All the Cool Kids are on....

If you are in youth ministry or work with teens, college students, or young adults then you likely know about online social networking. But do you know about Danah Boyd? No? You should.

Danah Boyd's blog essay looks at youth participation in online social networks through the prism of class. I had the opportunity to hear Danah speak at the UCC General Synod in Hartford, CT during the summer of 2007. She was enlightening!

You'll find Danah has a remarkable perspective on youth and young adult online activity that goes past the paranoia and panic that often colors the discussion of such activity. She starts from the radical premise (!) that kids are people worthy of respect and dignity.

I suggest starting with her Best Of... section. She is a prolific writer, so starting there will help you get a handle on what she has to say. Have a read and let me know what you think.

Power of Pink!

Two Nova Scotia students recently attracted worldwide attention when they came up with a rather innovative plan to stop bullying at their school. On the first day of class, a Grade 9 student in Central Kings Rural High School in Nova Scotia was bullied by a group of six to 10 classmates, calling him a homosexual for wearing a pink polo shirt and threatening to beat him up.

Grade 12 students Travis Price and David Shepherd heard about the incident and decided to do something about it. They encouraged fellow students at Central Kings Rural High to wear pink-coloured clothing to make the school a "sea of pink" two days later.

The duo went out and bought dozens of pink tank tops and distributed them to male students to wear. Around 400 students-half the school's population-dressed in pink and congregated in the school's lobby. When the bullied student [who's never been identified] arrived at school and saw his fellow students decked out in pink, it was described as an emotional and empowering moment.

Story

Speak to Power and Love!

The Rev. Kathleen Weber told members of her congregation at Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church in Seattle this week that she is lesbian. During a sermon by senior minister, Rev. David Nieda, Weber told members she has always known this about herself. No longer willing to be closeted by our denomination's discriminatory policies toward gay and lesbian persons, she courageously chose to come out in a spirit of power and love (1 Timothy 6:6).

Supported by both her congregation and District Superintendent, Weber will remain as pastor at Blaine Memorial. Yet, we can be assured her story is not yet over. Gird your loins, reconcilers! Here comes another chance to speak to power and love... and unity!

Read Tiffany Steinwert's blog post