I have been thinking about the way that young people receive and take on information. Often in Christian circles a lot of truth and understanding is done in a form of one person speaking or instructing a large group of people—one to many. This is the form that teaching occurs in most churches around the world and in youth ministries.

I think this form of communication worked in previous generations who were much more from an oral tradition. With the emerging generations, how they gain information happens in different ways. Whereas conversation and communication was happening from one to many, now it is happening within communities—many to many.

When I talk about communities I am talking about social network sites, small groups, people meeting at cafes and fast food, sports events, mobile phones and just hanging out. I use the term conversations because young people now learn about life, values, attitudes and actions through conversations a lot more than they do through hearing teaching and preaching.

Young people are connected to one another and to the wider world in many different ways. They gain information and ideas through multiple ways of which preaching and teaching is just one. I think young people hear truths in messages spoken in the one person to large audience format but I do not think that they take it in, think about it, debate it and act on it in the same way they are able to in community formats.

If we want to make sure that young people are still gaining Christian truths and values then we need to understand that this is happening. We also need to better understand these ‘communities’ that young people operate within and how we can still teach and disciple young people using these communities.