Welcome to the 'Connectors' Section

What are 'connectors'? Well, they're basically 'God-slots' for your youth groups and clubs. These are short snippets (aimed at being 2-3 minutes) that are thoughts, ideas, connectors to God. They're like mini-assemblies, or like quiet-times for those who don't know Jesus. We've done a few and tried to cover a range of issues. As ever, keep checking back as these will be added to over time. And please feedback and let us know what you think as this section is under development to see how it works..!

Exercise

What do you do when you get home? Do you work-out, play sport and keep active? Or do you crash out and watch TV, surf the net, go on Facebook or similar? Did you know that the average age life expectancy of your age group is lower than that of your youth leaders? Some people will live less time, often because they don't exercise.

A big survey by the American Medical Association between 2000-2006 showed that as young people get older, they do less and less exercise. They found that 90 percent of 9-year-olds get a couple of hours of exercise most days, but fewer than 3 percent of 15-year-olds do more than 2 hours exercise a day. How much exercise do you do? Did you know that the more you do exercise, the more energy you have, the more healthy you are, the more happy you are!

God really cares for his creation, you and me. When he made man and woman, he looked at them and said, 'they are amazing, they are perfect, what a masterpiece. They are the pinnacle, the top, the best thing I've made.' In another part of the Bible, God says that your body is like a palace, like a temple. He says that you are made in his image and God is perfect. That's why he looked down on his creation and said, 'that is good, in fact it's perfect.'

(1 Corinthians 6.19-20, The Message) "Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works."

So think about what you eat. And remember that if you eat well, exercise more, treat your body well - you'll spend less time in hospital, have more energy and enjoy life more :)

Plastic Surgery | Top of page

Plastic surgery is on the rise in the USA. It does happen in places like the UK and Europe, but nothing like compared to the USA. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, over 333,000 people 18 years and younger had plastic surgery in 2005, up from about 306,000 in 2000. Unfortunately in March 2008, a very popular 18 year-old died in the States after going for plastic surgery.

In China, girls as young as 13 are also having plastic surgery. Generally girls requested double eyelids, breast enlargements and liposuction. But for young girls, plastic surgery is not a good idea. Many experts say that because they are under 18 they are still growing and their body isn't formed properly - so plastic surgery is not advisable.

An expert on youth problems from China said that beauty is not just apparent in a person's appearance, but that confidence and accomplishments are what make them truly attractive. For many people, having plastic surgery comes from low self-esteem, but plastic surgery will never correct that. Feeling great about yourself can never comes from clothes, music, how you look, plastic surgery or anything else.

God has loads to say on self-esteem and the value of young people. He tells us first that we can have the best life, an amazing life now - if we follow him. Some people think following Jesus means being weird and losing your personality. But that's so wrong, such messed up thinking.. Jesus says this (John 10.10, Message) - "A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy (his name is Satan, the evil one). I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life (now) than they ever dreamed of." So many things mess with our head, take away what God wants to give us. All the stuff you think makes you happy will only make you more unhappy. So many stars go home and cry, or try to take their own lives because their life doesn't really have any meaning. You were put here to live, to love and make a difference. God wants you to have that life. If you feel low about yourself, know this: Jesus died for you. You may pay £1000 for something you want. But Jesus gave his life.. just... for... you.

Being Liked | Top of page

We all know that people around us who are popular do well socially - having lots of mates. You know that from school or college. If you've watched any teen movies or high school movie, you'll know that there are always popular students. Some people are liked, others aren't always so popular. I wonder how you see yourself around others at school? Are you popular, or are you the kind of person who keeps themselves to themselves. They say that there are 2 types of people. One type likes to have lots of friends but isn't so close to them. The other type of person has fewer, but more meaningful friends.

A study found that teenagers who feel good about themselves and are comfortable with their peers can also be socially successful without being popular in the traditional sense. The study basically says if you feel good around yourself and others, you can do well - no matter how well 'liked' people think you are! Researchers at the University of Virginia studied 164 students from many different backgrounds. The teens were interviewed at age 13 and then again at 14. They found that thinking you are liked is as important as actually being liked!

There was this one guy who was hated. I mean, he was hated. He worked for the inland revenue and took people's money. Only thing being that he was playing dirty and nicking stuff from them on the side. He robbed them for more money than they owed but he got away with it because he was protected. But he was lonely, confused and was desperate to make friends. One day he found someone who accepted him and believed in him. This person came round for food, chilled out with some mates, made friends with the tax man and changed his life. He gave back everyone's money he'd nicked and even paid them back more. The tax man went on to help make a difference, change people's lives and see amazing things happen. His name was Matthew. The man who changed his life was Jesus. He changed Matthew and no matter what you or anyone else thinks of you, Jesus loves you and can open up your life too.

Depression | Top of page

A survey in the US in 2006 of youths aged 12 to 17 revealed that 48.3 percent of adolescents had what they called 'major depressive episodes.' They said that this limited their ability to function in at least one of four major areas of their everyday lives (home life, school/work, family relationships, and social life). On average, they were unable to carry out normal activities on an average of 58.4 days in the past year. About 2.1 million teens aged 12 to 17 experienced a major depressive episode in the year. For almost half of the teens, depression drastically reduced their abilities to deal with aspects of their daily lives. Overall, 8.5 percent of adolescents (1 in 12) experienced a major depressive episode. There were striking differences by gender, with 12.7 percent of females and 4.6 percent of males reporting the conditions.

Wow. So around half of US teenagers had really bad feelings of depression. Many young people in Britain also find themselves feeling depressed, for so many reasons. Sometimes, we don't even know why we're feeling depressed! Other times, we feel depressed one minute and OK the next. Some of this may be to do with hormones and growing up, but other times it's much deeper. So many people fight with issues they shouldn't have to deal with: rejection, fear, lack of warmth, no-one to really love them, sometimes poverty so that there's nothing to eat or drink, family break up, people hurting them, abuse, bullying, being told you're not good enough, being ignored, feeling worthless..

There is a story in the Bible of a bloke called Peter. He'd been part of a gang, but the leader of the gang had been grassed up by one of the members and the authorities had arrested him, they wanted to kill him. Peter had wanted to get rowdy with the authorities but the gang leader stopped him. Then, even worse, Peter had denied he even knew the gang leader and said he wasn't part of the gang. He was a coward and felt gutted, depressed, full of tears and sad like there was no way back. But later, something amazing happened. Peter saw the gang leader and was so happy the leader was alive. The leader, Jesus, let the matter drop but made sure Peter knew that they were still tight and close. Peter was lifted from a place of total depression and went on to be one of the main men in the whole outfit who called themselves the disciples. Jesus can lift you out of whatever depression or pit you're in and set you right.

Coffee and Energy Drinks | Top of page

Did you know that some people don't drink coffee, because it contains caffeine, which stimulates the brain. They think that it's wrong. But most of us like coffee, or energy drinks that contain loads of caffeine in! One of the big energy drinks that everyone knows is Red Bull. This has a caffeine content of 9.64 milligrams per ounce. To give you a comparison, coca cola has 2.88 milligrams per ounce, instant coffee has 7.13 milligrams per ounce and a grande cappuccino at Starbucks has 9.38 milligrams per ounce. Tea is at 5.88 mg/oz.

The National Coffee Association in America reported that teens and young adults are one of the fastest-growing groups in drinking coffee. In 2001, only 24 percent of people 18 to 24 years old drank coffee. In 2007, it was 37 percent.
Coffee businesses such as Starbucks also report an increase in younger customers frequenting their stores, with 13 percent of their total visitors younger than 18. The young customers often buy drinks such as the frozen milkshake-like "Frappuccino".

Super-caffeinated energy drinks like Red Bull have increased in popularity in the past decade. About a third of 12 to 24 year-olds say they regularly drink energy drinks, which account for more than $3 billion in annual sales in the United States. The trend has been the source of growing concern among health researchers and school officials. The drinks have been linked with reports of nausea, abnormal heart rhythms and emergency room visits. Plus lots more risk taking.

Lots of us go out and have a coffee, or a hot chocolate or even a cup of tea! Many of us drink energy drinks too. Of course, there's nothing wrong with doing this and no-one is trying to scare anyone - it'll only make you drink them more, right?! But God cares about you, cares about what you put in your body. Just think: you may pay £1-£4 for a drink that someone creates, but God made you so amazingly perfect (you may not feel it), that he paid the price of giving his life for you. And just remember, your £1 on a drink could help someone in need somewhere else in the world.

Growing up too fast | Top of page

Do you reckon kids these days are growing up too fast? Do children you know wear more make-up, play less, want more stuff at an earlier age - than you did? Do you see this, or see it when you watch Eastenders or other soaps? Many people say that kids are growing up too fast and this is affecting their whole life. As you become a teen, the gap with adults is getting less as teens copy adults (this is called "teen-adults"), meanwhile us adults continue to try to make ourselves look younger!

Child health experts reckon children today are growing up too fast and acting like adults at a very early age, putting pressure on children to grow up early in a consumer society that keeps telling them and us that we need stuff or we won't be happy or accepted. "In the process, children are being robbed of their childhoods and innocence," said an expert, Dr Powell.

A British study of primary education last year said that 3.5 million children in the United Kingdom were affected by a worrying "loss of childhood". Adolescence is also naturally occurring much earlier, it said. Factors often blamed for the rise of "teen-adults" included television, the internet, absentee and lenient parents, ugly divorces, terminal illnesses, sexual and social abuse and peer pressure. "It is a world-wide trend and parents are often only taking minimal responsibility for proper care of their children," Dr Powell said. "They easily blame it all on work, financial commitments and contemporary lifestyles."

So, do you think you're growing up too fast? Does it matter? Do you even care? Does God care about you? Well, we know that Jesus is passionate about children and wants the very best for them. He hates to see orphans, starving kids and any kind of abuse. He's put it in the hearts of many Christians to take care of the vulnerable. We know that children felt comfortable around Jesus and that the Bible says he defends them. Know that God is looking out for you today, no matter how old you are and no matter where you're at. He'll help you grow and enjoy life if you ask him into your life.

Internet | Top of page

How often do you use the internet, if you have it? A recent survey of parents said they thought their children were online for 2 hours a week. When they asked the young people, they found it was actually 20 hours a week! Gen Digital did a survey of young people's internet habits..

• 35% say they “make friends” online. (That percentage increases the older they get.)
• 76% visit social-networking sites (Facebook, MySpace, and Bebo).
• 35% of students claimed to be shopping while connected.
• 42% of them admitted receiving an online request for personal information.
• More research just came out of GenDigital’s recent study of teens’ online lives.
• A whopping 93% of teens use the Internet.
• 55% of that group has a profile on Facebook and/or MySpace.
• AddictingGames.com is quickly becoming the leading “casual gaming site” for all youth.
• Only 16% of teens use email, compared to the prolific use of it by adults. Instead, young people prefer texting.

Internet use is great. Obviously we know there are loads of good sites and loads of negative stuff out there, and some messed up people. But we want to look at addiction. Too much of something is bad, but when we spend ages doing something, it's called an addiction - something we 'need'. If you couldn't use the internet for a day, or a week, or a month (!!) do you think could you survive?! If not, then it may be because the internet is playing too big a part in your life! It can also make us selfish and narrow our life so we don't do different things - staying locked away in a room and not getting to know real people in real life situations.

God said that he came to give us an amazing life. It may be fun kicking back playing internet games, or messaging other people on facebook, bebo, myspace or IMVU.. But why not do something new today? Why not try something you've never done? The more you do, the more interesting people will find you, the more friends you can make, the more enjoyable life will become. If you want to live the amazing life God has for you, ask him today to show you he's real and show you the amazing life he has for you.

Eating Disorders | Top of page

A study found that younger children are increasingly being diagnosed with eating disorders like anorexia. Anorexia is defined by medterms.com as "An eating disorder characterized by markedly reduced appetite or total aversion to food. Anorexia is a serious psychological disorder. It is a condition that goes well beyond out-of-control dieting."

Dr Sloane Madden, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Sydney's Westmead Children's Hospital, Australia, studied children under 13 years old with eating disorders. She found children as young as eight to eleven years old were being diagnosed with anorexia, with many ending up in hospital. She said, "At least 50 per cent of the children had severe complications from their starvation. They were unable to maintain a normal heart rate or blood pressure or temperature, to the point that these children were at risk of dying from the complication of their eating disorder."

At least 1 out of every 10 women will have experienced an eating disorder (like anorexia, bulimia, binge eating) at some time in their lives. Around 10% of those with an eating disorder are men. If you think you have a problem and that this carries on regularly for over 3 months, then you need to tell someone. No-one will judge you or diss you, but will speak to you and help you find out why this is happening - and help to find an answer.

The truth is that the Bible doesn't exactly speak about anorexia or bulimia. Mind you, it doesn't talk about lots of things. But what it does do is gives you loads of practical advice about life and love, and give you direction in every area of life. So what does God think of eating disorders? Well, we know that God loves you and me. Christians believe God created humans and made them in his image, made us to be like him in many ways. So we know that God's best is that we look after our bodies and know how valuable we are.

"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." (Romans 12.1-2, The Message)

Self-harm | Top of page

According to a study in the US, nearly half a million people were treated in emergency rooms for self-inflicted wounds in 2005. More of them were teenagers than any other age group. It's a way of asking for help without actually doing something too harmful. Self-injury is the act of deliberately destroying body tissue – at times to change a way of feeling. It can include: carving, scratching, branding, burning, cutting, excess tattooing

Reasons for self-harm can include: loss of a loved one, physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, bullying, neglect from one or both parents, physical illness or disability, relationship problems.

If someone you know is self-harming, it is important to talk to then about respecting and valuing their body. If you are self-harming these are also the kinds of things you need to know from some expert advice: find a way to accept reality of your life and find ways to help make what is happening in life easier; identify your feelings and talk them out rather than acting on them in a bad way; distract yourself from feelings of self-harm (counting to 10, waiting 15 minutes, saying “NO!” or “STOP!,” practicing breathing exercises, journaling, drawing, thinking about positive images, using ice and rubber bands, etc.). Stop, think and evaluate the good and bad side of self-injury; soothe or re-assure yourself in a positive, non-injuring way; think about ways of managing your stress and help develop better social skills. It can take time and lots of talking too. So don't be afraid to open up, please.

That is what the experts tell us. And they're right. But sometimes we wonder why we do things, wonder why we feel certain things. What is going on deep down? What is on the inside of us making us feel these ways? Well, we know that often there is a medical problem, or a chemical imbalance in the body. This can be sorted out and usually isn't anyone's fault. But deeper than that, there is a truth that Christians believe. Christians believe that there is an enemy, intent on destroying us and this world. His name is Satan and he is an evil destroyer of lives. He wants to rob, kill, destroy, break you because you are made in the image of God. But Christians believe that Jesus came to the world, died and rose again and that he broke the power of Satan. Instead, Jesus came to give us life now and an everlasting life in the future. That is why Christians are passionate about Jesus, about telling you about him, and believe he is the way, the solution to all your problems in life.

Illegal Downloads | Top of page

According to a massive survey of young people and the music they own, teenagers and students have an average of more than 800 illegally copied songs each on their digital music players! Half of 14 to 24-year-olds were happy to share all the music on their hard drive, enabling others to copy hundreds, or thousands, of songs at any one time.

Although to the University of Hertfordshire survey, illegal copying has become widespread and has surprised the music surprised. On average every iPod or digital music player contained 842 illegally copied songs. Fergal Sharkey, former lead singer of the Undertones and now chief executive of British Music Rights, said: “I was one of those people who went around the back of the bike shed with songs I had taped off the radio the night before. But this totally dwarfs that, and anything we expected.”

The average digital music player carries 1,770 songs, meaning that 48 per cent of the collection is copied illegally. The proportion of illegally downloaded tracks rises to 61 per cent among 14 to 17-year-olds. 14 per cent of CDs (one in seven) in a young person's collection are copied. Illegal copying in some form is undertaken by 96 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds surveyed, falling to 89 per cent of those aged 14-17. Nearly two thirds copy CDs from friends, and similar amounts of teenagers share songs by bluetooth, e-mail and copy all the music held on another person's hard drive, acquiring up to 10,000 songs in one go.

If I robbed you on the street and took your mp3 player, you would call me a mugger. If I walked out of HMV with a bag full of CDs, you'd call me a thief. If I stopped your car at a red light, dragged you out and drove off with it, you'd call me a carjacker. If I hacked your wireless internet, you'd accuse me of piggybacking and stealing. But so many think it's OK to steal mp3s, send songs by bluetooth to each other's phones and rip CDs for each other. It's still stealing. You know what it means? It means some of your favourite artists go out of business, it means your mp3 player costs more, it means insurance and other prices go up and you have less cash, it means people don't trust each other, it means more security and ultimately less freedom. So today, do yourself a favour and do what the Bible says and don't steal.

Friends | Top of page

There’s some research that says one of the best indicators of how well adjusted kids become as adults is not based on IQ or grades in school, but good friendships. Often, our biggest worry is having friends. This carries on through life too, we all worry about having friends! It’s not popularity, but learning to make friends that counts. By school age, a child needs at least one close friend, experts say.

“I think that most people in this school want to have friends but they don’t know how to do it right,” says 11-year-old Johnathon. “If a child doesn’t have one close friend, it’s important for parents to try to set up situations for them to meet other children who might have similar interests to try to develop those relationships,” advises an expert. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry says when teens begin to feel isolated and stressed out, it can lead to anxiety, withdrawal, aggression, physical illness and drug or alcohol abuse. 

Kids without friends are at risk for lots of problems ranging from poor grades to depression, bullying, and drug abuse.
Experts say don’t underestimate the harm of isolation. Fourteen-year-old Erica can tell you why: “Sometimes when you feel isolated and you feel like you should just be off this world. Just die.”

To help remain healthy: think about yourself (or your friend) and whether stress is affecting their health, behavior, thoughts or feelings. Listen and look out for your friends (or ask someone to look out for you) and watch for “overloading.” Learn and model stress-management skills. Support involvement in sports and positive social activities.

In the Bible (John 15.15), Jesus says, "I have called you friends.." Even if you feel that you've messed up, Jesus calls himself your friend and wants to be even more friendly with you. He hung out with all kinds of people, believed in them and let them know they were loved and could turn their lives around with his help. He says the same to you today.

Binge Drinking | Top of page

Robert Margolis, a clinical psychologist said, “There’s this idea that drinking, getting drunk, being a part of a group … is somehow a part of our growing up, and everybody’s going to do it.” Binge drinking is increasingly common among adults and teenagers. “I drank a liter of tequila in an hour, and I went to this pizza place, and I passed out in the parking lot. I woke up the next morning,” said a 22-year-old college student. This kind of experience is common as we know!

Reasons for binge drinking include: to get drunk, drinking being seen as cool, the culture of drinking in schools, peer pressure and stress. Binge drinkers are 21 times more likely to miss class, fall behind in schoolwork, damage property, injure themselves, engage in unplanned and/or unprotected sex and get in trouble with the police. Young people who binge drink risk serious damage to their brains now and increasing memory loss later in adulthood.

Here are some US stats.. The average girl takes her first sip of alcohol at age 13. The average boy takes his first sip of alcohol at age 11. Underage drinking causes over $53 billion in criminal, social and health problems. 77% of young drinkers get their drink at home, with or without permission. 1,400 students will die of alcohol-related causes this year. An additional 500,000 will suffer injuries.

In the UK (according to the NHS), in 2006, 21 per cent of pupils in England aged 11-15 reported drinking alcohol in the week. Since 2001, the proportion of pupils who have never drunk alcohol has risen; in 2006, 46 per cent of pupils said they had never had a proper alcoholic drink, compared to 39 per cent in 2001. The study found pupils who had drunk alcohol in the week saw the average weekly consumption almost doubled from 5.3 units in 1990 to 10.4 units in 2000. Consumption among children aged 11-13 has continued to increase, from 5.6 units in 2001 to 10.1 units in 2006. The proportion of pupils in this age group who reported having a drink in the last seven days decreased in the same time period from 14 per cent in 2001 to 9 per cent in 2006.

Alcohol is our biggest drug problem - as it is a drug. If it came out today, it probably wouldn't be legalised.But even if you believe God created the world, didn't he create everything including alcohol and drugs? Well, God created the world but in the same way that pollution affects our world, the stuff that we do wrong affects each other. In the same way, not everything we see, think, do or drink is totally good. Every day, we have a choice: to do right or to do wrong. Many of us choose to do wrong stuff and we pay the price. The Bible calls it sin. It's a word that has 'I' at the centre of it - meaning selfish. We hear lots about being carbon neutral and protecting the environment. But only Jesus has the answer to the wrong stuff we do. Only he can take it away and make all things new.

Texting | Top of page

How often do you text? Adults prefer to email, but young people prefer to text. We text, picture message, shoot video, take photos, bluetooth songs, play games and more. My phone has a contract of 400 minutes and 500 texts every month - so even us adults text a lot! Increasingly, because the thumb is used so much in texting, young people are using their thumb to do things that adults use their other fingers for! The Mobile Data Association found that Britons send 1.4 billion text messages a week, amounting to 212 million a day!!

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy said the repetitive action of pressing small keys to write texts can lead to pain and swelling of the tendons in the thumb and wrist. They say that as many as one in six 16 to 24-year-olds have suffered "discomfort" in their hands when they text, while a small number have felt pain in their wrists, arms, neck and even their shoulders! The survey of 177 young people found that 1 in 3 send 20 or more text messages every day.

It is urging teenagers to follow its advice on how to avoid suffering text message injuries as exam results season approaches, when hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren will text their grades to each other. An expert said, "texting is a great way to communicate - especially to pass on news about exam results. Too much texting can result in pain and swelling of the tendons at the base of the thumb and wrist." The expert advises is to "keep messages short and use abbreviations and the predictive text function on your phone. Try to restrict text sessions to 5-10 minutes and avoid holding the phone if you are not using it or are waiting for a response as this will help prevent muscle fatigue from continuous grasping."

Communicating is so important to keep up a relationship with friends, family and a boyfriend, girlfriend. If we didn't talk to each other, we wouldn't have great relationships. Imagine if you never spoke to your best friend.. your friendship wouldn't last very long would it! We talk to those who we care about. God wants to communicate with you. The Bible says that when we look at the world around us, we know that God is real. He also sent a love letter to you when he gave us the world's most popular book, The Bible. This book is packed full of love, friendship, violence, murder, romance, farming, business - basically life! Then he sent his Son, Jesus to die for you.. For you! We can talk to God each day (it's called prayer) and it's full of power, full of amazing answers and shows how much God loves you. Try supernatural texting today, it's called prayer - and start talking to God and wait to hear back from him!