Bluewater Bay Campus eLetter
Thursday, September 17, 2026
From Our Campus Pastor
“Overprotection in the real world and under protection in the virtual world- are the major reasons why children born after 1995 became the anxious generation.”
Last year I read the book The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, and the above quote comes from him. He is a social psychologist that teaches at NYU’s Stern School of Business. The book was sobering for me. I kept finding myself thinking, “yep, yep, yep” repeatedly. His marker of the generation born in 1995 makes perfect sense to me because that is about the time I started serving teenagers and their families as a student minister. Haidt is not a Christian so he doesn’t write from a biblical perspective, and I wouldn’t expect him to do so as a social psychologist anyway. But if I were having a conversation with him like the “conversation” I am having with you now, I would add an additional item to the quote above. And trust me when I say this, it is no small item, and it is something that I believe can counter the “overprotection” as well as the “under protection” that he writes about.
First, I believe that everything and everyone is redeemable and I hope you believe that as well. Even if we as parents and grandparents made mistakes in "overprotecting" and "under protecting" that caused potential damage in the lives of the people we love, we know that is redeemable and the Lord can fill the gaps of our shortcomings.
Next, I would add a “but.” And it is a vital but! But if we, as God’s people, will instill in our kids and grandkids a desire to know God through His word, then He will do the work in us to redeem our faults and failures, and them as we seek Him.
And do you know what I call that?
Together in the Word.
That is what I would call it. I am so thankful that our church began this journey together to seek the Lord through His Word. Even if you didn’t start with us a few weeks back it is never too late! Just like it is never too late for those who were “overprotected" in the real world and "under protected" in the virtual world.
You can start today so that we can be Together in the Word.
I’ll see you Sunday!
Billy Russell, Campus Pastor
