The Shock Absorber

With Stu traveling and Tim unwell, Joel brings in the super-subs, Ethan and Brayden, to tackle the 6-7 meme and what it tells us about internet culture, and how Christians should respond.

They start with a primer on the 6-7 meme, following a breakdown by aidanetcetera on Instagram that claims it's evidence that "postmodernists won the culture war" and what it means to meme something into relevance.

The guys discuss whether this holds up. Is 6-7 actually abstract art, or is it just teenagers doing what they've always done, creating subculture that adults don't understand? They discuss the lifecycle of memes (why they die when younger kids adopt them), the difference between little memes and big movements like grunge, and whether capital-M Movements can even happen anymore when everyone's algorithm shows them different realities.

But this isn't just internet anthropology. Joel shares his research on getting his 11-year-old son a phone, Australia's social media ban for under-16s, the rise of sextortion, why helicopter parenting offline paired with complete digital freedom is naive, and what Christian wisdom looks like in practice.

If older Christians are going to say the internet is bad for development and then we sit around on our phones, what are we modelling? Despite cultural shifts toward declining literacy and shorter attention spans, God is still moving, people are becoming Christians through social media, mini-revivals are happening in the UK, and young believers are figuring out how to be Christian in digital spaces.

The episode lands on a hopeful note: movements still happen, they just look different now. And Christians are always in the middle of them. From women transforming the Roman Empire through radical hospitality to hippies doubling down on to Gen Z finding Jesus through TikTok, God works through every cultural shift. The question isn't whether to fear the movement, but how to partner with young people as they generatively figure out what it means to follow Jesus online and offline.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro and laying out the generations
04:16 - Is this 6-7 meme a work of art?
12:55 - When are memes cool and not cool?
20:38 - A movement of understanding how to be online
28:21 - Leaning into what people see as freedoms without knowing the consequences
34:19 - What do we model as the digital world becomes increasingly more prevalent?
43:44 - Movements still happen, and Christians are still in them

Discussed on this episode:
aidanetcetera on Instagram
Doot Doot, by Skrilla
Lamelo Ball basketball edits
Social media ban
Lewis’s Chip Lunch episode on the internet
Richard Dawkins a cultural Christian

About the Shock Absorber:
A podcast for church leaders and ministry pioneers who want to do church differently. Hosted by Stu Crawshaw, Tim Beilharz, and Joel McMaster from Soul Revival Church.

Soul Revival Church meet across the Sutherland Shire & in Ryde: soulrevivalchurch.com

Joel reclaims the hosting chair from Tim (who did a great job, but still...). They start off by debating favourite movies, why Tim can't finish The Godfather, and the comfort of rewatching The Bourne Identity, but quickly pivot into questions of efficiency, productivity and whether we should be as efficient as the world demands us to be.

Tim has been reading extensively about digital culture, AI, and what it means to be embodied Christians in an increasingly disembodied world. He introduces two key books: Christine Rosen's secular "The Extinction of Experience" and Samuel D. James's Christian "Digital Liturgies." Both argue, from different angles, that we're losing something fundamentally human as we trade physical experiences for digital ones.

The theological anchor is incarnation. God created us as embodied beings. Jesus took on flesh and was resurrected into a physical body. This matters profoundly for how we think about technology, productivity, and formation as disciples. When Mark Andreessen coins the term "reality privilege" to argue that most people's physical experiences are worse than what digital worlds can offer, he's essentially making the argument of The Matrix's Cypher: the fake world is better than the real one.

Tim and Joel push back hard. They discuss why God is not efficient (it took 1800 years from Abraham to Jesus), why the Bible is intentionally slow and story-shaped rather than a bullet-point list, why handwriting matters, why reading actual books matters, why face-to-face conversations are "3D" while text messages are "2D," and why the church must be a place of refuge from culture's aggressive push toward endless efficiency and productivity.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro, favourite movies
11:47 - We are created incarnate
26:22 - Does every moment have to be productive?
33:52 - The devious trick of efficiency
44:42 - How we are formed matters
1:06:30 - Tim's Takeaway

Discussed on this episode:
Anchorman
Step Brothers
The Mummy I
The Mummy Returns
Alien
Young Frankenstein
The Bourne Identity
The Fast and the Furious
The Godfather
The Social Network
A Few Good Men
Die Hard
Lethal Weapon
Tunnel 29, by Helena Merriman
The Escape Artist, by Jonathan Freedland
Cloverfield
The Extinction of Experience, by Christine Rosen:
Digital Liturgies, by Samuel D. James
Marc Andreesen
The Jungle Village Hooked on Phones

About the Shock Absorber:
A podcast for church leaders and ministry pioneers who want to do church differently. Hosted by Stu Crawshaw, Tim Beilharz, and Joel McMaster from Soul Revival Church.

Soul Revival Church meet across the Sutherland Shire & in Ryde: soulrevivalchurch.com

In this Joel-free episode (don't worry, he's just away), Tim, Stu, and Ethan dive deep into what makes Soul Revival's approach to church distinctive—and why it matters.

The conversation starts with preaching in hostile environments (including the story of Stu getting hit with an orange at a school), then moves into a fascinating discussion about why church kitchens are vanishing across America. A recent Christianity Today article reveals that newly built churches are scrapping full kitchens in favor of "co-working spaces" and other community-facing facilities. But Soul Revival has doubled down on meals as central to church life.

Stu explains how Soul Revival's meal practice didn't come from American church growth models but from Aboriginal Christian communities in Brewarrina, NSW, where church naturally extended into shared meals. This wasn't a missional strategy, it was friendship. The episode explores how this connects to pre-industrial church culture, fellowship teas, and why modern churches separated discipleship from mission.

The joy and frivolity section is pure gold: from the legendary Black Stump pool table incident to Soul Revival's recent viral moment welcoming strangers at Sydney Airport. Ethan shares what happened when an influencer captured their spontaneous celebration of arriving passengers. The hosts unpack why this kind of joyful, confident Christian witness works, not as an incarnational strategy to earn the right to be heard, but as an authentic expression of who they are.

Throughout, the conversation wrestles with hegemony, the grunge movement, the Black Panthers, why Pentecostals are surprised at Soul Revival, and what it means to bring "the action" back into the church instead of exporting it to pubs and events.

Timestamps:
00:00  Intro and tough times speaking in front of people
11:20  Church kitchens and the generational divide
38:00 Joy, frivolity and virality

Discussed on this episode:
John Laws funeral
Michael Jensen sermon at funeral
Christianity Today: Church Kitchens Getting Chopped
No Guts, No Glory, by Ken Moser, Al Vaughan, Ed Stewart
Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry, by Andrew Root
Soul Revival at the airport
Black Panther Party
Seraph Music

If you woke up in a third-world jail cell with one phone call, who would you ring to get you out? That person has high agency—the ability to get things done even in impossible situations.

Stu, Tim, and Joel explore what high agency means for Christian leadership and ministry, building on last week's conversation about Blue Ocean Strategy and Stu's PhD research. They dive into an essay by George Mack on high agency and unpack five low agency traps that hold us back: the vague trap (being captured by problems instead of solutions), the midwit trap (overcomplicating things), the attachment trap (being stuck on ideas without knowing why), the rumination trap (frozen by "what if" loops), and the overwhelm trap (paralyzed by too many options).

It ends with a theological reflection: does the Holy Spirit help us change our agency? Tim emphasizes faithfulness in small things and not equating high agency with cultural success. Stu argues that to be in Christ is agency itself—being active Christians, not sedentary ones, expressing the newness Jesus gives us in our generation.

Timestamps
00:00 - Intro: Who would you call from a third-world jail cell?
03:50 - Why Christians tend to be conservative and what holds us back
14:48 - The Vague Trap: Being captured by problems instead of solutions
20:55 - The Midwit Trap: Overcomplicating agency and seeking validation
25:26 - The Attachment Trap: Being stuck on ideas without knowing why
38:25 - The Rumination Trap: Frozen by "what if" loops
46:04 - The Overwhelm Trap: Starting with the smallest first step
53:18 - Does the Holy Spirit help us change our agency?

Discussed on this episode
High Agency essay
Chesterton’s Fence
The Wright Brothers

Are our churches unintentionally approving exclusivity?

Stu, Tim and Joel dive deep into the research behind Stu's PhD on the Shock Absorber, youth ministry and generative intergenerational ministry—and why most churches experience cultural lag that makes them irrelevant.

Motivated to understand why young people leave the church, Stu shares why he started (and restarted) his PhD, using what he has learned from 20 years in youth ministry and 13 years planting Soul Revival.

The conversation explores the meditative benefits of writing and walking, the imposter syndrome Stu feels in academia, and the "clown suit" metaphor—how Christians became irrelevant trying to be cool instead of just being confident in Jesus. They discuss Blue Ocean Strategy and why Soul Revival looks to be a pioneer in ministry instead of competing for the same young people.

Stu explains how the PhD work has moved from "moderate intergenerational ministry" to "generative intergenerational ministry" by combining Kendra Creasy Dean's and Erik Erikson's work. This reveals the gap in youth ministry literature and highlights how the homogeneous unit principle creates a gravitational pull toward exclusivity.

The Shock Absorber model flips the script: young people can experiment on how to be a Christian in new cultural contexts, while adults provide theological grounding and wisdom. It's about having both segregated youth spaces AND accessible intergenerational spaces—the fifth way of doing ministry.

As Tim notes towards the end: this only works because we're co-adopted by the same Saviour, which makes humility between the generations possible.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro: the meditative benefits of writing and walking
12:50 - The motivating factors behind Stu's PhD
31:49 - Soul Revival helped people be confident and Christian
1:00:37 - Generative intergenerational model
1:25:50 - Tim's Takeaway

Discussed on this episode:
Guy Goma: The Wrong Guy
Jenn's Interview - The IT Crowd
Moving beyond the shock absorber: The place of youth ministry—past, present and future, by Stu Crawshaw
The Child in God's Church, by Tim Beilharz
Glenn Maxwell produces one of the greatest ODI knocks of all-time
High Agency, by George Mack
Kenda Creasy Dean
Erik Erikson
The Generative Church, by Corey Seibel
Soul Revival Late Night at Sydney Airport

Our culture tells us that independence is everything — but what if true flourishing happens when we give some of it up?

Joel and Tim explore how commitment to a local church is not just a spiritual act, but something deeply human. They unpack how technology, hyper-individualism, and cultural values can isolate us, while the church pulls us back into the kind of community God designed for our good.

From the sociology of connection to the theology of commitment, this conversation challenges us to see that infringing on our individuality might actually be the healthiest thing for us — because we are made to be together.

Timestamps
00:00 – Intro: Isolation vs. community
22:47 – Commitment vs. loneliness
35:40 – How community shapes identity
41:12 – Inviting others into connected community
59:09 – Tim’s takeaway: Spend more time at church

Discussed on this episode
Friedrich Nietzsche
Casey Neistat
Why We Need the Church Now More Than Ever, by Carmen Joy Imes
Nijay Gupta Substack
Dominion, by Tom Holland
Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction Is Hijacking Our Kids-and How to Break the Trance by Nicholas Kardaras
Jonathan Haidt
After Babel
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory

Joel and Tim explore what it means to live and raise children as elect exiles in a world with different values. They reflect on social media, culture, and the ways Christians can tell the alternate story of Jesus — distinctive, thoughtful, and rooted in grace.

The discussion covers family and intergenerational ministry, schools, and creating spaces for children to engage meaningfully with the church. They highlight the importance of modelling commitment through consistent presence and participation.

Over-commitment to church isn’t the problem — intentionality, faithfulness, and living in deep community are. By prioritising time together, parents and churches equip the next generation to confidently live as elect exiles in Christ.

🕓 Timestamps
00:00 Mass deletion in NYC + Freya India
18:32 The Christian story as the alternate story
31:59 How do we raise children as aliens in a foreign world?
40:34 The role of schools in raising children as exiles
54:17 Committing to the alternate story
1:07:40 Tim’s Takeaway

📌 Discussed on this episode
Time To Refuse
Gen Z held an anti-social media event. Here's how they heard about it
Italian Brain Rot
We Are The Slop, by Freya India
Is Sora the Beginning of the End for OpenAI?
Parenting Beyond Your Capacity: Connect Your Family to a Wider Community, by Reggie Joiner and Carey Nieuwenhof
Raising Boys, by Steve Biddulph

Joel and Tim explore Soul Revival Church’s 2025 Planning Day — and how the church can prepare for God to grow them, being ready if He chooses to do that.

They begin by talking about writing, storytelling, and collective memory — how churches pass down faith through shared stories that shape who they are. Tim reflects on his recent work about how intergenerational communities strengthen faith by remembering together.

The conversation then turns to independent media and creativity, drawing lessons from writers like Ryan Holiday and Jonathan Wilson. Joel and Tim reflect on how Christians can balance curiosity with focus — doing a few things well, recognising that God made people finite so they can’t chase every idea.

At the heart of the episode is Soul Revival’s collaborative Planning Day, where the whole church community — not just leaders — comes together to reflect, celebrate, and plan for the year ahead. It’s a unique approach that embodies their belief in the church as a family, where every generation contributes.

Finally, they look forward to the 2025 Planning Day and the church’s 2030 Double Up Vision, discussing what it means to grow deeply in discipleship and mission, not just in numbers. The episode closes with a reminder to keep telling the stories of God’s faithfulness — because those stories shape who the church is and who it will become.

🕓 Timestamps
00:00 Writing, independent media & being finite beings
20:00 Why have a Planning Day?
27:38 Benefits of collaboration & community input
40:01 Preparing for growth and God’s work
45:45 What’s happening at the 2025 Planning Day
1:06:05 Keep telling your church’s story

Discussed on this episode
Ryan Holiday Reading Recommendation Email
The Painted Porch bookstore
Brass Check
Daily Stoic podcast
Bookmarked
It Was What It Was podcast
Wilson's World (of football)
The Blizzard
Libero podcast
Breaking Points
Tim's Substack
So Good They Can't Ignore You, by Cal Newport
Mensch: Beyond the Cones, by Jonathan Harding
Good to Great, by Jim Collins
Brady Shearer

Joel and Tim return from a short break to wrestle with a timeless question — are Christians today still exiles? Drawing from 1 Peter, they explore what it means to live faithfully in a world that doesn’t always share our values.

With both Joel and Tim preaching on 1 Peter they delve into the different ways they have approached the sermon preparation process. Joel focuses on identity, inheritance, and how God’s power sustains us through trials. Tim looks at the cultural lens — what it means to live as “God’s elect exiles” in a post-Christendom world. Together, they reflect on how Scripture calls us to faithfulness, hope, and distinctiveness as followers of Jesus.

Their discussion expands to cultural engagement too — especially around the banning of books and the idea of reading behind enemy lines. Why should Christians engage with opposing ideas rather than fear them? How do we hold convictions without closing our minds? They argue that wrestling with uncomfortable ideas, when rooted in truth, helps us understand God’s world better and strengthens our witness in it.

They also touch on Tim’s new book chapter Why Your Family Needs the Intergenerational Church, the discipline of walking as a form of reflection, and the process of preparing sermons that let Scripture lead.

🎙️ Timestamps
00:00 – Intro & catching up
15:51 – On the banning of books and reading behind enemy lines
30:37 – Preaching on 1 Peter
1:03:24 – What we hope for after the sermon

📌 Discussed on this episode
Why Most Smart People Become Stupid - Ryan Holiday on Modern Wisdom
Joel's sermon on 1 Peter
Govett's Leap
Soren Kirkegaard
Dominion, by Tom Holland

MINI-SERIES: World — Mission Is for Everyone

Mission doesn’t just belong to a few — it’s everyone’s call.

Joel, Tim, and Jai continue the service team mini-series on World, unpacking why God’s plan has always been for His salvation to reach all nations and how that shapes the life of the church today.

They trace the theology of mission through Matthew 28, Psalm 67, and Isaiah 49, showing how Israel was blessed to be a blessing, and how Jesus’ death and resurrection brings salvation that explodes out to the whole world. Mission isn’t an optional extra for “professionals” overseas — it’s the daily call of every believer. If you’ve got good news, you want to share it.

They explore how Soul Revival approaches mission: intergenerational ministry that naturally creates missional opportunities, long-term partnerships with CMS and Indigenous leaders in North West NSW, and supporting global mission through financial and prayer support. They discuss how prayer unites us across cultures and continents, reminding us that God is the one who grows His kingdom and graciously includes us in His work.

Along the way they reflect on evangelism as simply sharing what you love, the challenge of awkwardness when talking about faith, and how kindness, gentleness, and genuine relationships open doors to gospel witness.

📌 Episode Timestamps
00:00 – Intro: Dua Lipa memes, Banksy, and the speed of culture
10:04 – The World Team: mission is for everyone
20:12 – Theology of World: God’s salvation for all nations
42:01 – Strategy of World: local, regional, and overseas mission
58:30 – Practice of World: prayer, partnerships, and living it out

Discussed:
Dua Lipa t-shirt meme goes viral
Life of Brian "You're all individuals"
Shock Absorber episode with Michael Duckett