A letter from Walt Mueller to your senior pastor

Simply Youth Ministry
I’ve asked your youthworker to forward this letter on to you. It’s about the kids in your congregation and the powerful role that you play as their pastor in their spiritual nurture.I know that you’ve got teenagers sitting in your congregation every week. From your vantage point up front, you may spot them doodling, daydreaming, napping, zoning out, or even text-messaging. At times, it becomes painfully obvious that their eyes are lying. Even though those eyes may be focused on you, the young person behind the eyes is somewhere else. more...

Rather than simply forwarding it on, why not use this article as a good discussion opener for you and your senior pastor. Is there much new here that's new to them? What are it's implications for the way you minister to young people?

Alcopops: teens give their verdict

The Melbourne Age, 20 May 2008
Teenagers say the price hike on alcopops won't stop them drinking — but it's still a good idea, they tell Liz Cincotta. Pre-mixed drinks, ready-to drinks, alcopops — whatever the current marketing buzzword, they are the same party accessory in any teen's vernacular. School friends Ven Woo, 18, Jessica Fernandes, Lily King and Sofi a Jasek, all 17, prefer to call them "chick drinks". more...

More than just an article about alcopops, this article gives an interesting insight into the attitudes and thoughts of young people toward alcohol.

Tips for Taming Teenagers

NZ Herald, 24 May 2008
Imagine you are a single mother, with a 14-year-old son whose bedroom is a tip. During one argument over mouldy toast under the bed, he punches a hole in the wall. He is so bad-tempered and unpredictable you're secretly slightly scared of him. What do you do? Not easy, says clinical psychologist, Nigel Latta. But do-able. more...

Here is an article not only useful to us as youth workers but one to perhaps email on to parents. Latta's recommendations include "good communication coupled with robotic disengagement - remaining removed and dispassionate no matter how your teenagers act up." - something he says he learnt from watching the silverback gorilla on YouTube! He also advocates the importance of teaching children cause and effect which includes punishment, "even if it isn't fashionable" noting that positive reinforcement alone does not work.

Taking the mean out of the teen

Sunday News, 25 May 2008
Teen girls are being asked to put their claws away and be nice on Friday. Girlfriend magazine has launched National Compliments Day, asking readers not to be Mean Girls but to focus on the good in themselves and others and voice it through compliments. Shortland Street star Kimberley Crossman knows how important that can be. more...

This article reminds us of the power of compliments for young people trying to establish a sense of their own identity.

Children growing up too fast - experts

stuff.co.nz, 15 May 2008
Children today are growing up too fast and acting like adults at a very early age, child health experts say. With television and the internet playing an increasing role in their lives, children are often exposed to ideas and issues they cannot comprehend fully. They are coming under influences that were kept away from them in the past , and sometimes their parents are to blame. more...

The article presents quotes (not always in agreement) from a wide range of sources on this topic of young people growing up too fast. Most helpful is the list of factors that contribute to this problem including our materialistic, consumerist and instant society. As youth workers there is little we can do to stop this happening with other people's children, although the article is helpful in encouraging us to reflect on the "counter-messages" we might deliver.

Also check out the linked article on "Mothers' and Daughter's Views".

Gen text growing up too fast

Sydney Morning Herald, 11 May 2008
Teenagers are more materially well-off than they've ever been but increasingly plagued by adult worries, such as how to afford a house. The nation's most extensive teen research project, Dolly Youth Monitor, surveyed more than 7000 boys and girls aged between 10 and 17 over 16. Six-hundred teenagers aged 14 to 17, from NSW and Victoria, were surveyed in the latest instalment, conducted between July and September last year. more...

Increasingly teenagers are facing stress and this survey is useful in helping us better understand these stresses along with their sources and causes.

Teens more accepting of alcohol: survey

Sydney Morning Herald, 11 May 2008
Many more underage Australians believe it is acceptable to drink alcohol on a regular basis today than they did 16 years ago, according to a national survey. The Dolly Youth Monitor, which has surveyed thousands of teenagers between the age of 10 to 17 since 1992, found there has been a sharp increase in the numbers that approve of alcohol use. The latest edition of the bi-annual survey found that 80 per cent believed regular drinking was acceptable, while back in 1992 only 64 per cent thought so. more...

But while acceptance of alcohol is up, the acceptance of cigarettes, drugs and premarital sex is done. Some interesting figures here.

Youth Ministry Tips From A Potty Mouthed Scotsman

by Paul Turner, Journal of Student Ministries
Gordon Ramsay is a potty mouthed scotsman, chef, and star of tv's Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares. In a recent episode of Kitchen Nightmares, I was reminded of a few things he said that apply to youth ministry, ministry and life in general. more...

Don't let a dislike for Gordon Ramsey's style put you off reading this article. It contains some great tips: cook it fresh, take it serious, tell the truth (in love), add a cleaver curve to your menu and do what you are passionate about.

Alarming figures on teenage crime

NZ Herald, 9 May 2008
Up to 80 per cent of teenage offenders have drug or alcohol problems, 70 per cent aren't enrolled in any form of education and the rate of violent youth crime is rising steadily. Those alarming statistics were released yesterday by the country's top Youth Court judge Andrew Becroft at the 25th Anniversary Bluelight Conference, alongside some very simple suggestions on how to combat the growing problem. more...

Judge Beecroft and others point out that the key is providing good role models and keeping young people in education longer, messages the article refers to as "not rocket science" and "what most youth workers already know". What is interesting and encouraging for us is Auckland mayor John Banks thoughts on the impact of the church workers on his life as a child.

Bills go unpaid as tight times hit young Kiwis

NZ Herald, 8 May
The deteriorating credit habits of Generation Y - 18 to 28-year-olds - has resulted in a 15 per cent rise since 2003 in those not paying their credit card bill, a new report reveals. But Generation X - aged 28 to 43 - still leads in not paying the bills. Figures from New Zealand's largest credit information provider, Veda Advantage, also show that total defaults are up 11 per cent from the March quarter last year. more...

There are some interesting observations and statistics here about the financial habits of young people, which also reflect the way in which they view and approach life. I wonder how different are the habits of young people in our youth ministry particularly given the Bible's warnings about borrowing and the need to honour God with our money? Perhaps what we see is worse than financial mismanagement - is it just plain wrong? A good discussion starter...

Teenagers want sex in their magazines, say publishers

Courier Mail, 3 May 2008
Rival teen magazines Dolly and Girlfriend have joined forces to defend their sex-related content, saying they are giving readers information they want and need. The magazines' publishers made a joint submission at a federal government inquiry in Sydney today to reject suggestions they should carry audience age recommendations. ACP Magazines, which publishes Dolly, and Pacific Magazines, which publishes Girlfriend, said there were important health reasons to ensure young people have access to responsible information on sexual development. more...

The magazines argue that they are simply responding to questions young people are asking in their letters to the editor section. That's true, although it is magazines like these that contribute to the questions being asked at younger ages. As youth workers we will not stop the questions being asked but need to reflect on the extent to which we provide answers to real questions young people are asking. Sex education is primarily the parents' responsibility yet we still have a role to play by consulting parents and providing answers that are biblically sound reinforce the message parents are giving.