Posted on: 03/27/13 8:34 AM | by Jonathan McKee
You haven’t heard from me for awhile because I’m taking some time off to hang with family and visit our son Alec where he attends college at Azusa Pacific University in Southern CA. Lori, myself and my parents (our girls are on a missions trip) all drove down Sunday, and we’ve been enjoying Continue reading “Alec”
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Posted on: 03/21/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee
My pastor asked me if I’d go to Uganda with him again. I keep telling him, “If God tells me he wants me to go to Uganda… I’ll go.”
I’m not trying to be a pain in the butt, but I just haven’t heard the call yet.
My friends are all working on me. They all want me to go. So I’ve been asking God, “God, is this just the cool thing to do… or do you want me to go?” And I’ve been listening.
Well, as you know my daughter Alyssa just went with a team of 21 people from my church. This team consisted of my family (Alyssa, my mom and my dad) and some of my closest friends. I had other speaking engagements already scheduled, so the decision was already made for this particular trip… but now my pastor asked me Continue reading “Uganda”
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Posted on: 03/19/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee
Pew Research just released a brand new report last week, Teens and Technology 2013. The study found a growing number of teenagers to be smartphone owners, and a rise in the percentage of “cell mostly” internet users.
I like the report’s conclusions… but I can’t help wonder if their numbers are a little low.
Pew’s numbers always seem a little lower. I’m curious about their sampling. For example, this Teens and Technology 2013 study was based on Continue reading “Mobile Internet Users”
Posted in Entertainment Media, Smartphones/Cell Phones, Social Media, Youth Culture | | Leave A Comment
Posted on: 03/18/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee
Today’s my birthday.
In years past I’ve written creative articles and posts about turning 30, or Top Ten Signs you’re Turning 40… but not today. I’m just taking the day off and hanging with my family! I hope it involves burgers, pizza, the amazing ice cream cake Lori makes… and kayaking (to burn off the burgers, pizza and ice cream cake).
I’m easy to please. 🙂
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Posted on: 03/14/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee
Rock, Hip-Hop, Pop… Country? Which genre is young people’s music of choice?
I always hate to answer that question, because it never ceases to make people angry. Maybe that’s because some people don’t like the answer: Rap/hip-hop.
I remember teaching at the National Youth Workers Convention in 2005 and 2006. In one of my seminars about outreach events, I challenged youth workers about their recurring choice of rock bands at all their venues. “How come every time I go to a big Christian event, the band playing is rock or even metal?” I asked. “Do you really think we’re accurately targeting our audience when we bring in a grunge band to try to attract neighborhood kids? Is this really what they are listening to?”
I backed up my inquest with the most recent data Continue reading “The Music Genre Kids Like”
Posted in Entertainment Media, Jonathan's Rant, Music, Youth Culture | | Leave A Comment
Posted on: 03/12/13 2:05 PM | by Jonathan McKee
I’m in the middle of writing a devotional filled with advice for teen guys. In search of a few ideas, I sent a text to some friends and family members asking them what they would say if they could speak freely and truthfully to today’s teenaged guys.
It was funny seeing how differently each person replied. My kids took me seriously about the “truthfully” part, and their replies were hilarious. Across the board, I received some really fun and insightful answers.
Here’s what I got from a few of them… unedited.
My 17-year-old daughter Alyssa’s REAL advice to teen guys:
– Always make sure you Continue reading “Unedited Advice to Teen Guys”
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Posted on: 03/11/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee
About a month ago I wrote about my 17-year-old daughter Alyssa leaving to Uganda for a two week missions trip (funny side note: last year I wrote a post about how my daughter will have no rules when she turns 17½. Guess where she was the day she turned 17½? Playing with little kids in Uganda.) It was such an amazing experience for her– everything from the worship with brothers and sisters across the globe, to the rush of children who would come up to greet her everytime she stepped out of the van (some who had never personally seen anyone with white skin before).
She’s back, she had a great time, and I told her to share some of her pictures that represented her time there. So here’s 10 random pictures she chose Continue reading “Alyssa’s Top 10 Uganda Pics”
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Posted on: 03/8/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee
This coming Sunday I’m teaching a brand new parenting workshop at a church just outside of Milwaukee, based on a parenting curriculum Doug Fields and I are co-authoring.
This all started with a series of blog posts I wrote about setting guardrails. These articles springboarded a discussion between Doug and I, and next thing we know we were collaborating on this new curriculum for parents, which is in its final edits and will be released in May, just in time for when we both teach at the FAM Conference.
It’s been really fun working with Doug. It’s no secret he’s creative and brings all kinds of wisdom and experience to the table, but he’s also Continue reading “First Launch”
Posted in Parenting, Speaking/Training, Travel | | Leave A Comment
Posted on: 03/6/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee
Last weekend I had a great time with Doug Fields, Mark Matlock and Megan Hutchinson training 700 youth workers at YSPalooza in Chicago!
One of the sessions I taught was “How to Lead a Small Group without Losing Your Mind.” This was a fun session where I offered 5 tools that help small group leaders (one of them was duct tape).
Before the session, I went around with my phone and filmed people in the lobby, asking them, “What advice would you give a newbie small group leader.” I synced my phone with my laptop really quick, threw the responses together using iMovie (gotta love Mac) and showed the crowd what advice they had to give to newbie small group leaders.
Here’s that video Continue reading “Advice to Small Group Leaders”
Posted in Books, Speaking/Training, Travel, Youth Ministry Planning | | Leave A Comment
Posted on: 03/4/13 11:14 AM | by Jonathan McKee
It’s amazing how many voices are rising out of the playgrounds, past and present, to express the perspective of one who’s been bullied.
My dad, myself, and my son were all bullied as kids. My dad was called tubby; I, with my huge overbite was called “bucky”; and my son, with his vivid imagination was called names I refuse to type. So I resonate with these voices.
You’ve heard my perspective on this before in my article, The Voice of the Bullied, and many of you have heard my son share his story. Here’s another story, using poetry and animation, that is going viral on YouTube. I found it Continue reading “Sticks and Stones Contest”
Posted in Bullying/Cyberbullying, Personal, Youth Culture, Youth Ministry Planning | | Leave A Comment
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