Youth Culture

The title of this blog post was the name of our youth group at my previous employer’s place. The reason I wanted to have this take on the church and worship as well as culture because I feel as though it is very relevant today. As Christ followers, we often look at the culture of the youth as a second thought or even as the rowdy bunch and that they are gonna grow into their faith and to let them go toilet paper someone’s house with the youth pastor and their small group. While this is often times part of youth ministry, I want to dive into the culture of the youth and how so many of them hunger for something greater than being considered young and reckless.

Culture

“After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!” — Romans 11:24

As we look at how culture influences our church and vice versa, we can use this verse as a great example to see how the cultivation of this olive tree shows us how important it is for there to be fruitful soil in order to grow. The way that we were cut and raised and brought culturally through different circumstances creates who we are and the way that we live life and love the Lord. We see that the religion is formed by the culture that it is in and that culture does not have to function alongside religion.

I love the idea that culture and the church do not have to be connected because it helps us realize that we as christians do not have to live in the same way as the culture around us. I am reminded then, how culture shapes our youth and the way that the youth can influence culture through their time in the church and youth group.

2020 Youth

Our youth are so influenced by social media and the things that they see online. What I have found is so interesting is the fact that many churches have been scared to address this part of culture. Youth Groups have middle-aged moms that are running their social media with no true understanding of Instagram or TikTok. Here we see an amazing example of how the church and Youth can be strong influences within their own culture. The main form of communication to the youth is through social media. This comes from posting about events as well as giving the students a place to be showcased. I love this understanding of how students work in this age of modern electronic devices. There is so much adversity when it comes to the culture that these students are up agains, but we see that they can be counter cultural specifically with the way that their church engages with them and helps them through their time as a young person. Many students leave their faith after getting out of high school, but when the church partners with the culture, this does not have to be the case.

For Youth, By Youth

This was our slogan at my previous position and it is one that I have carried on. The youth are so immersed in culture that fighting against the culture is not the way to be able to do that. I love this idea of for youth, by youth, having students take their culture and add it to what the church is. Taking students and having them run the social media, bringing student leaders in and having them give ideas for different games for different services. Allowing culture to not be a place where the enemy can roam and attempt to keep it out of church, but rather to embrace it. To allow culture to be part of church means that those youth students are no longer fearing the church or thinking that church is just a place where people are bored, but rather a place to make TikToks with leaders that care about them.

Conclusion

I believe that the church and culture can coincide together, as we have seen that the youth can influence culture. They are able to influence the other young students around them if the church embraces the culture that is around the church. Being immersed in culture specifically for students allows them to continue to live their lives as young men and woman and still do it in a Godly manner with support from the church.