P O R N Watch

In case you aren't already aware, X3CHURCH.COM (ie: Craig Gross (AHEM---one of our breakout session speakers) has got a great internet accountability software called X3Watch. It's now available for Mac and PC and it's absolutely FREE. Get yours today. You can never be too safe.

A Must-Read

If you want to stay up-to-date on youth culture, there is a recently released book (9/7/06) called Righteous: Dispatches from the Evangelical Youth Movement that is getting rave reviews. It, yet again, talks about the shifts that are happening in youth culture but equally declares that this "Disciple Generation" is powerful and has a significant potential to influence todays culture. Here's a quick teaser for you...

There’s a new youth movement afoot in this country. It’s a counterculture fusion of politics and pop, and it’s taking over a high school near you. Like the waves that came before it, it’s got passion, music, and anti-authority posturing, but more than anything else, this one has God. So what does it mean when today’s youth counterculture has a mindset more akin to Jerry Falwell’s than Abbie Hoffman’s? Read more here

Church, Synagogues, Mosque, Temples...OH MY!

YOUNG IN SPIRIT (OCRegister.com) - An interesting article on how the youth ministry challenges don't just stretch to the Christian church, it includes all religions. Here's a great quote from inside the article:

"When kids can watch TV on their cell phones, when they can watch movies on an iPod, they have certain media expectations in their lives. And they bring that to church..."

A "Complex Shift"

10 IS THE NEW 15 AS KIDS GROW UP FASTER - - (msnbc.com) A recent suggests that what used to be considered teen issues are now tween (8-12) issues. Everywhere we look, there is a shift.

Another Youth Ministry SHIFT!

We're sure that you've noticed, along with us, that youth ministry is changing. In fact, we believe it is changing so much that we've changed the name of our Student Ministry Leadership conference to SHIFT just to prove it. However, the goal here isn't to just dialog about some said change, but to actually show you that there is an urgent need for it. Just like this...

In some recent Time, Christian Post and Barna articles, it was reported that Christian students are no longer okay with shallow religion. In fact, one report says that 88% of teens have given "church" a try and have walked away unsatisfied and disengaged. Why? The Post reports that today's teens are more drawn to Scripture and desire to get a better understanding of what they believe.

The Barna Group found that the top reason that teens attend church was to "understand better what I believe."

However, the most interesting information came from Time. They reported that churches that now focus more on Scripture and less on entertainment are actually growing and in some cases, attendance is doubling because of it.

The days of social cliques, all-nighters and cheesy camp games are long gone. It seems as if the students are looking for the same Jesus we are. S H I F T

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PS. *Alert* Seriously, this is exactly the kind of stuff we're talking about at the conference this year. Register NOW!

Friend or foe?

Tonight at midnight, thousands upon thousands of people all across the country are going to drop $600 for the new PlayStation 3. For those of us who wish we could be there, so sorry. For those of us who value sleep more than the temptation to stare at yet another screen for hours on end, enjoy your sleep. But from our perspective, this highly anticipated release also releases another not-so-highly anticipated problem; our students have yet another reason to disengage from reality and withdrawal from authentic community. Even if you don't agree, the hours spent playing a gaming system, no matter what it's called, is time that we or they will never get back.

So what can you do? Likely nothing. But the worst thing you could do is to ignore it. Our challenge is and will always be, to provide opportunities for these kids to redefine commonalities and community with the people around them. The world offers plenty of opportunity to be isolated and lonely. It's our job to guide our students into community and real communication.

Be proactive, not reactive.

Teens and the Supernatural

Have you noticed that this generation doesn't take what you say at face value? It's almost like it's some kind of suggestion and they won't really believe you until they experience it themselves. Whether that's God's love or the physical boundaries in relationships, it simply doesn't matter. They set their "truth" based on experience. Well, unfortunately that kind of thinking will get them in trouble and as leaders we have to know how to work with it, not against it. Consider this...

"73% of teenagers said they had personally engaged in at least one type of psychic- or witchcraft-related activity during their life, not included mere media exposure." —Barna 2006

Even more interesting is the influence of Harry Potter in the teen culture. In essence, the Harry Potter phenom is teaching our students about the supernatural. Barna reports that only 4% of teens have discussed Harry Potter with their youth pastor.

Awake and arise fellow youth ministry leaders. We have a generation that needs your leadership in this area. Don't believe us, check out this new Barna report here.

Redefine a "Christian"

It's funny to see how the church struggles to find a universal perspective of what a true Christian looks like. To some its about appearance. To this new generation, it's about the heart and not their appearance. Funny. I think there's a scripture about that somewhere. Well, anyway. A church in Illinois decided to tackle this issue head on and did a parody video based on the Mac vs. PC commercials you've seen. This one is classic and actually made us laugh out loud. Yes, that's LOL. Enjoy.

Email is so last year!

Email is out. A new survey says only 1 in 5 teens actually uses email to communicate. Hands-down, the preferred medium — at least among friends — is instant messaging. Which leads to the question: How does your ministry communicate with its students? Read more about the survey here...

YPulse.com

If you're looking for the latest in all-things generation Y and Mosaics, YPULSE.COM is the website to bookmark. Check it often. You'll find a lot of good articles to read there.

Shift conference video promo

The Shift Conference video promo spot is up. Take a look.

Generation Y Makes Their Mark

Move over baby boomers. Generation Y has arrived to the tune of 82 million people — more than a fourth of the total U.S. population. Marketers are salivating over the spending habits and opinions of this behemoth. Which means, it’s time to ask: how big was your last tithe collection?

Thou Shalt Not Steal

The lines between the Internet, music, and piracy are getting fuzzier every day. The LA Times reports an alarming increase in the amount of shared — not purchased — “christian” music. And how you feel about the issue pretty much depends on how old you are. No surprise there.

Welcome to the Shift Conference News & Blog

Welcome to the updated “news” section of the Shift Conference newsletter. Pay attention, because this is where we’ll clue you in on what some of these “shifts” are all about. We’ll bring you eye-opening stats, news you may have missed, and valuable insights from the frontlines. What’s the latest cultural buzz? This is where you’ll find out.