Youth workers must navigate the competing demands of students, parents, churches and schools. We are given “guest passes” to walk the practice fields, halls and hangouts of teenagers. What if any on...

How to measure a movie’s impact? Box office receipts determine popularity, but attendance does not always equal enduring impact. Surely, youth ministry is more than a numbers game. Making disciples is a p...

Moments of crisis sear our national consciousness. From assassinations to natural disasters, each generation recalls defining events. We remember where we were and who we were with at such shocking moments.Arti...

Movies remain a cheap and easy way to relieve stress. Two hours in the dark watching a superhero fight crime or a ferocious mother resist aliens somehow restores our sense of perspective. Laughter also remains ...

Film Review: Gran Torino ...

Multicultural ministry requires us to consider the unique background and need of each adolescent. Jesus responds to the people with remarkable particularity. Good news might include seeing for one, living water...

How tough it is to find good movies for young women! Reel girls are often relegated to secondary status as girlfriends or sidekicks for the action heroes. Beyond super-heroines like Lara Croft and Electra, wher...

Summer is a season of kicking back and enjoying the sun and the sand. So how should teens pass the lazy days of summer? Some youth workers may seek an alternative to mindless popcorn films. Smaller, independe...

Movies may have been my first love, but as I emerged from Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull, I was catapulted toward a different kind of obsession.Robert DeNiro’s haunting portrait of boxing champ Jake ...

Some teens embrace the challenge of adulthood. Others cling to a childlike irresponsibility. How do adolescents attain maturity? Although often surrounded by wealth, cinematic teens remain eager to leave home, ...