Engaging Youth Through Christian Music

Bible studies and Christian music have long been a part of youth ministry, but a new initiative seeks to merge those aspects together, with the goal of fostering meaningful conversations.

A partnership between leading Christian media site NewReleaseToday (NRT) and tween-focused entertainment company Bema Media has led to the creation of IRL Resources, a subscription service that delivers weekly discussion guides based on hit Christian songs. Watch the IRL Resources introduction video above.

Real Life Themes Youth Can Relate To

Named after the text lingo that means “In Real Life,” each IRL study deals with real-life issues such as trust, identity, challenges, and the choices we make. Carrying those themes are songs from some of today’s biggest artists like Lauren Daigle, Kutless, Jordan Feliz, Jaci Velasquez, All Sons & Daughters, Aaron Shust, Hawk Nelson, Citizen Way and more.

“This is a dream that has been in the making for years, both for us at NewReleaseToday and our friends at Bema Media,” said NRT Founder Kevin McNeese. “Music is a point of connection, something that brings people together. And we now get to harness the full power of scripturally inspired music to get youth talking about real life issues, as well as the hope that is available to them.”

The service offers two tracks: One for parents, families, and individuals, and another for youth leaders, pastors, teachers, and homeschoolers.

IRL studies, which are distributed digitally every Monday, include a worksheet that contains an introduction to the theme, scriptures to read, discussion questions, a quote from the artist about the song, a closing prayer and links to watch the music video and/or stream the song. Group studies also include an icebreaker game, full sermon notes, talking points, media slides and more.

“The IRL devotionals are fast, fun and up to date,” said Bema Media’s Brad Matthias, a Nashville area pastor. “Everyone knows these artists and are genuinely interested to learn about what’s behind the lyrics! And for churches, this is a great resource for those with little time to prep.”

Plans start at less than one dollar a week. Learn more about IRL Resources and the various subscription options at http://www.IRLResources.com.

###

About NewReleaseToday

NewReleaseToday [NRT] launched in August 2002 and has become the largest Christian music and media site online, offering music, and boasts more than 150,000 registered users as part of its NRTeam Community. NRT also has spawned the NRT Radio Network with five unique stations featuring dance/electronic, worship, rap/urban and more. From album release dates to exclusive interviews to world premieres and Christian music news, NRT has become the go-to place for what’s new in Christian. With offices in Nashville, Tennessee and Dallas, Texas, they are focused on developing Christian content, live events, and resources for today’s Christian family.

About Bema Media

Home to iShine Ministries and iShine KNECT TV, Bema Media is a founding partner of the Tween Gospel Alliance [TGA], and B413. Active in Podcasting, Social Media, Christian television, and Curriculum development, Bema Media exists to support and encourage families with pre-teens and tweens.