Kids + Summer = Movies

Joel Mayward (a blogger I read regularly) had a guest post yesterday on Josh Griffin’s “More Than Dodgeball” (another regular read). I wanted to share the link here because I think Joel does a great job of summing up how movies can be a powerful jumping-off point for spiritual discussions with your students.

Jesus Goes to the Movies
I love movies. As in, I’ve watched 85 films already this year, which averages to around 3 a week, if my math is correct. Some might call me a movie snob; I prefer the term “cinephile.” While one could argue that film is a big waste of time and money, I believe filmmakers are theologians of sorts. They tell us stories that both reflect and shape our cultural values, including our views of humanity and God. The movie theater becomes a sanctuary, a 2-hour respite from the summer heat and boredom. In the youth ministry world, movie theaters – alongside malls – become the centers of summer activity for many of our students.

Read the entire post on “More Than Dodgeball” here.

This was a great reminder to me on the power of movies in students’ lives; and our responsibility to help them process what they take in. It pretty much sums up the reasons we’ve worked hard in the past (and will continue) to develop movie resources for student ministry.