While regular times of solitude and prayer are vital to spiritual growth, you may also want to consider an annual overnight or weekend alone. A quick look at Jesus' ministry demonstrates how He consistently spent extra times of solitude right before major events. Why not set apart some quiet space right before the fall activities begin or the summer mission trip to prepare spiritually for what lies ahead?

As important as solitude is, it's not the only way to find space. Long ago, God gave us a tool to help us carve out a weekly time of rest. Unfortunately, most of us routinely minimize the need to keep the Sabbath. By creating a "Technology Sabbath," we may be able to guard this precious time more intentionally. Why not put the computer and the iPhone away for one 24-hour period a week? Seriously, what is it that we actually gain by spending our Sabbath, our day of rest, checking e-mails and reading Facebook profiles? The ancient Jews understood how the Sabbath was not only a personally restoring day of rest, but also a way to be humble before a mighty God, acknowledging an inability to meet every need simply by working hard. We could learn something of humility and dependence by powering off for one day a week.

A final way to disconnect is to consider a "Technology Fast." I routinely require my college students to participate in a Facebook fast in the classes I teach. I can't say they appreciate the assignment, but they always come up with unanticipated insights. Many say they never realized how much time they actually spend Facebooking. While it was hard to get used to not flipping to Facebook between every task, they often report finishing their homework in half the time and actually having more time to hang out with their friends. Others find that once they told their friends they aren't going to check Facebook for a few days, their friends started connecting in other ways that were more enjoyable. Many feel more focused and less stressed without the constant updates. By the end, most Facebook fasters vow to use Facebook less frequently and more intentionally.

While it is easy for me to shake my head at the attachment my students have to their technology, I'm not much better. When I decided to give up television for a week, I was a mess. It didn't take long for me to become painfully aware of how little time I actually talked to my kids. I had so much extra time on my hands that I ended up doing more reading and game playing and actually felt more energetic each night before I went to bed. When my fast was done, I was acutely aware of the choices I needed to make in order to de-clutter and re-focus my life. The bottom line is that disciplines such as fasting, solitude and keeping the Sabbath can add clarity and peace to our high-velocity, technology-saturated lives.

Sharing the Discipline

As important as it is for us to consider these endangered disciplines, it is more important for our kids. Let's face it: It is hard for most young people—who have been raised in a hyper-connected, over-stimulated world—to see the value of things such as silence and disconnection. Most of them don't even realize they have a choice.

That's where we can help. Almost every group I have talked with has said it is a lot easier to practice these disciplines when we have other people hold us accountable. For example, some groups come together and agree to keep Facebook-free Sundays. Other groups organize technology fasts and agree to give up things such as video games, text messaging or listening to music. By challenging our students to disconnect, then brainstorming what could be given up, how long it should last and how people can keep each other accountable, students can begin to experience the focus and clarity that comes from taking time to unplug from their noisy world.

Disconnection has a time and place—for our students and us. It is important that we don't rush by spiritual disciplines that have so much to offer. Whether spending time in silence or organizing a youth group Facebook fast, it is never too late to disconnect from the noise in our lives and reconnect with the God who created the connections in the first place.