The Good Old Days of Bad Christian Haircuts and WWJD Bracelets

In this heartwarming and humorous episode of the Bible Belt Bros Podcast, hosts Dusty and Andrew take listeners on an entertaining journey through Christian culture of the late 90s and early 2000s. What starts as a response to a listener email from their hometown becomes a delightful exploration of shared memories, awkward teenage moments, and the evolution of church youth culture.

It Started with an Email

The episode begins with the hosts sharing an unexpected email from Kerri, a listener who discovered their podcast on Amazon Prime Music and recognized them from their shared hometown of Aurora. This serendipitous connection leads to Dusty recounting a deeply embarrassing "core memory" from his youth - an awkwardly phrased question to Kerri's chicken farmer father that has apparently become family legend. The story perfectly encapsulates Dusty's self-aware humor about his social awkwardness, as he admits to accidentally insulting people without realizing it.

WWJD and the Christian Accessory Phenomenon

The conversation naturally transitions into a nostalgic discussion about the iconic "What Would Jesus Do" (WWJD) bracelets that dominated Christian culture in the late 90s and early 2000s. The hosts humorously theorize about why these bracelets disappeared, with Andrew jokingly suggesting "we all just now realized what Jesus would do, so we didn't have to keep asking." They explore whether these trends might cycle back like fashion trends, comparing them to bell-bottoms.

The discussion expands to include other Christian acronyms and sayings from their youth, including "WAJD" (Walk As Jesus Did) from their former pastor Rusty, and "FROG" (Fully Rely On God). They playfully suggest these four-letter Christian acronyms might have been alternatives to actual four-letter words, imagining someone stubbing their toe and exclaiming "What Would Jesus Do!"

Fashion and Style of Christian Youth Culture

The hosts dive deep into the fashion trends that defined their Christian teenage years. They reminisce about wooden cross necklaces, nail jewelry twisted into cross shapes, and the practice of shaving religious symbols into their hair. Andrew shares a particularly amusing story about asking Pastor Rusty to shave a cross in his head, which ended up looking more like a plus sign, earning him the reputation as "a positive dude around school."

Dusty shares a more recent and touching story about shaving a fish symbol in his hair when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, incorporating both the Christian fish symbol and a breast cancer ribbon before dyeing it pink. This moment shows how these symbolic gestures evolved from teenage fashion statements to meaningful expressions of faith and support.

The Evolution of See You at the Pole

One of the most thoughtful segments addresses the changes in "See You at the Pole," the annual prayer event at school flagpoles. The hosts contrast their authentic, student-led experiences with what they perceive as the more commercialized, production-heavy versions that developed over time. They express concern about how the original grassroots, student-driven nature of the event was lost when churches began organizing elaborate productions around it, complete with song leaders and structured programs.

This discussion reveals their deeper understanding of how institutionalization can sometimes diminish the authentic spiritual impact of organic movements. They emphasize how powerful it was when students gathered on their own initiative, without pastoral oversight or structured programming.

Church Architecture and Youth Ministry Philosophy

The conversation takes an interesting turn into church facility design and youth ministry philosophy. They discuss the trend of separate youth buildings that was popular during their teenage years, complete with superior sound systems, game rooms, and coffee house atmospheres. Dusty fondly remembers their church's coffee house venue and the ability to shut down entire city blocks for outdoor concerts and events - something only possible in their small town of Aurora.

Andrew introduces a more critical perspective, agreeing with their friend Kyle about the inefficiency of separate youth facilities. They explore how churches like Life Church have adopted more economical models by sharing resources across multiple locations, allowing for better quality equipment and materials through bulk purchasing and unified programming.

Musical Memories and Mosh Pits

No discussion of 90s/2000s Christian culture would be complete without addressing the music scene. The hosts reminisce about Christian concerts and the surprisingly common practice of moshing at Christian rock shows. They mention specific bands like TFK (Thousand Foot Krutch) and Disciple, noting how these bands eventually discouraged moshing as it became too violent.

They contrast their memories of "Christian moshing" - which involve