500 million tweets daily on Twitter. 1.7 million pictures posted every minute on Instagram. 900,000 likes every minute on Facebook. 9000 snaps per second on Snapchat. We are swimming in social media. It is no surprise that statistics show that teenagers spend about 9 hours a day on social media. In his talk, Paul J. Kim challenged teenagers to use social media for good.
“Are you kidding? What’s Stupidville?” After her initial confusion learning about Steubenville conferences, youth minister Carolyn Anch decided to take a group of about 12 teens with her. Thirteen years later, that group of 12 has grown to 124 and the youth group has become a family.
Without youth ministers, Steubenville wouldn’t be possible. They are the ones to continue the work when everyone goes home on Sunday and the ones who have been doing prep work for months leading up to the conference. Carolyn is one of those rockstar youth ministers.
In preparation for entering a new chapter of their lives, many graduated seniors tend to struggle with one common task: not only maintaining, but strengthening their faith. As they go off to college and their environment changes, they will discover and gain a great deal of independence, and it is up to them on how they utilize it.
Steve offered a few helpful tips to these seniors on how to keep their fire for God ignited and elevated throughout the next chapter of their lives.
After giving a brief and humorous history of men’s sessions at Steubenville throughout the years, Mike Gormley launched right into speaking to us about what it means to be man.
Throughout the history of civilization, the definition of what it means to be a man has undergone significant changes and shifts. In some cultures, manhood has been associated with initiation rituals, and in some cultures the definition of manhood has been conveyed to younger men by their fathers.
Sadly, legitimate initiation rituals and role modeling are often lacking in American culture; therefore, some of us are struggling, and many of us don’t really know who we are. When we don’t know who we are, we can easily become passive and weak. But this is not God’s plan for us.
In the women’s session this morning, Sr. Miriam talked to the girls about experiencing complete freedom by allowing Christ to make them new.
Craving Freedom
We all long for freedom and adventure. Sr. Miriam saw that sense of freedom one day in the airport in a little three-year-old girl who stopped dead in her tracks to lay down on the floor and make imaginary snow angels. She was completely free from any fear of judgement or ridicule. She was totally herself.
