“Chewie, we’re home!”

Star Wars. It broke Fandango. The Twitter/Instagram/Facebook worlds were filled with photos and posts about it. Even my 25-year-old houseguest proudly sleeps in Star Wars pajamas! No bout adoubt it, Star Wars is a cultural phenomenon.

Yes, I’m old enough to have been there when the first movie (which is actually the third movie, right? I could be wrong about that.) was in theaters. I was enthralled when I first saw it. And when I saw it again. And again.

Those of us lucky enough to hang around teenagers a lot MUST be aware of cultural phenomenon like this. We can’t afford to be seen as hopelessly out of touch with what is happening. If we don’t at least acknowledge they’re happening, we lose cred with the kids.

The youth leaders who know how to use these kinds of things to further their ministry with teenagers are the savvy ones.

Some youth leaders try too hard. For instance, one guy used a television show he loved as the basis for a series of messages. Problem was, the kids weren’t really all that into the show, so a lot of the tie-ins fell flat.

This Star Wars thing is big, and yet I’m not going to make a huge deal out of it right away. I need to find out how much of the mania is caused by Baby Boomers (who are thrilled with the prospect of seeing Chewie and Hans Solo on the screen again), and how much is from my teenaged friends. I also need to see if it’s a couple-of-days thing, or something with a bit more staying power.

For SURE I’ll make mention of it, and use it to initiate some discussion with the young people I’m around.

How will YOU take advantage of this opportunity? Leave a comment below!