Crossroads
Youth
Raising up the Next generation to impact
our families, city, and world for Jesus.
our families, city, and world for Jesus.
FIRST CHURCH YOUTH
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Our mission is to reach the youth today develop an authentic relationship with Christ by knowing, experiencing, studying, and sharing God with their world to affect the kingdom tomorrow. And our vision is for every one of our youth to be:
POSITIVE that God loves them and that He has a good plan and purpose for their lives PERSUADED that God’s way really is the best way PASSIONATE for Jesus Christ, for His church, for the needy, and for the lost PREPARED for life, for relationships, for service, and for leadership |
CROSSROADS YG MEET TIMEThe Crossroads YG meets on a regular schedule for fun, faith, and fellowship. If you are in High School, feel free to drop by and join us as we celebrate what God has done for us through a variety of activities, events, and service projects.
We meet on the First and Third Friday nights of each month from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm |
PARENTS GUIDE TO TIKTOK
Parenting tweens and teens is not for the faint of heart. Let's face it - our kids are growing up in a world that is vastly different than the one you and I grew up in. My boys shake their heads in disbelief when I remind them that I didn't have a cell phone until I was 20! Easy accessibility plus content relentlessly flooding our kids' lives makes for a parenting journey that can feel like a battlefield at times. And if you are like me, you sometimes feel like you are marching towards the line without a map of any kind.
Meet Marisa. Marisa is Axis' social media guru and mom of teenagers herself! We asked her to answer the burning question...
What is the one platform that every parent needs to have the best understanding of?
TikTok.
I truly believe TikTok has a form of digital nicotine in its algorithm. It can be addicting. It can also be a really cool, creative outlet. When I watch some videos on TikTok, I find myself thinking, “How did they think of that?” and ”How did they do that?” Some teens and young adults really get creative and get to showcase their talents and humor on the platform. On the other hand, TikTok can be scary as a parent.
The TikTok algorithm is one of the most sophisticated algorithms of our time and provides personalized content recommendations for each user. It decides which videos a user might like based on their individual interests and displays them on the user’s "For You" page. This sounds like every other social media platform, but TikTok laser focuses on how long you hover, rewatch, or sit still on a video, and from there it hyper analyzes and rabbit holes you.
For example - let’s say your teen is having a rough day and watches a TikTok about someone who is struggling that day and contains sad content. Then they like the video. TikTok’s algorithm goes “hmmm...she liked this, let me show her more like this.” Soon your teen is seeing 80% of their "For You" page filled with videos talking about depression, mental health, and potentially discouraging Debbie Downer videos.
It’s imperative that parents stay in-the-know about the latest TikTok trends and know social media algorithms at a high level so that we, as trusted adults, can have informed conversations with our teens. I believe teens, being teens, unintentionally take advantage of the fact their little old parents don’t understand how social media works and get exposed to and away with more. And that’s where the trouble starts. TikTok and all social media can be a great outlet for teens to connect with friends and watch some fun content creators, but like with all things, is only healthy with careful balance.
Meet Marisa. Marisa is Axis' social media guru and mom of teenagers herself! We asked her to answer the burning question...
What is the one platform that every parent needs to have the best understanding of?
TikTok.
I truly believe TikTok has a form of digital nicotine in its algorithm. It can be addicting. It can also be a really cool, creative outlet. When I watch some videos on TikTok, I find myself thinking, “How did they think of that?” and ”How did they do that?” Some teens and young adults really get creative and get to showcase their talents and humor on the platform. On the other hand, TikTok can be scary as a parent.
The TikTok algorithm is one of the most sophisticated algorithms of our time and provides personalized content recommendations for each user. It decides which videos a user might like based on their individual interests and displays them on the user’s "For You" page. This sounds like every other social media platform, but TikTok laser focuses on how long you hover, rewatch, or sit still on a video, and from there it hyper analyzes and rabbit holes you.
For example - let’s say your teen is having a rough day and watches a TikTok about someone who is struggling that day and contains sad content. Then they like the video. TikTok’s algorithm goes “hmmm...she liked this, let me show her more like this.” Soon your teen is seeing 80% of their "For You" page filled with videos talking about depression, mental health, and potentially discouraging Debbie Downer videos.
It’s imperative that parents stay in-the-know about the latest TikTok trends and know social media algorithms at a high level so that we, as trusted adults, can have informed conversations with our teens. I believe teens, being teens, unintentionally take advantage of the fact their little old parents don’t understand how social media works and get exposed to and away with more. And that’s where the trouble starts. TikTok and all social media can be a great outlet for teens to connect with friends and watch some fun content creators, but like with all things, is only healthy with careful balance.
PARENTS GUIDE TO VIOLENCE
Today we are going to tackle a tough subject together -- one that has become heavy on the hearts of all of us in America as we have watched horrors unfold on national television. If you are like me, on the afternoon of May 24th, you clutched your children tightly as tears rolled down your cheeks. How could this happen to our children? In the "safety" of their schools? Again? Literally every parent's worst nightmare.
I have no words but those of extreme empathy and love for all those moms and dads who are walking through these dark days in Texas. But to be honest, I also have feelings of confusion, fear, and anger. Why is our youth facing so much violence in their tiny worlds today? What kind of long-lasting effects is this reality going to have?
In a violent world, it’s hard to avoid the topic. For teens, who already have big emotions, violence is an even harder concept to grasp, and they often find themselves caught up in its repercussions.
The Bible tells us that God is good. Exodus 34:6 says, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.” Still, it can be hard to believe that, especially when violent events seem to happen every day.
A huge piece of talking about violence is not talking; it’s listening. Violence has an emotional impact. Violence is horrible, and the emotions it carries with it are difficult to shoulder. Your teen may be in pain, and the best thing to do for someone who’s in pain is to listen. No matter what political or personal opinions you hold about something, a teen who’s feeling overwhelmed by the pain an event has caused isn’t likely to be in a position to hear them. So be the listening ear they need, and tell them you understand why they’re feeling the way they feel.
START THE CONVERSATION
I have no words but those of extreme empathy and love for all those moms and dads who are walking through these dark days in Texas. But to be honest, I also have feelings of confusion, fear, and anger. Why is our youth facing so much violence in their tiny worlds today? What kind of long-lasting effects is this reality going to have?
In a violent world, it’s hard to avoid the topic. For teens, who already have big emotions, violence is an even harder concept to grasp, and they often find themselves caught up in its repercussions.
The Bible tells us that God is good. Exodus 34:6 says, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.” Still, it can be hard to believe that, especially when violent events seem to happen every day.
A huge piece of talking about violence is not talking; it’s listening. Violence has an emotional impact. Violence is horrible, and the emotions it carries with it are difficult to shoulder. Your teen may be in pain, and the best thing to do for someone who’s in pain is to listen. No matter what political or personal opinions you hold about something, a teen who’s feeling overwhelmed by the pain an event has caused isn’t likely to be in a position to hear them. So be the listening ear they need, and tell them you understand why they’re feeling the way they feel.
START THE CONVERSATION
- Less talking and more listening. Our kids have a lot to say about their observations, feelings, and fears about what they are seeing and hearing. Ask leading questions and let them talk through their feelings.
- Validate those strong emotions. There is no doubt that our kids (who already have BIG emotions going on right now! 🙈) will feel intense feelings about their world. Don't undervalue how they feel.
- Turn their passion into purpose. Our kids are not too young to make a remarkable difference in this hurting world. And we, as parents, can be lucky enough to have a front-row seat.
- Invite our God into our unrest. These moments are great opportunities for our teens to learn about who God is and what He thinks about our fears, feelings, and frustrations.
SO THAT ALL PEOPLE WILL EXPERIENCE THE LOVE OF CHRIST