Impact 2007 Challenges Youth Workers And Parents

By Eva Wilson

November 2007

“You have the opportunity to impact the next generation of leaders.”

That is what a 26-year-old seminary student said during Impact `07, the KNCSB retreat for parents and youth leaders. It was held Nov. 2-3 at Webster Conference Center, Salina, Kan.

Matt Maestas led a breakout conference on “Understanding Youth Culture.”

“I don’t pretend to have all the information about youth culture,” the Midwestern Seminary student admitted.

Maestas based his remarks on the book, “Youth Culture 101,” by Walt Mueller. He attempted to pinpoint the major influences on youth culture and tell adults how to respond to them.

Today’s students are part of the postmodern culture. Postmodern is hard to define, Maestas admitted, but some of the characteristics are:

  • Life has no meaning, and “this life is all there is.”
  • Tolerance, which results in “every truth claim is a power play.”
  • “Mistrust and deconstructing everything.” One example of this is, “What makes a bad word bad?”

Other influences on today’s youth are:

  • Changes in the American family, one of which is the “crisis of fatherlessness.”

    • For Maestas, that problem is all too personal: “My dad checked out when I was 10.” His mother had to work two jobs to support Maestas and his sister.

  • Decreasing amount of time that parents spend with their children.

    • “Friends, our students live in a culture of systematic abandonment.”

  • Media

    • Walt Mueller describes today’s children and youth as “Generation M” for “Media.”

    Young people spend 6 1/2 hours daily consuming some form of media, often multitasking. This contrasts to about 2 hours and 15 minutes spent with their parents.

    Concerning how adults should respond to these influences, Maestas suggested:
    1. “Pray, pray, pray and pray.”
    2. “Fall on Jesus.”
    3. “Become a student of youth culture.”

    Many aspects of that culture, such as text messaging, seem to be mysterious. “I’m only 26 and I don’t understand texting,” Maestas admitted.

    He listed numerous Web resources that will help parents learn about youth culture. However, Maestas gave this precaution: “Please don’t make the mistake your students often do and put your brain in your back pocket when you read and browse these resources. Much like we train our students, we also need to think critically about what authors are saying.”

    • Center for Parent and Youth Understanding at http://cpyu.org/Default.aspx  This is author Walt Mueller’s Web site.
    • http://www.youthspecialties.com/—Web site of Doug Fields, youth pastor at Saddleback Community Church in California.
    • http://www.pluggedinonline.com/  This is a Focus on the Family site that reviews music and culture.

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