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 | Jonathan’s Resource Ezine |
Weekly Resources, Ideas and Articles from The Source for Youth Ministry
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
| In This Issue |
- Youth Culture Window: The Class of 2008: Does Their Collegiate Future Affect Their Faith?
- Podcast: Jonathan tackles student leadership in this brand new podcast episode where two high school students share amazing insight…
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| Youth Culture Window: The Class of 2008: Does Their Collegiate Future Affect Their Faith? |
Yearbooks have been signed, and caps and gowns have been stored away as keepsake memorabilia of the seemingly invincible era of life known as high school. But as these grads leave home for college, many parents and youth workers wonder if they will leave their faith, as well.
The College Life
Every youth worker knows that high school graduation means at least two things: parties…and the potential for college freshmen to wander from the church, and possibly even their faith. Many of us place the blame for this reality on the “evils” of college; secular philosophies, alcohol-saturated parties, coed roommates, absence of parents, etc. But research from the University of Texas suggests that attending college is actually good for a teenager’s residual faith commitments! What?!
According to their study, an overwhelming majority of young people, 86% of them, retain their religious affiliation during their college years. In other words, these students enter college as Christians, and more importantly, leave as Christians! That’s good news. Here’s more: (82%) of faith-professing college students actually maintain their level of commitment to their faith. These students find a church on campus, or close by, and might even connect with their denomination’s campus ministry.
Their findings revealed even more surprising data: kids who don’t attend college often have the highest rate of decline in church attendance. 76% of high school grads who take a pass on college also take a pass on church. This same group of teens also led the way in what the study called “diminished importance placed on religion” and “disaffiliation from religion.”
If college isn’t the “bad guy,” what is? We all agree that something is luring them away from the faith. Their absence from church is just as noticeable as their absence from that 8:00am Chem Lab on Monday mornings!
Maybe a closer look at our high school graduates’ faith will be helpful in determining why they disappear from the church like a 19 year old freshman does when the cops raid the frat parties.
What They Believe
A report by UCLA offers us a snapshot of the faith most “Christian” high school grads pack up and take to college with them. They found that many high school grads who head off to college are extremely interested in spiritual matters. As a matter of fact…
| Podcast: Jonathan tackles student leadership in this brand new podcast episode where two high school students share amazing insight… |
THE SOURCE PODCAST: Episode #16 (5/31/2008)
Listen to it now for free on iTunes! (CLICK HERE) Or, if you don’t have iTunes already… jump on Apple’s web page for a free download, then click on our podcast page.
In this episode, youth worker Andy Matzke joins Jonathan once again… this time with two of his student leaders. The four of them talk about: student leadership, youth culture today and the temptations that kids face, integrity, and finally the effect that mission trips and service projects can have on our kids.
Episode Highlights:
- Jonathan and Andy are called fools by student leader Noelle!
- In our Youth Culture Window section we ask the student leaders to share their two cents about “situational ethics” and the 98% of students that admit to cheating.
- Noelle keeps it real, sharing her thoughts on why lying and cheating might be a greater temptation than “stealing.”
- Andy declares that Jonathan must treat him golfing before the next podcast!
- Student leader Shea shares her thoughts on why our “good” church kids suffer the same moral failures as “unchurched kids.”
- Andy shares the SEVEN SINS OF MISSION TRIPS.
- The girls share how some of Andy’s strict training requirements and standards strengthened the kids as a community.
- Andy provides some incredible “takeaway” from this podcast with amazing ideas for service projects and mission trips.
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Jonathan McKee
Jonathan McKee is the author of over twenty books including the brand new The Guy's Guide to FOUR BATTLES Every Young Man Must Face; The Teen’s Guide to Social Media & Mobile Devices; If I Had a Parenting Do Over; and the Amazon Best Seller - The Guy's Guide to God, Girls and the Phone in Your Pocket. He speaks to parents and leaders worldwide, all while providing free resources for youth workers on TheSource4YM.com. Jonathan, his wife Lori, and their three kids live in California.