Many years ago I set out on a path to be a youth pastor. And, for a brief period in history I was. I have always been very engrossed in technology and popular culture and as a youth pastor I always endeavored to utilize both to communicate biblical truths to teenagers through a means they might listen to in venues they would normally just "tune out".
That said, there is something you should know about me, if you haven't already begun to figure it out, there are four things are so core to my being that you could no easier separate them from me than you could an egg yolk from a scrambled egg: a love for teens and twenties youth, a need to effectively communicate God's truths to them, a love for technology, and a love of popular culture, especially elements of popular culture that are core to this age group.
My heart longs to communicate God's truths to this generation of young people using the very media outlets they are seemingly seeking every possible way to remain connected to 24/7/365. But I am wise enough to know that even though my heart has always been drawn back to them and their culture, I understand that even if I am completely plugged into where they are coming from, I would have to convince them that I am genuine before they will listen to what I am trying to communicate to them. With the gravity of the importance of the message I am trying to impart to them and how necessary it is for them to hear its wisdom at the time in their lives when they are beginning to form lifelong habits and worldview, I want to eliminate as many natural roadblocks as possible.
The best way to do this is to cut straight through the generation gap and train members of their own peer groups to communicate these truths, from their own life experiences. These kids already use these media outlets to communicate and stay connected with their friends and family members. They regularly communicate and build virtual relationships with once strangers from all over the globe. They have their fingers on the pulse on the emerging trends in media presentation techniques and often are the dream children who fantasize what will be the next big thing, often five steps before the person who actually makes it happen does it they just didn't have the access and the opportunity to see it become a reality. What if that same dream child had a chance to put a dream out there and, say, advance the kingdom of God in their generation while doing it.
I envision teenagers and twenty-somethings creating videos or just awesome web content that goes to viral status, maybe even before those who promoted it by word-of-mouth realize there was a moral or "God" message contained in it. I am not saying that I am wanting ti create cryptic or hidden messages that you have to analyze several times to have your brain finally reveal them to you. That would be worthless. No one would get it. What I am wanting to see created are media materials that are so incredibly great that everybody and their sister will be tweeting their friends list to tell them they have to watch this video or listen to his song or check out this web site and have viewed it a couple of times and gotten hooked before they realize there was a message or they realized there was a message but they just had to keep going back and now the message has taken hold in their heart.
If enough quality material comes out, over time all that would be necessary to draw viewers to the media is that a message would go out that a new posting has been put up.
That is the big dream and I know that it is not going to happen overnight. It is still going to mean that I am going to have to go back to school, just not the way I planned and I may never wind up completing a degree. But, if I wind up teaching an army of young people to turn the Internet upside down for the cause of Christ, I don't think I will feel incomplete anymore. I think the pain would have long since had been lost in the background.
Someday soon you may see a production from the Veritas Media Group coming to a web connected computer screen near you.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Carver Dr,Roswell,United States
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