Warmth Is the New Cool
We live in a world of tech gadgets and new “cool” stuff popping up all the time. Each week some new trend begins or something “bigger,” “better,” or “cooler” appears on the market. Remember when MySpace was the “coolest” thing then Facebook then Instagram and now Snapchat? Our young people are inundated with “cool” things all the time. One might say they are overwhelmed by the “cool” OR too cool for cool. When it comes to churches and young people, it’s not about having a cool leader. Or a cool facility. Or cool programs. All of those can be good, but they aren’t essential. Fuller Youth Institute interviewed over 1,300 young people and discovered that WARMTH is crucial when it comes to young people. “Warm is the new cool.” They want to know that they are welcomed, they are loved, and that their community cares for them. They are longing to be part of something, something that matters, and something that cares about them. As “connected” as we are as a society with social media, phone