Don’t Text and Walk?!? How to help young people NOTICE more.

We’ve all heard the mantra “Don’t text and drive”. Do we need to add a new corollary: “Don’t text and WALK”?!?

According to an analysis by the non-profit organization, Safe Kids Worldwide, the answer may be yes, especially given that the number of teens injured in pedestrian accidents rose 25% in the five-year period from 2006 to 2010. Cell phone use is certainly a key factor in those accidents.

As one of the study’s leaders explains, “We have distracted drivers who may be hitting pedestrians in the street, but we also have distracted pedestrians who are walking in front of cars.”

I know I can relate - not so much to the problems with walking and texting, but to the problem of being distracted. That’s why I’m so excited about one of our next, free Sticky Faith resources we’re making available to you, your family, and your church. (Sidenote: below is a video that tells you about all 3 resources we’re releasing in the next 9 months.)

In January, we’ll be releasing the Sticky Faith Practices Curriculum, a curriculum geared for you to use with young people in your church or family to help both young and old alike NOTICE God’s activity around them. Given that our Sticky Faith research reveals that young people are not engaging in classical spiritual practices (like prayer and Scripture study) like we’d hope, our prayer is that this curriculum will help young people (and their parents and leaders) gain new hunger and new eyes to see God through prayer, Scripture, and life overall. We’re including components for youth groups, families, and entire congregations, so you can customize it to fit your context.

Some of the topics we’ll be covering in this curriculum include:

How to live with a daily sense of God’s grace.
The value of unplugging from technology, at least for a bit.
The power of simplicity (and what that might look like for a teenager).
How to live with the ongoing reality that God is continuing to make us new.

We’re telling you now so you can plan to include this curriculum in your teaching or small group calendar.

I need all the help I can get to get my eyes off my cell phone and onto my Savior. I’m guessing you might need that help also. I know that’s true of the young people you know.

Posted September 12 2012 by

Kara Powell

Kara Powell, PhD, is the Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) and a faculty member at Fuller Theological Seminary. As a youth ministry veteran of over 20 years, she serves as an Advisor to Youth Specialties and is the author or co-author of a number of books including Sticky Faith, Essential Leadership, Deep Justice Journeys, Deep Justice in a Broken World, Deep Ministry in a Shallow World, and the Good Sex Youth Ministry Curriculum.

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