Monthly column for youth leaders

There is a joke: what is the difference between a petri dish and your teen-ager's bedroom? The answer: what comes out of a petri dish can be called a 'culture'.

Certainly the noises, smells and sights of a teenager's lair rarely inspire the label of 'culture' in the Beethoven or Van Gogh sense. Do we really have to be into youth culture to evangelise and disciple effectively?

Early mistakes

A mistake many leaders make early on is thinking they must imitate youth culture to be effective witnesses. They rush out and buy the latest jeans, trainers, hoodies (youth-speak for a hooded sweatshirt - I had to ask too!) and music. Later that week those leaders turn up dressed to thrill, only to find that a week is a long time in fashion and they look like a snowman on the beach - out of place. Rule number one: don't try to infiltrate, be yourself.

The opposite mistake is to ignore youth culture so much that it appears to sideline the young people. Adopting this attitude could make teaching difficult because there are few bridges between their world and the young people's to build relationships across. Lack of awareness of culture also denies the opportunities to respond to it biblically (see below). Rule number two: do find out what makes your young people tick.

How to cheat

It's confession time. I am not an expert in youth culture. I'm not into game shows, reality TV, or make-over programmes. I don't think I've ever watched more than two straight minutes of any 'soap' ever. I don't even like football very much. My musical tastes are different, my taste in clothes begins and ends with black jeans, and I would rather read a book than go to a club.

I just can't change myself (old dog, new tricks?), so I cheat, and you can too. Skim through the television listings and read the synopses. Try a 'low-brow' listing for yourself one week, there's much more information on the right sort of programmes. Go on, sacrifice this week's Sunday Times! Pick up the young people's magazines and flip through them in the shop, but, be careful, there is some rotten stuff around.

Listen to their radio stations for a few minutes - the songs repeat after about 20 minutes anyway! Pinch whatever they bring along to the youth club for five minutes, phones, computer games, and mini-discs - be sensitive. If they mention a web site go to it. Ask questions; be interested in their world. Wear clothes that are comfortable and unthreatening. You don't have to have the latest gear, just untuck your shirt!

Using the culture

Paul is a great example of using the culture around him. Read 2 Corinthians 10 to see Paul's explanation of his ministry. Look at his example of challenging Athenian culture in Acts 17. Engaging with the culture we find ourselves in (2 Corinthians 10.3) gives us the opportunity to challenge that culture biblically (2 Corinthians 10.5). For a youth leader that means being aware of bands like 'Slipknot', 'Linkin Park', and even the current boy-bands and girl-bands, and challenging their influence on the way our young people live.

What will the moral attitude of your youth group be like if you let them follow the advice given in the song lyrics? How else can we challenge this except by analysing the words and applying the Bible to them?

Try using young people's culture to talk to them. Bring up the latest reality TV game-show instead of the weather. Do watch it first, young people are quick at picking up scams. Tell them when you reach the limit of your knowledge and ask questions. Another idea is to have a hobbies night where the young people can all bring whatever they are into. This gives a great insight into their world.

One final way to use the culture is as illustrations. This is old news but now comes with a new warning. When using a film clip or song lyric, make it clear what your attitude towards it is. Using a film reference in a talk is great, but many young people interpret that as an endorsement of the film. Beware of giving the opposite impression you are meaning to.

Where to find help

If you haven't already seen the Connect Bible Studies produced by S.U., Damaris, and Premier, do find them. They are available in Christian bookshops or on the web (see www.connectbiblestudies.com). These notes take themes from films, songs, books and TV and explore them in Bible study format.

The Damaris website (www.damaris.org) also provides lots of resources for relating Christian faith to contemporary culture. Another exploration of films, books and music is the 'culture@home' page of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney website (look at www.anglicanmediasydney.asn.au).

There are many books that will help, but two stand out. Christianity in a Changing World, edited by Michael Schluter (Marshall Pickering) for essays picking up on aspects of our culture. Evangelism made slightly less difficult by Nick Pollard (IVP) for a framework to help analyse popular thinking.

Don't try to infiltrate

Early mistakes

How to cheat

Using the culture

Where to find help

Roger Fawcett

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