I don’t know about that. I mean, I think there are couple ‘cool’ Christians out there. But, maybe from the outside looking in, that might appear to be true. After all, we’re the ones that wait till we’re married to have sex, refrain from getting drunk, and live by a holy set of rules. Now in case you missed it, or if you don’t know me, that was sarcasm.

Here’s the deal. Sure, maybe we don’t always look cool, but being a Christian isn’t about being cool. Being a Christian is about following Jesus.

Over the last 30 years or so, we have been marketing Christianity trying to make it cool. From t-shirts and clothing, bumper stickers, jewelry, home decor, and candies to big beautiful church buildings with on-site cafe’s and baristas, smoke machines, stage lighting, and concert quality talent and sound, cool is everywhere. Even our pastors are looking ‘cooler.’

But I have to ask myself…

Do students really need more ‘cool’ in their lives right now? I don’t think so.

What students need is to know is that they are forgiven, that they are valued and that they are loved. Being cool will take you only so far before the coolness-factor fades away. But when we target the heart of a student and give them what they need most; the life-changing love of Jesus Christ, then we demonstrate what it is to a Christian.

You see, Jesus wasn’t cool.

He was a servant who loved people.

In fact, he loved people so much that he laid down is life for them. And I think that is pretty cool.

Jay Higham is a long-time youth worker turned lead pastor of a new church plant in Pennsylvania. He’s been connected with the community of youth workers through NYWC for more than a decade and continues to create room for students to lead the church into the future.

Join Jay and thousands of other youth workers at NYWC as we look to the future of youth ministry and wrestle with how to get beyond our discomfort of addressing these kinds of questions and frustrations from students. Ready to register? CLICK HERE