Comments on: The Hectic Lives of Teenagers: Beat ‘Em or Join ‘Em?

By: Eric McCrorey

Eric McCrorey — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 17:12:03 +0000

This is a huge issue in our church today as well in our culture. We struggle weekly fighting against the grain of trying to get students involved or seeing who is going to show up on youth nights because everyone is so busy. Any advice would be great!

By: Donette

Donette — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 18:35:35 +0000

In reply to Helen. This gets harder every year! My Youth are no longer on Facebook and rarely on twitter. They use Instagram and Snapchat. We use Instagram for picture contests (Instagrammys!) and announcements, but not much else. Due to the nature of Snapchat, our adults will not use it. Next year will be even more difficult! They are becoming more secretive in social media, and I am not sure if we will be able to keep up.

By: Helen

Helen — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 08:59:38 +0000

In reply to Linda.

We have a closed face book page and use it regularly to post photos from events (ensuring that photo permission forms have been signed and returned!). This is always a draw to the young people as they want to see themselves and each other. It brings a sense of unity to the group but it also makes the events look fun, so that hopefully, the young person who didn’t make the event but is looking at the photos, is looking at them thinking…”aw! wish I’d been there!”

We have the same policy as Kurt, you can be friends with young people as long as they ask you first! We say that you never have a 1 to 1 pm but when its necessary to contact a young person by pm-ing them then you include their cell-group leader in the message. We also ask our youth leaders to be wary of photos that they’ve been tagged in on their personal pages… a picture of you helping a scantily clad, drunk colleague into a taxi won’t necessarily look as innocent as it is in reality.

By: Kurt

Kurt — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 23:16:11 +0000

Hey Linda!
Concerning social media, our policies have shifted and morphed as its use has grown and become more a part of our culture. Currently we use similar guidelines on social media as we do “in person” which would be:
– you can be “friends” and follow students of iopposite sex if they follow or friend you first.
– opposite sex interaction needs to be minimal and “shallow”
– any pastoral care, deeper conversations etc must be same-sex .
– use common sense and relate to all students appropriately as you do in person.

There’s more to it than that, but those are the basics. I’m typing on a plane with my thumbs.

By: Linda

Linda — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 20:50:37 +0000

Would love to hear ideas on how you use social media to be “on their turf” without crossing the line of safety in adult/teen relationships. I use social media to post announcements and that is all.
Going to the youth events – sports, theater, music and staying in touch with their busy lives is one way we try to reach out to those who are not at weekly programs