5 Trends You Should Know About To Be A Better Chaplain

As the new school year has begun and the academic church year is on its way I thought it would be a great time to catch you up on a few trends sweeping the undergraduate community.  You might think these trends are irrelevant and meaningless to doing ministry on campus, but as you might know, context isn't everything, it's the only thing.

If you are interested in last year's trends CLICK HERE!

5. Pinterest 

Pinterest isn't exactly new, but it's certainly feels new.  No status updates, quizzes  or silly games taking up your timeline on Pinterest, it's just a collection of what people like!  It has taken social media and made it beautiful.  The collage of images and ideas enhances the internet experience, and undergrads are all over it!

4. Mumford and Sons 

Mumford and Sons isn't just a blip on the radar.  It's seriously good music and students know it!  It may not be on everyone's iPod, but it's certainly a better representation of music than, let's say, LMFAO.  

3. Riding Boots are the New Uggs

I'm not fashion expert, but the days of sweat pants and Uggs have been replaced by tights and riding boots.  Young women all over campus are asking their moms and dads to head out to the barn to dust off those Ariat English Riding Boots and to send them to campus in a care package ASAP! And I don't blame them.  They are very classy and simple and they surely look better than the oh so tired combo of Uggs and sweats.      

2. Memes

The Urban Dictionary defines a meme as "an idea, belief or belief system, or pattern of behavior that spreads throughout a culture either vertically by cultural inheritance (as by parents to children) or horizontally by cultural acquisition (as by peers, information media, and entertainment media)."  Basically it's taking something that is relevant (iPhone 5 maps disaster as pictured on Columbus Day) and spicing it up with a little snark.  Memes can be fun, often funny, but unfortunately they (like so many other things on the internet) can be predictable and boring.  But their still hot and I'd imagine that they will continue to stay hot.  

1. Gangnam Style

I don't even know how to describe this.  And I'm not really sure if it's even appropriate to acknowledge that it exists.  But it does and everyone knows about it, so you should too!