“Happathy is seeping into our youth ministry programs and our student conferences. When these events are more about highlighting popular bands and energetic speakers than they are about discipleship and service, you know they have fallen into the happathy trap.

Emotionalism is the trademark of a happathy event. The more students standing on their chairs and singing, the better the experience is. The wilder the games, the more memories are made. The higher the mountaintop, the more pride we feel in our youth ministry. But the emotionalism of these events often hides the fact that their promoters have no idea how students grow spiritually. Few students can learn anything significant and lasting during these hyped-up events with little sleep.”

Doug Franklin of LeaderTreks on Facebook.com post on June 29, 2023.