, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Episode 49: "Identity in Christ in the Midst of Snaps and Selfies" with Kristen Hatton Dec 13, 2017

Show notes

Where are we to find our identity? Our current and powerful cultural narrative is convincing children, teens, and adults alike that we are to create, maintain, and find our identity in what we look like on social media. Consequently, we pour our time and energy into practices and habits that destroy us. It’s feeding the epidemics of anxiety, depression, and disordered eating. The path to hope, healing, and fullness is found in a different narrative, the biblical narrative, which leads us to find redemption and identity in Jesus Christ. How can we help our kids hear and follow this life-giving message? Stay with us as we talk about helping kids find their identity in Christ in a world of snaps and selfies with Kristen Hatton, author of the book Facetime. . . on this episode of youth culture matters.

Episode 48: "The Weinstein Effect, Matt Lauer, and Teachable Moments" with Walt Mueller and Jason Soucinek Dec 01, 2017

Show notes

Unless you’ve been asleep, you know that the last few weeks have been flooded with news stories about a growing number of political and celebrity figures and allegations regarding sexual abuse and assault. What’s now known as the Weinstein Effect was front and center again this week with the firing of NBC Today Show Host, Matt Lauer. Should we be shocked? Should we be surprised? We believe that this cultural moment provides us with the opportunity to look inward, to talk to ourselves, and to talk to our kids about a host of issues from a biblical perspective. What are those issues? And, how should we talk about them? We’ll be talking about how to capitalize on these teachable moments and more, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Episode 47: "The Opioid Epidemic and Parenting Addicts" with Allen Jackson Nov 15, 2017

Show notes

Drug and alcohol abuse is nothing new to youth culture. Sadly, it's been a part of the teenage experience for a long time. While anti-drug efforts have yielded a decline in the use of some drugs, the usage number on way too many drugs are on the rise. And not a day goes by when we don't read another sobering statistic or sad story related to the abuse of opioids or heroin. Today, kids are engaging with drugs and alcohol for a host of reasons. What is it like to work with a young person who is addicted? How can parents handle and navigate the horror of watching a son or daughter spiral down into the grip of drug and alcohol addiction? And what should we do as youth workers when these things visit our families? Stick with us as we hear a compelling first-person story of heartbreak and hope from our good friend Allen Jackson, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Episode 46: "Should We Use Someone Else's Talk Or Sermon?" with Scott Gibson Oct 31, 2017

Show notes

Youth workers and pastors are busy people. With the pace of life getting faster, we get busier and then have to prioritize the tasks of ministry. Sometimes we let certain tasks slip. In recent years, more and more of us have dropped the important task of study and preparation time. Some have even gone so far as to purchase, download, cut and paste, or even plagiarize talks and sermons prepared by others. This increasingly accepted practice can not only raise ethical concerns, but by moving us out of study and preparation, it can stunt our spiritual growth, lead to passionless-teaching, and eventually filter down to stunt the spiritual growth of our kids. Duffy Robbins and Walt Mueller have a spirited and important conversation with their friend Scott Gibson, author of Should We Use Someone Else's Sermon? about these issues and more on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Episode 45: "Emotional Affairs," with Ellen Dykas Oct 17, 2017

Show notes

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.

Episode 44: "Bullying" with Julie Lowe Oct 05, 2017

Show notes

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.

Episode 43: "Struck with Affliction" with Russ Ramsey Aug 30, 2017

Show notes

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.

Episode 42: "Dating and Relationships" with Debra Fileta Aug 11, 2017

Show notes

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.

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