Youth Culture Matters - A CPYU Podcast

Episode 219: "Making Tech-Wise Disciples - A Youthworker Addresses Screens with Students and Parents" with Jake Bier

The number of parents expressing concerns and confusion regarding smartphones and screentime is on the rise. And as we learn more about what kids are seeing during screentime and what they are opting out of in order to spend time on screens, the worries are rising. What our parents need is a robust theological and practical response to these issues. Youth pastor Jake Bier decided to dive in to provide information, theological insights, and response strategies not just for parents, but for the entire adult population in his church. You can hear how Jake addressed the technology issue with integrity and depth, as I chat with him on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Episode 218: "Christianity and Social Media Influence" with Justin Poythress

If we aren’t careful, social media can become a place where we can very easily indulge our sinful nature in ways that cause us to turn ourselves into little idols. We can become consumed with building our brand, bowing to the desires of our followers, and sharing versions of ourselves that really aren’t who we are at all. In a day and age where we experience ramped up identity pressure, we need to go to the right source to discover who we’ve been made to be. Today, I’m chatting with author and pastor Justin Poythress about overcoming these temptations, and finding stability and purpose in Jesus, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Episode 217: "Effective Spiritual Nurture of Our Kids" with Katie Polski

Several years ago, a concerned father approached me during one of our CPYU seminars to pose this question: “How can I expect my 13-year-old son to hear the still small voice of Jesus with all those other voices out there calling him to come and follow, come and follow?” Like this man, our greatest desire should be to see our children and teens launch into adulthood as faithful followers of Jesus. How can we trumpet the life-giving message of the Gospel in a world filled with competing voices? We’ll look for answers to that question as we chat with Katie Polski as she gives us three helpful reminders regarding the effective spiritual nurture of our kids, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Episode 216: "Inviting Teens and Young Adults into Biblical Truth" with Rut Etheridge

One of the great questions we face as Christians in today’s world is this: how do we lead young people to embrace biblical truth when the world they live in is obsessed with the "sovereignty of self"? They’re swimming in a culture of self-made truth, governed by the unholy trinity of me, myself, and I. Recently, I read a book for teens and young adults that pushes back against these false narratives—and does it with incredible kindness and grace. It’s called God-Breathed: Connecting Through Scripture to God, Others, the Natural World, and Yourself. Today, I’m chatting with the author, Rut Etheridge, to talk all about it on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.

Episode 215: "Longevity in Youth Ministry" with Jody Livingston

All of us who do youth ministry know peers who have lasted a long time in youth ministry, and those whose time in ministry has either been a flash in the pan, or perhaps a flitting around from position to position, never staying long enough in one place to really nurture students into a deeper faith. This is not surprising in a culture that doesn’t value commitment. Can’t we change this? Jody Livingston has identified ten essentials for longevity in youth ministry. That’s why we’ve invited Jody in to talk about his new book, Staying Power, on this episode of Youth Culture Matters.