RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY: learning from culture

Today's kids are not yesterday's kids. Yes, you've been a kid, but you've never been a kid today.

Things have changed. Lots of things have changed. Today's kids are growing up in a different world than you and I did. It's important we keep up with the culture and challenges that today's kids are facing.

Here are some reminders that times have changed. Here are 50 things that today's kids don't know about.

1. Inserting a VHS tape into a VCR. Go to any thrift store and you will see lots of old VHS movies for sale.

2. When you could only get 3-4 channels on a television. Maybe 5, if you turned the outside antenna just right and you held the rabbit ears at the right angle.

3. Not having a remote control for the television. In fact, the kids were the remote control.

4. Television went off at midnight. They played the national anthem and then the channels went off until the next morning.

5. There was a time before reality tv.

6. The squeal of a modem connecting.

7. Floppy disks.

8. Blowing the dust out of a video game cartridge with the hopes it will work this time.

9. Having to delete something to make room on your computer's hard drive.

10. Using the encyclopedia to find information.

11. Road atlas.

12. Phone books.

13. Yellow pages.

14. Newspapers and magazines made from trees.

15. Not knowing what your friends are doing and thinking every moment.

16. When spam was just a meat product.

17. Typewriters.

18. 35 mm film for a camera.

19. Sending film away to be developed.

20. CB radios.

21. Rotary dial telephones.

22. Answering machines.

23. Pay phones / phone booth.

24. Fax machines.

25. Remembering phone numbers.

26. Going to Blockbuster to rent a movie.

27. Writing a check.

28. Having to rewind a VHS tape to watch it again.

29. 8-track tapes

30. Cell phones that were the size of a brick.

31. Stretching the cord on the phone for more privacy.

32. TV guide.

33. Hard copy encyclopedias.

34. Super-sizing fries.

35. Having a pager.

36. MySpace.

37. AOL.

38. Taping your favorite movie on a VHS tape and then someone taping over it before you have a chance to watch it.

39. Sears' catalogue.

40. Cereal with a prize at the bottom of the box.

41. Pogs...and slamming Pogs.

42. Cassette tapes.

43. Car windows that had to be rolled up.

44. Overhead projectors.

45. "Hanging" up the phone.

46. Riding in the back of a station wagon with no seat belts on.

47. TV's that had a big back on them and weighted like 500 pounds.

48. Video game joy sticks.

49. Hand-written letters.

50. Sending film away to be processed.

These were things today's kids don't know about. It's nice for us to take a stroll down memory lane occasionally, but that can't be our focus.

Our focus must be on today's kids. We must take the initiative and find out what they like and don't like. What are the key elements of their culture? How can you use current culture to connect with today's kids?

I often say we are missionaries to today's kids. We must do what a missionary does. Learn what they like. Learn what they don't like. Learn what music appeals to them. Find out what movies and entertainment catches their attention?

When we keep up with these things, it gives us talking points with them and shows them we really do care about them as a person.

Your turn. What else do today's kids not know about? Share your thoughts, ideas and insight in the comment section below.

The annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards show was held just a few days ago. The show honors the year's biggest television, movie, YouTube and music acts. Winners are chosen by kids who watch the Nickelodeon networks.

Since the winners are chosen by kids, the show gives great insight into current kid culture.

Let's take a look at the 2018 winners and what we can learn from them.

Favorite Movie: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Kids love adventure.
Kids love the excitement of the unknown.
Kids love challenges.

Favorite Movie Actor: Dwayne Johnson (Dr. Smolder Bravestone, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle)

Kids admire people who lead them on an adventure.
Kids admire people that have a strong purpose and are determined.
Kids admire people that will push them outside their comfort zone.

Favorite Movie Actress: Zendaya (Anne Wheeler, The Greatest Showman & Michelle “MJ” Jones, Spider-Man: Homecoming)

Kids admire people who overcome discrimination (Zendaya).
Kids identify with the story of an introvert who overcomes not feeling truly accepted and goes on to do great things (Zendaya).
Many kids identify with a loner who has few, if any friends and long to be known and loved by others (MJ).

Favorite Animated Movie: Coco

Family bonds and ties are important to kids.
Kids identify with Miguel, a young boy who pursues his passion in spite of his family being apprehensive about it.
Kids love pets.

Favorite Music Group: Fifth Harmony

Fifth Harmony is an American girl group based in Miami, composed of Ally Brooke, Normani, Dinah Jane and Lauren Jauregui.
Their music style is pop and R&B.

Favorite Male Artist: Shawn Mendes

Shawn is a Canadian singer and songwriter. He first attracted a following in 2013, when he began posting song covers on the video-sharing application Vine.
His music style is pop, folk pop and pop rock.

Favorite Female Artist: Demi Lovato

Demi is a singer, songwriter, actress, author and philanthropist. Her career started young when she was on the children's television show "Barney and Friends."
Her struggles with bipolar disorder, addiction, an eating disorder, and self-harm received significant media attention in the 2010s, in response to which she released the book Staying Strong: 365 Days a Year (2013) and a YouTube documentary about her life and career, Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated (2017).
Her music style is pop, pop rock and R&B.

Favorite Song: "Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran

The melody in this song uses a pentatonic scale, which is one of the most used scales in the history of music. It is a simple scale made of five notes and can be found in songs like Amazing Grade and My Girl.
The song is about physical love and relationships from a secular viewpoint.

Favorite Breakout Artist: Camila Cabello

Camila is a Cuban-American singer and songwriter. She rose to fame as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, which was formed during the second season of The X Factor US in 2012. She went on to pursue a solo career and in 2018, her single "Havana" reached number one on the charts.
Her music style is pop and R&B.

Favorite Global Music Star: ASIA: BTS

BTS (Bangtan Boys), is a seven-member South Korean boy band.
Their music style is K-pop, hip hop, R&B and EDM.

Television Show: Stranger Things

Kids love mystery.
Kids love secret experiments.
Kids love supernatural forces at work.

Favorite Cartoon: SpongeBob SquarePants

SpongeBob is optimistic.
SpongeBob is brave.
SpongeBob keeps kids' attention by mixing it up with various plots.

Favorite TV Actor: Henry Hart from Henry Danger (Jace Norman)

Kids want to be a superhero and identify with him.
Kids love gadgets that enable them to do extraordinary things.
Kids want to make a difference and Henry helps save people's lives.

Favorite TV Actress: Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven, Stranger Things)

Just like Henry Hart, she has superpowers. Kids want to be powerful and are drawn to superheroes.

Favorite Funny YouTube Creator: Liza Koshy

Kids love humor and Liza delivers with ridiculous jokes, facial expressions and comments.

Favorite Musical YouTube Creator: JoJo Siwa

JoJo appeals to pre-teen girls. She documents routine, age-appropriate behaviors and activities such as being nice and doing chores.
Kids are drawn to her willingness to be unique.
Kids are drawn to her creativity as she makes dresses out of garbage bags and creates her own line of accessories including hair-bows.
She also speaks out against bullying.

Favorite Instagram Pet: Jiffpom

Kids love animals.
Kids love pets.

Favorite Dance Trend: Backpack Kid

Backpack Kid is Russell Horning. He does funny dance moves that kids like.
He doesn't claim to be a great dancer and looks like an "average kid." This gives kids hope that the average kid can achieve great things if they go for it.

Favorite Video Game: Just Dance 2018

Kids love to move.
Kids love to show off their skills.

Here are some tips for translating this insight into your ministry and using it to connect with and engage kids in your lessons, events, programs, etc.

Take your kids on the "adventures" found in the Bible.

Bring mystery and the expectation of the unknown into your lessons.

Turn your teachers into fun characters who take kids on Bible Adventures.

Show kids people in the Bible who overcame great difficulties and obstacles.

Bring the entire family together for events and programs.

Use crazy experiments in your lessons.

Show kids the supernatural forces in the Bible that battle each day.

Show kids how they can be superheroes for God and do great things through His power.

Give kids the opportunity to make a difference and show them the impact they can make.

Keep kids interested by mixing things up and consistently bringing in new elements.

Use fun, crazy over-the-top characters in skits, videos, etc.

Give kids opportunities to be creative with crafts, art projects, etc.

Use humor...lots of humor in your services.

Use animals in your lessons. Here is an "Amazing Animals" series that we created that kids love. Filmed with legendary animal expert, Jack Hanna, it uses animal examples to teach kids key Bible truths. Below is a video sample from the series. Click here for more info. The series is available as an instant download.

Give kids opportunities to be creative with crafts, art projects, etc.

Let kids move, move, move when they worship.

Use music genres that today's kids connect with.

Here's one last tip - Kids obviously love awards shows. That's why we created a lesson series called "The iCan Awards."

The series takes kids to a Nickelodeon style awards show where they meet four kids in the Bible who made a major impact for God. From these kids in the Bible, they discover that God can use them to impact eternity as well. Clear steps are given so kids can know how to be used by God now and when they grow up.