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Gaming Violence Linked to Real-Life Agression

Brad M. Griffin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:00:20 +0000

The debate has swirled for years about whether more exposure to on-screen violence leads to more real-life violence and aggression. That debate has narrowed over the past 10-15 years to studies of exposure specifically to violent video games.

Taking a big-picture look at existing research, psychologist Craig Anderson (the Center for the Study of Violence at Iowa State University) and a team of researchers recently released a report detailing a meta-analysis of studies exploring various aspects of video gaming and violence. The submitted draft of the report, published in the March Psychological Bulletin, is available online if you want to check out the details and method. You can also read a summary from U.S. News & World Report.

The basic conclusion of the meta-analysis is that increased exposure to violent video gaming does in fact lead to (in research language, “is a causal risk factor for”) increased aggressive thinking, feeling, and behavior, as well as overall physiological arousal, and decline in “prosocial” (helping) behavior and empathy. This is true for girls as well as guys, and seems to be true for both short-term and long-term play. In a fascinating twist, Japanese studies found similar results to U.S. studies.

The research team feels strongly that this is a conclusive study, finally answering the question about violent gaming and violent thinking, feeling, and acting. A bigger and more complex question seems to be, what do we do about it? We wrote earlier this year about guys and gaming and about helping parents in their conversations with kids about gaming. Both articles contain some ideas to get the ball rolling, but I’m curious about what helpful strategies you’ve used in addressing violent gaming with teenagers and their parents (and perhaps in your staff and volunteer team, and your own personal practices).

Gender-Blind Dorms

Brad M. Griffin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:32:04 +0000

Gender-neutral housing is now an option at 50 or so colleges and universities across the nation. A step beyond gender-integrated dorms, floors, and bathrooms, “gender-blind” policies now allow students to choose roommates of either gender. While certainly not a landslide trend (only 1-3% of students on these campuses choose an opposite-sex roommate), the LA Times reports today that it’s the next step on the integration path.

The first assumption behind this movement is that college students are adults. “College students are adults,” says the head of the National Student Genderblind Campaign. “They have every single right to choose the person they feel most comfortable living with.” Plenty of research voices, including our own Chap Clark, have doubts about how “adult” college students really are. Call them late adolescents or emerging adults, but full-on adults? Not many of them.

The other assumption is that we are in a “post-gender world.” While I don’t want to open up wild debate about that one, I think I can stand with scripture, biology, and sociology to say that post-gender doesn’t seem to be God’s ideal. I’m all for revisiting “traditional” gender roles, but not obliterating gender altogether. Because, well, we can’t.

Debates aside, this could be the environment our high school seniors will be swimming in if they’re headed off to college next year. In light of that, what kinds of conversations should we be having with them now about how to engage choices like gender-blind rooming arrangements? What ideas do you have for creating dialogue and discernment around these issues? How will you equip them with more than “that’s just wrong” so they know how to have a thoughtful conversation with someone when the opportunity is presented? These are the kinds of questions we need to be asking ourselves in youth ministry.

Eyes of God

Brad M. Griffin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:42:18 +0000

Recently I read Henri Nouwen’s Finding My Way Home: Pathways to Life and the Spirit, a short collection of writings and presentations published after his death. I wasn’t expecting to find a definition of theology in the opening section called “The Path of Power,” but there was one nonetheless. According to Nouwen, theology is “looking at reality with the eyes of God.”

But there’s more. We see reality through God’s eyes for a purpose: “…to discern the ways to live.”

Learning to see with the eyes of God so we may more faithfully live in our families, neighborhoods, and world. That’s a good meditation to end the week with.

Help for Bipolar Teens

Brad M. Griffin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:30:52 +0000

This week Ypulse posted an interview with psychologist Russ Federman, coauthor of Facing Bipolar: The Young Adult’s Guide to Dealing With Bipolar Disorder. I thought the interview was an insightful quick view into the lives of teens and young adults who deal with this on a daily basis, and this book looks like it could be a helpful resource for youth workers.

The interview also includes a list of web-based resources, which I’m reposting here as a resource to you, particularly if you know kids and families who struggle with bipolar disorder or symptoms:

BipolarYoungAdult.com – Website with about the book “Facing Bipolar” as well as strong resource information about bipolar disorder
- National Institute of Mental Health- Bipolar Disorder Booklet – Comprehensive (downloadable) booklet on bipolar disorder.
- Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance- national organization with comprehensive information, links, media information and membership options for those with bipolar disorder
- K12 Academics – Bipolar Disorder- A national organization with topics pertinent to education, including important medical/psychological issues. The site provides excellent information about bipolar disorder
- Pendulum.org- A national nonprofit resource for bipolar disorder information, support and education
- Mayo Clinic Bipolar Information- A nationally recognized provider of medical services with a website providing thorough and reputable information about bipolar disorder
- Healthy Place – Bipolar Information- A thorough and informative educational and support website devoted to bipolar disorder
- HelpGuide.com – Bipolar Self-help and Support- A nonprofit organization devoted to providing education, health and support to individuals and families facing mental health issues. Excellent information provided about bipolar disorder
- TeensHealth.org – Bipolar Information- A website devoted to physical and mental health-related issues for teenagers. Excellent information provided about bipolar disorder
- MedLine Plus – Bipolar Disorder- A website with thorough information about bipolar disorder sponsored by the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health.
- Bipolar Hope- An informational website for the hard copy magazine – Bipolar Hope – a nicely done monthly magazine publication for those with bipolar disorder
- Depressed Teens- An education and advocacy group through the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation

Best Practices

Brad M. Griffin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:52:48 +0000

It’s not secret that research is part of our DNA here at FYI. One of the research methods we utilize is the “best practices” approach, where we attempt to identify what’s most effective in the field (in a particular area, like short-term missions) and identify transferrable practices that can be adapted across ministry contexts.

The folks from Luther Seminary completed a youth ministry best-practices study called “Exemplary Youth Ministry” in 2003 that they are beginning to roll out to youth workers, and if you like research you’ll be interested in the reports they’ve made available as well as their blog where various posts help break down and summarize the findings. There are some pretty thoughtful insights there to stir up conversations with your team.

So Proud of Youth Group Kids

Kara Powell — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:13:58 +0000

I felt like the proud mama (or proud bigger sister) of the kids (who are now adults) who showed up at the youth group reunion this past weekend for folks involved with the youth ministry in the 80’s and 90’s from San Diego First Assembly of God.

Seriously, I am so proud of them. In the midst of all the focus we give at FYI to kids who struggle in their transition to college, it was great to see kids who had transitioned to college well and who were serving the Lord.

And I mean serving the Lord. So many of them are active in ministry – volunteering, as well as serving part-time and full-time in their churches. And those who have marketplace careers are clearly integrating their faith with their job.

It was a good reminder to me of the importance of encouraging kids to prayerfully consider entering ministry. One youth pastor told me recently, “When I was a high school student, our youth pastor encouraged us to consider full-time ministry all the time. Half of my high school small group is in ministry. As I look at the students I lead, they hardly ever end up in ministry.” I doubt he’s alone in that.

Not that ministry is the end-all, be-all. Not at all. But as we sense God’s leading – let me be more personal: as I sense God’s leading – I’m going to start raising the possibility of ministry with kids who are potentially on that path. Like I posted yesterday, conversations matter and I want to make this more part of my conversations with kids.

Highlights of Youth Group Reunion

Kara Powell — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:04:31 +0000

Wow. I had such a great time at the reunion of youth group kids from the 80’s and 90’s at my old church, San Diego First Assembly of God. I’d guess over 100 people were there (if you count the little kids- and boy, there were a lot of little kids) and probably 50-60 of them were actual youth group members from “back in the day”. A few highlights, in no particular order:

-It felt strange to drive up to the building of the youth center. It was my second home for years and I hadn’t been there in ten years.

-From the slide show, I gathered that I wore a lot of teal and hot pink in the 80s and early 90s. I wasn’t alone in that, but I was one of the leading teal-wearers.

-We females had big hair.

-Kids’ personalities, now that they are adults, by and large have stayed the same.

-Kids remember the conversations we have with them. Time after time, someone came up to me and recounted a conversation I had had with them that was meaningful. Sometimes I didn’t remember the conversation at first, but clearly the youth group kid did.

-Kids need a safe “space”. While we all agreed that the youth group was the people, not the building, several youth group kids still said that they loved having a safe “place” to come to. People are at the heart of that place, but physical location matters also.

-Deep relationships make community unbreakable. By the end of our 3 hours together, I literally felt like I was going to see these people at youth group on Wednesday night. We haven’t seen each other for 15 years (in some cases) but we easily re-connected.

-I am so proud of these former youth group kids. More on that tomorrow…

Youth Group of the 80s and 90s Reunion

Kara Powell — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:29:23 +0000

I am so excited about where I’m going tomorrow. I’m going back to my home church, San Diego First Assembly of God, where I served as one of the youth pastors in the late 80s and throughout the 90s. The “kids” from that era (who are now grown-ups with their own kids) have organized a “Reunion” for us all.

They are cleverly structuring it like how we used to do youth group – reuniting the worship team, the guy who used to do announcements, some crowdbreakers, and then the three youth pastors from that era (including me) will all share for 5-10 minutes each. Plus lots of time before and after for hanging out and catching up. We’ve been doing a lot of that through Facebook but I can’t wait to do it in person.

Relationships are so important and while I haven’t been the best at keeping in touch with old youth group kids, I keep grinning as I think about tomorrow’s reunion. I’m so proud of these students and we have so so so many shared memories. I imagine I’ll have something to share about the reunion in next week’s blog…

Screen Time and Friends

Kara Powell — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:33:09 +0000

Last week, our nine year-old son started talking about American Idol. We don’t watch “A.I.” so I asked how he knew so much about it. He said his friends at school watch it and talk about it. I asked him if he wanted to start watching it. He replied, “Not really, but every once in a while I wish I could talk with my friends about it.” But ever the optimist, my son added, “But I can talk with them about other stuff…like sports” (did I mention he was a nine year-old boy?).

Yesterday, Brad Griffin, one of my fantastic FYI coworkers, passed along some related research conducted in New Zealand about screen time and its effects on peer and parental relationships. I know some parents let their kids watch certain TV shows and play certain video games so that they can talk with their friends about it. According to this research, even taking this into account, kids who have more screen time have lower quality relationships with peers and parents.

I’m not “anti” TV or gaming, but I’m certainly not a big fan of either. A small amount (i.e., a bit of “A.I.” here and there) is fine, but this research is important for leaders and parents to keep in mind.

Organic

Kara Powell — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:58:28 +0000

I was on a panel this past weekend with Chuck Bomar, who leads CollegeLeader.org. Chuck and I have taught together before and I have great respect.

I love what Chuck said in answer to one question about helping students find mentors. Even though he’s been at a large megachurch, he never found a mentoring “program” effective. Instead, he’d simply get to know kids, and get to know adults in the church,and see if he could organically match a kid with an adult based on what he knew was going on in both people’s lives.

Sometimes mentoring programs work but often they feel forced and fizzle because the kids and adults and randomly assigned and it’s not natural. I love Chuck’s more organic approach.

Students Digging In

Kara Powell — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:54:40 +0000

This past weekend I spoke at the Group Simply Youth Ministry Conference about our College Transition Project research. One of the highlights when I speak is interacting with leaders (or parents) who ask good questions and have great ideas.

One youth worker raised his hand to talk about how when his kids come to him for advice, he first encourages them to look in Scripture for their own answers. He does it so consistently that his students now know that before they even come to him, they need to do their own homework and look into Scripture themselves.

One of the themes in our research is that youth group graduates don’t know how to depend on the Lord and are often overly dependent upon their youth worker (the youth worker who is no longer around after graduation). I love how this youth worker is helping kids dive into Scripture themselves.

You Never Know Who’s Watching…

Kara Powell — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:07:15 +0000

This past weekend I had a fantastic time at the Group Simply Youth Ministry Conference in Chicago. I learned an eye-opening lesson at a Chicago pizza place (yum yum) on my way to the hotel.

I was eating by myself and couldn’t help but overhear the conversation of the couple sitting at the table next to me. Or rather, lack of conversation. The husband was on his cell phone the entire time they were waiting for their food, and while he had some cute interactions with his young child at the table once the food actually arrived, on the family’s way out of the restaurant, he spoke to his wife in a sharp tone of voice — a more sharp tone of voice than I think my husband has ever used with me.

Two hours later, I was walking through the conference exhibit hall and guess who was one of the exhibitors. Yup, pizza place guy.

I don’t always talk to my children or husband in the tone of voice I wish, so I’m not trying to pass judgment. But I guess I’m extra aware these days that you never know who’s watching. I want to do my best to be the mom, wife, and leader I really want to be both in public and private. And I’m so glad God’s grace covers those times when I fall short (which happens on a regular basis).

It reminds me of the disappointment a high school guy shared with me when he went surfing with his youth pastor and his youth pastor ignored someone who was homeless and begging for money because he was in a hurry to get to the waves. This happened a week after this youth pastor had challenged his students to show kindness to folks who are homeless. The kid wasn’t mad — just disappointed.

It’s hard to be a leader. May God give us grace to be the followers of Jesus He wants us to be. And may we experience God’s grace when we aren’t.

Change and Conflict

Brad M. Griffin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:12:25 +0000

Last week Kara shared about Dr. Scott Cormode’s presentation at our Sticky Faith Learning Cohort summit. One of the parts of Scott’s training I most appreciated was about the inevitability of conflict when we’re trying to produce change. Sometimes we act surprised when conflict pops up or someone presses back against our good idea, but we should know better.

In fact, Scott reminded us that change produces conflict because change always involves loss, which of course is part of why people avoid change. Loss typically triggers a grief process (generally a cycle of denial, anger/blame, bargaining, depression, and acceptance – but not always in that order). The most typical first response we get to a suggested change is denial, and the second most typical response is anger. Which means if we want to introduce change to our contexts, we have to have a thick enough skin to realize that the predictably-ensuing anger is not just about us. In fact, it may not be about us at all. It’s part of the process of loss and grief.

So Scott has memorized this one line to communicate (out loud and in attitude) when trouble arises:

“This conflict will not undo us.”

Perfect. There’s more to it in his version – that our commitments to one another and Christ are stronger than this, and that the issue is serious but doesn’t have to tear us apart. It’s actually all beautiful and really helpful. But I love that line. I’m trying to memorize it myself.

Playing Games with God

Brad M. Griffin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:20:28 +0000

We’ve mentioned before that we had the opportunity to write a chapter for the new book, Halos and Avatars: Playing Video Games With God, edited by former Fuller faculty member Craig Detweiler. The book is now out, and recently a good review was posted on the Pop Theology blog that gives a helpful synopsis of the chapters. The review concludes with these words: “Halos and Avatars proves to be not only the first text to link theology and video games, but a must read for any teenager or adult, parent, minister, or scholar interested in not only video games but theology and popular culture as well.” (There’s also a skype interview with Detweiler if you’re interested).

We received our copies in the mail this week, and the following quote was really interesting to me so I thought I would pass it on for your own musing:

Gamers are used to dying and rising. Multiple selves and multiple lives are assumed in game construction. Consequently, the theological idea of being born again will seem increasingly mild and mundane to the gamer generation. Rebirth, respawning, and reincarnation are all part of resetting a game…So how should ministers talk about discipleship? What does it mean to ask for forgiveness? To atone for our sins?

Detweiler has some interesting ideas about that, but I’m wondering what you think?

Sharing the Roof

Brad M. Griffin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:00:41 +0000

According to a Reuters report this week, there’s been a rise in the purchase of multigenerational homes (meaning more than one generation share the same dwelling) over the past year, with demand for this kind of housing expected to continue to increase.

Based on a survey by Coldwell Banker Real Estate of its agents, the article shares that this shift is more motivated by financial (primary) or health (secondary) reasons than by close family bonds, not surprising in the current economy. Unemployed college graduates are part of this mix, as are aging parents of Baby Boomers.

While close families apparently aren’t the cause of this cultural shift, it’s interesting to think about the ways this phenomenon could contribute to tighter family environments (which inevitably mean both closer and more stressful relationships).

I wonder what the same survey would look like if we asked youth pastors instead of real estate agents? Do you notice this or other trends in your own context? And how do you anticipate it will impact the families in your ministry (and your approach to ministry) as a result?

Courage in Action

Brad M. Griffin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:30:47 +0000

Yesterday in our middle school ministry, a volunteer leader was finishing a three-week teaching series inviting students to become aware of and engaged in acts of justice.

In particular, yesterday was focused on the issue of global slavery. The anti-slavery Not For Sale Campaign declared yesterday Freedom Sunday, an international day to rally churches “to declare that they are Not For Sale, you are Not For Sale and no one should be For Sale.” Stephanie pointed students to other websites like humantrafficking.org and invisiblechildren.com to help raise their awareness and inspire ideas for advocacy and action.

I always love when leaders open students’ eyes about the realities around them, and living in the L.A. area slavery is certainly more than a far-away issue. I also appreciate when leaders help connect the dots from ideas to concrete action, and yesterday kids left with a number of ideas for how to respond. But what I appreciate even more about Stephanie’s leadership is that she didn’t consider middle school students too naïve, distracted, useless, or powerless to become aware of real injustices and to act in response. She had the courage to begin conversations about justice-oriented lifestyles among students who aren’t too young to get involved in action that leads to the freedom and shalom of others.

And listening to their prayers yesterday, I think some of our students’ perspectives are in fact changing as a result of her courage.

Sticky Faith Summit Day #3

Kara Powell — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:05:36 +0000

Wow. That’s the best word to describe my experience at the third and final day of our Sticky Faith Summit yesterday. Dr. Scott Cormode, Professor of Leadership at Fuller, led us through a three-hour discussion that revolved around this question: How do you help people change who need to change but don’t want to change?

The biggest insight I gained from Scott is the power of telling stories – stories that capture what you’d like to see more of in the future. And to tell those stories again, and again, and again.

And again.

And when you’re telling stories, to connect the stories with the church’s existing vision, values and narratives – thereby helping folks connect the dots between the past, present, and future.

Scott’s definition of vision is a “shared story of future hope”. That’s my new favorite definition of vision.

Sticky Faith Summit Day #2

Kara Powell — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:52:21 +0000

Yesterday was day #2 of our FYI Sticky Faith Summit. We’ve got teams from 12 amazing churches gathered to discuss our research and its implications for ministry – youth ministry as well as children’s, college, young adult, and even the approach of an entire church.

We got talking about how to engage senior pastors in the vision and research, and one senior pastor attending the summit, Dave Burns from Hillside Community Church, shared some interesting insights about how youth pastors can connect with senior pastors. Few highlights:

-Find out what sort of experience your senior pastor has had with intergenerational ministry (which was the focus of yesterday morning), or any other areas you’d like to see change in your church. Perhaps he or she doesn’t have much experience with your vision.

-Give him or her a taste; invite him or her to an event and give them a specific role that can help them really experience the vision.

-Give him or her tangible action steps about what you are hoping they will do in the future. They’ve got a lot to juggle so the more specific you can be, the better.

Can’t wait for today – Dr. Scott Cormode from Fuller will help us all understand how to bring about organizational change that sticks.

Sticky Faith Summit Day #1

Kara Powell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:45:19 +0000

In 2010, we have 12 churches who are part of our Sticky Faith Learning Cohort, which largely revolves around our FYI College Transition Project research. Yesterday we started a three-day summit here in Pasadena with teams from Highland Park Presbyterian Church, New Song Irvine, Bel Air Presbyterian, Meredith Drive, Hillside Community Church, Lake Avenue Church, Mars Hill in Grand Rapids, Pasadena Nazarene, Richland Hills Church of Christ, Solana Beach Presbyterian, First United Methodist in Tulsa, and Yuong Sang Church. Each church is bringing 2-4 team members so we had an incredible group of 45 folks. Chap Clark did much of the teaching.

The biggest theme I walked away with was the importance of loving kids unconditionally – without any selfish agenda. So often we as parents or youth leaders have selfish agendas for our kids – we want them to behave certain ways more because it will make us feel better than it’s necessarily the best for them. We want kids to come to youth group because a room full of kids makes us as leaders feel better about ourselves than a room half full of kids. We want our kids to do well in school because the more A’s on their report cards, the better we feel about ourselves.

I want to work on that as a parent and a youth leader.

Kids Giving Pat Answers

Kara Powell — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:12:02 +0000

A few nights ago, our family had Jesse and Megan Oakes over for dinner. Jesse is one of our youth pastors at Lake Avenue Church and we’re in the middle of a February teaching series on “Love, Sex, and Dating”.

Jesse was leading a small group of ninth grade boys and in an effort to help students think about how they are God’s masterpieces, Jesse asked those guys what they had that was most valuable. The first kid who answered said, “I know what you want me to say: it’s my virginity, right?” So that was the answer he gave.

The rest of the small group gave their answers then, which ranged from their camera to their computer to their collectibles. After hearing a few of his friends’ answers, the first boy said, “Wait, so I don’t have to say it’s my virginity?”

How many of our kids are just waiting to give us pat answers – answers that they think we want them to hear. Let’s push them a bit further to really think and tell us what they really think.