youthmin

Speak to any parent and they will tell you how it seems their teens are so distant. They see them but interaction is a different story. In some of these cases, those teens are just individuating and going through natural adolescent changes. This is a normal process, or so I hear. I'm not a parent myself but I do like paying attention to the all-consuming trends around me some teens create. These trends are created by their use of various technologies, music styles, and language shifts. Because of this, it's always quite interesting to me to ask them, "what are your top three apps?" The answers often lead me to insights into their world and what they are discovering. 

As a mom of four school-aged kids between the ages of seven and thirteen, navigating and regulating screen time consumption at four different levels requires NASA-grade determination and persistence to say the least. Between the oldest who'd like to play 24 hours a day of XBox Live, to the youngest who'd like to watch SpongeBob from the moment she gets home from school until I pull the remote from her death grip, let's just say screen time is not my favorite thing to police. I know I'm not alone.

It has been just about a month, and the fervor of Pokemon Go seems to have not slowed down any. And it is pretty easy to see why: nostalgia, marketing, mobiles, and a healthy dose of a summertime. A captive audience has made this the app of the season. As with most trends, churches have found themselves in the crosshairs. However, churches are finding Pokemon Go opening former discussions about using tools and behaviors in the Christian space which had been designed for secular perspectives. Is there a perspective where Pokemon Go passes the muster as church-aiding technology?

Social Media continues to hold the attention of today's youth and provide unique challenges for parents and as well as youth leaders. In this article, taken from a YS Idea Lab Video, I'd like to outline some of the key things that influence how tweens and teens use social media and a few practical tips that you can share with parents. First I'll go into three things that influence how kids use social media today then I'll follow up with three things that parents can do to help.

Keeping kids safe online can be a challenge. Earlier this week we posted an article about Kid-Safe Messaging Apps to help you be strategic about protecting them. We wanted to follow it up with an infographic about ways you can make sure your kids are developing safe internet habits.

Kids are becoming more and more tech savvy every day. While it's great when you have a computer issue to solve, it can be a challenge when it comes to the ways they communicate with peers. Older kids and teens want to stay in touch and know what their friends are up to. More often than we want to know about it. So how can we give them freedom while keeping them safe from inappropriate content and online predators?

As your younger parishioners begin to approach puberty, you may notice that their interest in Sunday school, mass and even church activities begins to waver. This is a normal rite of passage, as they begin on those final steps towards adulthood, and discovering who they want to be when they get there.

Many churches offer midweek ministry options. They are a great way to keep people in connection with God and with other believers in addition to Sunday services. While some people opt not to participate in midweek classes, studies, or youth groups due to distance from church or their schedules, many do find it wonderful to have options for connecting with others and the Word of God during the week. From babies to grandparents, there are many ways to get together.