Axis Ideas

We are no longer posting episodes to this podcast channel. If you'd like to keep receiving our weekly updates on teen culture search for The Culture Translator on Spotify spoti.fi/3abpL9m, Apple apple.co/2xPho54, or Google podcasts bit.ly/2J3pz07.  

3/3 in our Evangelism series with Evan from Axis.  If you want to get the full video series mentioned multiple times in this mini-series, go to https://virtual.axis.org/evangelism/  It's quite worth the time and money to get these conversations started now so they can build over a lifetime.  Please enjoy the conversation, wisdom, and advice from Evan and Axis. Thank you for embracing the paradox of our faith - that we must be both bold and meek in our world. Patient and filled with action. Preaching and listening.   

2/3 in this mini-series on Evangelism.  What is the Engel Scale??  We draw today from Evan's research on evangelism, some personal experiences in the church, and dive deep into one of the biggest pitfalls for conversations about faith:   - Sexuality  - Biblical interpretation  - Sexuality  - (yes, sexuality is a big obstacle in both content and communication of The Gospel for a lot of people) https://virtual.axis.org/evangelism/ 

Episode 1/3 in a special series about the topic of "evangelism." Join Matt and Evan for a discussion that will draw topics and content from our new Parent Guide and Conversation Kit on Evangelism.  In episode #1, we go through a bit of the history of the term evangelism and all the baggage it can bring with it all the way up to putting terms and diagnosis as to how it is viewed and executed today.  https://virtual.axis.org/evangelism/ 

It's a little non-traditional episode today, but solid content and great topics:   - Mirrorworld  - How did Valentines Day affect your teen?   - The surprising stats on Millenials' devotion and confusion toward evangelism. 

This week in teen culture - What does it mean to spill the tea? What is Snapchat dysmorphia? Get the Culture Translator, our free weekly newsletter, here. More resources on gossip, social media and more!    

A special episode featuring the entire interview with Dr. Aaron Metzger that can give you a deep understanding and researched insight into how your relationship with your teen ACTUALLY can change their lives.  Unfortunately, it's not rules, snooping, catching them in the act or even boundaries that offer the statistical best outcome of adolescent or teen behavior -- it's good, old-fashioned relationships and dinner with the family.  Listen in for some specific ways to improve your relationships and create the time to have the important opening conversations that provide a different vision for your teen concerning thing slike drinking, smoking, or sex before marriage.  Find this interview and more like it in video, audio, and text summary at https://www.parentingrelationships.com 

Today, we have something very special. This entire episode is a 1/50th excerpt of the brand new Parenting Relationships Summit releasing for free on February 14th.  To learn more about this episode, Elizabeth Behrens, or get MANY more episodes like this + the video that accompanies the audio, go to https://www.parentingrelationships.com  Thanks for listening!  We love when we can do little in-between-isodes like these!  We have 49 other subjects, interviews, and experts from the summit, and we want to send a few more of them your way!  Please email matt@axis.org if you want any specific speakers/talks from https://www.parentingrelationships.com featured on the podcast BEFORE the summit is released!  As always, feel free to subscribe so you keep getting these cultural insights dropped straight to your device so you can start conversations about them as soon as technologically possible. 

1. NewsGuard What it is: A web browser extension that aims to detect fake news not via algorithm, but by having real humans review an article, the site, and even the company behind it. Why it’s a step: With unreliable sources given prominence on social media because of their ability to increase user engagement, it’s good that some are dedicated to combating the problem. Their color-coding system and “Nutrition Label” make it easy to see why a site is given its rating. However, as good of a tool as it can be, it’s important to realize that it’s not a solution because it doesn’t solve the real problem: our lack of discernment. This simply moves our trust from proven-corruptible orgs to another potentially corruptible org. So rather than using it as our or our teens’ filter, let’s treat it as one of many tools we can use to grow discernment and critical thinking skills.   2. Roo What is it: On Thursday, Planned Parenthood launched their new chatbot Roo, which seeks to “get young peoplepersonalized answers to the

1. Gen Z & the “L” Word What it is: Pew Research believes today’s teens may be the “most liberal” generation to date. Why it’s maybe not what you think: If you were raised in the culture war era, words like “conservative” became synonymous with morality, while “liberal” was akin to evil. But if we strip away the political baggage associated with these words, their meanings might change. Pew believes Gen Z is “liberal” because they are far more open and inclusive of racial and ethnic diversity while simultaneously supporting larger government involvement in climate care and societal problems. Webster Defines liberal as “one who is open-minded” and “marked by generosity.” Ask your teens if they think of themselves and their friends as liberal and if that word still carries the same negative stereotypes for today’s generation. Why or why not? Read through the characteristics listed by Pew and see if they resonate with them.   2. Phickle Phriend What is it: A letter from a psychologist to teens delves into th

1. Teens Fight Back What it is: Meme accounts on Instagram, many of which are run by teens, are spamming certain hashtags to thwart child p*rnographers’ efforts to reach more people. Why it's innovative: The hashtags in question are seemingly innocuous ( #dropboxlinks, #tradedropbox), but the teenagers discovered that p*rnographers would covertly advertise “young boys” or “young girl links” in their posts, then DM links with illicit images to anyone who commented on the posts or used the hashtags. When reported, Instagram initially responded by saying that their Terms of Use had not been violated, so the memers banded together to overwhelm the hashtags with memes, thus making the p*rnographers’ posts harder to find. We love their ingenuity and willingness to take action, but it’s clear that we need to talk with our kids about this sad reality and what to do if they come across it. (Instagram has since deactivated some hashtags, but that just means new ones will be used.)   2. Danger on Discord What it is: Fre

The year is wrapped, put under the tree, pulled out, and unwrapped again -- time to reflect, and look back on the biggest cultural developments for teens in 2018.  Today, we go through the top 10 of 2018 and look forward into 2019. It's a fun, action packed episode today as we try to sum up an entire year!  PS - There's a bit of fun discussion about New Year's Resolutions and what can be learned from them. We wish you a belated but Happy New Year and encouragement with your goals and resolutions.  May your family thrive and adversity be met with patience, grace, and love this year.  In Christ, the Axis team. 

Axis challenges parents, leaders, and teens to think critically about the culture and their faith - and the way the two interact with one another.  We tackle 3 or 4 big cultural moments that happen within the week and publish a translation for those who don't live in teen culture every moment - because teens speak a different language and live in a different world, am I right?  Let this week's translation and discussion on Lauren Daigle and homosexuality, major developments for content creation on Youtube (site where users spend the most internet time, hands down), and how to discuss/rationalize doubts and subjective truth with "Biblical truth" in an empathetic way that loves the other.  Love the idea of "culture translation??" Subscribe to the podcast - we would love to give you weekly updated like this one with the occasional focused series. Look for the 3 pt. "Shame" series... You can get the "print" version of The Culture Translator in your inbox, instantly, every Friday by subscribing to the email.  

**Subscribe and leave a comment about your experience with Advent. Were you raised talking about it, just hearing of it now, or was a weird thing someone tried to introduce you to with candles and wreaths?    1. Social Media Is...Good? What it is: New stats from Pew reveal that the overwhelming consensus among US teens ages 13-17 is that social media is a largely positive force in their lives, though they’re willing to acknowledge some of its drawbacks. Why it's interesting: 81% of teens agreed that “social media makes them feel more connected to what’s going on in their friends’ lives,” while only 43% said they feel pressure to post content that makes them look good. So case closed. Let them have free reign! …..Or not. Pew’s research contradicts a recent studyfrom the UK that found that only YouTube had a net positive effect on teens’ mental health (Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram had net negative effects). This could indicate that UK teens are less healthy...or that they’re more willing to be hon

It was a brief week for culture translation, and we have a quick conversation about the difference between "thanks" and "gratefulness" this week.  The big highlight, of course, is that WE'RE HIRING!!!  Our Apprenticeship Program is designed to expose young adults to public speaking situations, non-profit-ministry-related responsibilities, student mentorship interactions, and team-centric ministry. We’re looking for people who have completed at least two years of college credit and are passionate about discipling teens and resourcing adults. If you know anyone in your community who may be interested, send them to apply.axis.org for more info and shoot any questions to apprenticeship@axis.org WE LOVE applications. Well over 50% of our staff have joined full-time because of their experience as part of our live teams. Almost every speaker heard on the podcast is one of those people, and I, myself (Matt) traveled and spoke with Axis after taking this Apprenticeship for almost 2 years! 

This week's episode focuses on how to talk about race, stories and the way the move us, even foster families. It's great. Many thanks to Lexi for being a "mom" for our teams and her insights. 

If you've listened to #1 and #2 in this mini-series, you have notes on AMAZING resources to help along the way with shame.  This episode focuses on how we apply our relationship with Christ to the concept and existence of shame in our lives and our teen's world.  Enjoy.  If you want more episodes like this in between regular issues of the Culture Translator Podcast, subscribe and let us know what topics you want to see!  Get the newsletter: https://axis.org/ct/  

1. Zion Williamson is taking Duke and college basketball by storm, and thanks to 1.9 million Insta followers and a huge Youtube presence your Gen Z-ers probably already know him.  2. Arianna's new song that covers breakups and relational history without being savage...interesting...it shows a growth mindset and strong self-reliance... 3. Churchome Global is the new app that claims to give you church on your phone. Nothing new here, but it's one of the biggest to make this jump and will strongly go for the modern parent and hipster crowd.  4. (excerpt from  https://axis.org/vol-4-issue-45/) Kristallnacht Motivated by governmental lies, the fear of outsiders, and militant nationalism, 80 years ago todayordinary men and women participated in a sudden and deadly campaign of terrorism, killing 100 Jews and destroying 7,500 Jewish businesses. Kristallnacht or “Night of Broken Glass” foreshadowed the legal and state-sanctioned annihilation of European Jewry. In 1930s Germany, “Racial hatred and hysteria seemed to ha

Subscribe to the show and leave a comment. Do you like little mini-series like this focusing on a specific idea with the "culture translation" perspective applied?  Get the full Parent's Guide to Shame-Free Parenting from Axis. Extra links and resources:  Craving Grace, Ruthie Delk “Shame and Vulnerability,” The Work of the People Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Carol Dweck The Allender Center Brené Brown’s website (especially her videos) Subscribe to The Culture Translator newsletter.

Jess is a writer for Axis, and we'll list the resources we've found on shame throughout these episodes.  Get the full "Parent's Guide to Shame-Free Parenting" In this episode:   - What is shame? A definition by application and with every-day language.   - Where does it come from?  - Why does it matter?   - Why is it so ubiquitous and universal?  "Shame is different from other emotions, in that, I don't have to do anything to experience shame."  Resources:  Parent Guide table of contents that guide the podcast conversation.  Andrew Bauman, article - "When Shame is Deeper than Salvation" Dan Allender - The Wounded Heart: Hope for Adult Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse Dan Allender - "The Healing Path: How the Hurts in Your Past Can Lead You to a More Abundant Life"