Over fifty youth leaders from more than thirty churches and organizations converged on the Ohio Christian University campus for the second annual Youth Leadership Conference. Anticipation for the conference was met with engaging and relevant information applicable to those in attendance. The subject of the day was the importance of actively engaging youth with the reality of Biblical Truth in these formative years. Dr. Walt Mueller, expert in youth culture and President of the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding, began the conference with a dive into youth culture and practical ways of engaging that culture.
The sessions for the conference covered topics, such as, mental health and suicide, building a Christian worldview, practical ways of working with church leadership, and other topics. Participants were able to network with one another, share best practices, and engage others in their field. Dr. Mueller concluded the events of the day with insight into how media is shaping the youth of the day.
The youth culture of today is different than previous generations, notably because they have the world at their fingertips. They can be, say, and do anything they want with just a few keystrokes. Teen culture is hard to contend with, and even harder to break through. This generation of young Christians embraces the idea that being young is a strength – they are bold and are true to themselves, making it critically important for them to find their identity in Christ. Ministry leaders, youth leaders, and educators’ prime responsibility is to ensure students know exactly that.
