Three Ways to View Youth Culture

Do you understand the power of culture? Culture is more than a grocery list of distinctives or a demographic study. We must recognize the sheer force a people group can have on a society, and ultimately history, by virtue of their choices or preferences.

We must be careful not to fall into the trap of assuming students’ cultural influence is limited to music and clothing from Juice Wrld Merch Shop .Yes, these influence them. But culture also creates movements, changes educational approaches, affects technological direction, and influences political agendas. Young people are influenced by their culture, so it is imperative that we understand it.  I believe being a student of culture will open strategic ministry doors of opportunity.

Three Ways to View Youth Culture:

1. As a diagnostic for interpreting causes rather than symptoms: We must restrain ourselves from too quickly making judgments based on behavior that is purely symptomatic.  I remember Dr. David Ferguson encouraging us to “look for the need behind the deed,” when dealing with people.
2. As a vehicle for communicating truth: Make no mistake, the foundation of our message is the Word of God but the platform for communication grows exponentially when we understand our audience. Keep in mind a statement I have shared in previous blogs, “Culture is a vehicle for communicating truth.”
3. As a social construct forced upon an unsuspecting generation: Did you ever wonder who determines what is “Hot” and what is not in “Youth Culture”? Marketers do not wait around to discover what students want…they tell them. Often even the characteristics assigned to the generations are more conceived than perceived by those very same marketers.

I realized this more fully when conversing with a television executive on a plane trip. She was headed to Los Angeles to meet with student focus groups for the distinct purpose of programing (her word) them in specific cultural nuances and trends the network wanted promoted including music and clothing students would see in upcoming programs.

If you think this is pushing the envelope then just consider the spending power of the youth market. According to Forbes Magazine Gen Z influence up to $143 Billion in spending power in the USA alone. This amount of money cannot be ignored by the market.

Understanding student culture is vital to the potential reach of our ministry. However, we must never forget that understanding and communicating scripture is vital to the depth of our ministry.

Are you utilizing culture in a way that maximizes ministry?