Youth

#Trending: The Top 10 Topics Facing Today’s Youth; SLU Think Bigger Series

 

#1  PEER  PRESSURE

The need to fit in and the temptation to live like the world especially sex, drugs and alcohol

    • “The new definition of normal is to drink and get drunk.”
    • “The pressure to want to be loved overpowers us.”
    • “Kids lose themselves and their faith to be popular.”

#2  CHRISTIAN  MORALITY

Navigating grey areas such as modesty, music and language, and living how God wants us to live

  • “It is hard to stand up for beliefs when they don’t know what they believe.”

#3  APOLOGETICS

How  to  defend  and  share  their  faith

  • “Why do I believe what I believe?”
  • “I want to be able to explain [the love of Christ] to people.”

#4  SELF­‐CONFIDENCE  &  SELF­‐IMAGE

The struggle with  self-­‐esteem  and  the  desire  to  live   boldly  and  true  to  oneself

  • “I want to live as a child made in the image of God.”

#5  STRESS  &  TIME­‐MANAGEMENT

Managing the pressures to succeed in every area of life

  • “How do I do it all?”
  • “We get so involved in clubs, work, church, etc.  that we tend to leave out spending quiet  time with our Creator.”

#6  THE  STATUS  QUO

Resisting the pressure to conform when being just  “good enough”  is considered cool

  • “It’s not always cool to be a leader and step up.”
  • “When nobody expects anything of us, where is the reason to try?”

#7  MEDIA,  SOCIAL  MEDIA  &   TECHNOLOGY

Finding truth, authenticity  and  focus  in  a  saturated   society

  • “Technology is affecting our ability to interact with others.”
  • “I need to focus before I can lead.”

#8  FAMILY  ISSUE/BROKEN  HOMES

Leading confidently  despite  broken  and  unstable   homes

  • [One of the greatest challenges currently facing students my age is]  “having a relationship with family, especially when the family is separated by divorce or death.”
  • “When my dad left, I went down a bad path…in fact, I hated God.”

#9  POLITICAL  &  SOCIAL  ISSUES

Understanding homosexuality, abortion, creation and evolution,  and social justice

  • “I struggle with the idea that people are or are not born gay.”

#10  BEING  IN,  BUT  NOT  OF  THE   WORLD

Living with integrity while engaging in society

  • “Filtering out the filth in life and staying focused on Godly things can be very hard for me.”     [One of the greatest challenges currently facing students my age is]  “knowing what’s socially acceptable and what’s biblically  acceptable.”

ARE YOU THINKING BIGGER?

Find  out  more  at   www.studentleadership.net.