I think this article is right on the money.  The piece states that for a teen to abstain from sexual behavior what matters more than anything is the community they are in.   While it deals with sexuality and think the lesson applies to any matter where the follower of Jesus is called to act counter culturally.

It is by columnist Michael Gerson and cites the work of W. Bradford Wilcox, a sociologist at the University of Virginia. 

Starting around the middle…

When the statistics on teen sexuality are controlled for social and
economic factors, conservative Protestant teens first have sex at about
the same time as their peers — the average is midway through their
16th year.
……..

These facts, according to Wilcox, support some liberal claims and
some conservative ones. Liberals are correct that economic and cultural
factors matter greatly, sometimes more than individual belief. Teens
with good life prospects and a strong sense of the future — kids with
economic and educational ambitions — tend to avoid risky behavior such
as drugs and early sex. Without those prospects, the temptation is
strong to live for the moment.

The facts also support a basic conservative belief: that it is
difficult for teens to be moral alone. Wilcox argues that teen sexual
behavior can be influenced — that teenagers can be more than
the sum of their hormones. But responsible behavior requires both
"norms" and "networks." An intellectual belief in right and wrong is
not sufficient. Teens require a community that supports their good
choices, especially in times of testing and personal crisis. "Kids who
are embedded in a social network with shared norms," he concludes, "are
more likely to abide by them."

……

It would be nice if teen sexual behavior could be automatically changed
by an abstinence lecture or a sermon. Setting those norms and
expectations, however, is a small part of a larger cultural task. Moral
men and women need moral communities. 

Source: Real Clear Politics (This is a good site for following the political landscape if you are so inclined.)

We (I) think a great deal these days about having a web presence, marketing strategies, and communication skills, but do we focus on enough on creating communities?  Communities that are not controlling, but mutually encouraging?  If we don’t, we may draw a crowd and get rave reviews, but lives may not be changed.