It's a Culture Thing

It’s a culture thing!
Outside of God, one of the most powerful forces at work in society today is ‘Culture!’ Culture is best defined as a ‘Way of life!’ One of the most observable phenomenon within youth culture can be witnessed on a Friday night on the streets of our towns and cities. Young people spend money with the aim of enjoyment through the vehicle of excessive alcohol consumption. High profile media personalities in TV & radio, revel in the anticipation of going out ‘this weekend’ to get ‘bladdered’ & spend valuable air time letting everyone know how much fun it was to be out of control due to ‘too much drink’. The headaches & ‘memory loss’ which follow such a weekend are lightly touched on because ‘much fun was had’!

Who is asking the questions?
Culture is powerful because no-one questions culture. It is a way of life that is adopted by all because those before them had adopted such a way of life. If I was to appear on a prime time TV slot & announce that the new sport was ‘banging your head on the wall until you are physically sick & have a terrible headache’, most people would look & me & question my sanity. In truth, the practice of spending all your money with a view to ‘not remembering where you have been, what you have done OR who you were with, (not forgetting the accompanying headache) has to be highly questionable. It is however acceptable & well received in society.

Imagine a different norm!
Imagine we turn that culture around & create a society & world view that says, ‘to live passionate lives for Jesus is the acceptable norm.’ Imagine a church & youth group where – ‘to not be passionate about Jesus & His Kingdom is misplaced & uncommon’. Imagine a world where the education system embraces Biblical values again & a nation where politicians value God’s thoughts on issues.
Is it possible to create such a society? Isn’t that why we do what we do in our churches, departments & lives.
We should be about creating a culture of – positive, passionate, optimistic, risk taking, enthusiastic young people who are ‘not ashamed of the gospel’. It is about creating a way of life that is so strong that, young people who choose to do life with Jesus are celebrated and envied, and those who do life without Jesus have ‘their’ sanity questioned.

75000
Leading psychologists have announced that 75 000 young people living for a cause can have a positive influence on that culture. Imagine 75000 young people under one banner, living sold out lives for Jesus – anything could happen.


Count on it!
When King Nebuchadnezzar took the princes of Judah hostage, he hadn’t counted on Daniel! Daniel brought his culture with him into the new land in which he was now living. When the King challenged Daniels’ ‘God-honouring’ way of life, Daniel refused to tow the line & made a stand for what he believed. Daniel’s devotion to God through his ‘way of life’ paved the way for creating a new culture in Babylon. The nation hasn’t counted on Youth Alive & the dynamic culture that is being created in thousands of young people. Can we influence the nation for the better? That’s why we are here – we believe it!