A student’s soul is like a sponge; they’re constantly absorbing the thoughts, opinions, and beliefs of those around them. These things combine together to create a lens through which a student views the world around them.

This lens is a positive thing when it influences the student towards Christ, but it can be negative when it leads them away from Christ. For those with teenagers in their house, these non-Christ centered worldviews can be particularly sticky and tricky to navigate in conversation.

We at Summit Youth want to resource parents to have those conversations well.

Below you’ll find a variety of books and documentaries that we recommend to for you and your student to engage with. While not all are explicitly Christian or represent full Christian values, most are. The ones that are not explicitly Christian are on this list because they offer a ‘birds eye view’ on current worldviews. We encourage you to check through the different topics to see which ones might apply to you and your student.

IDENTITY:

• Shaken – Tim Tebow

BODY IMAGE:

• Breaking Free of Body Shame – Jess Connley

MENTAL HEALTH:

• Generation Z Unfiltered – Tim Elmore
• Anxious for Nothing – Max Lucado
• You’re Going to be ok – Susan & Stewart Eaton 

GENDER IDENTITY AND SAME SEX ATTRACTION:

• Born Again This Way – Rachel Gilson
• Gay Girl, Good God – Jackie Hill Perry
• Embodied – Preston Sprinkle

SOCIAL MEDIA:

• The Social Dilemma – Netflix Documentary

RELATIONSHIPS:

• Swipe Right – Levi Lusko
• Outdated – Jonathan Pokluda
• Relationship Goals – Michael Todd

SEX:

• Unwanted – Jay Stringer
• Your Brain on Porn – Gary Wilson

APOLOGETICS:

• The Case for Christ – Lee Strobel
• Mama Bear Apologetics – Hillary Morgan Ferrer
• Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis

EMOTION CONTROL:

• All the Feels for Teens: The Good, The Bad, and the Utterly Confusing – Elizabeth Thompson
• Winning the War in Your Mind – Craig Groeschel
• I Declare War – Levi Lusko

BULLYING:

• Stand Strong – Nick Vujicic