Jonathan McKee, Author at Jonathan's Blog From The Source

Training Leaders in Uganda

Posted on: 09/9/14 5:45 AM | by Jonathan McKee

This weekend my dad and I pop on a plane to Uganda, a 23 hour itinerary… which is pretty long when I’m wearing this stupid arm brace for my shoulder.

Most of you have followed my shoulder injury, my surgery 4 weeks ago, and Instagram posts like the one I sent two weeks ago… declaring “four more weeks” wearing this thing! Well, the good news is that my shoulder is healing nicely, and I’ll actually get to ditch the arm brace halfway through the Uganda trip. And frankly, maybe this injury will remind me how much I need to depend on God throughout this trip, pointing to Him, not myself (II Cor. 4:5-7). Continue reading “Training Leaders in Uganda”

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Free Online Training

Posted on: 09/4/14 5:45 AM | by Jonathan McKee

I constantly receive emails from people who can’t come to one of my training workshops, but wonder if we provide any free online training.

I’ve always answered, “Yes!” and provided a link to our Free Training Tools page, which includes a myriad of free online video training. But here’s the link to another training… this time… an entire workshop I taught online via “webinar” earlier this year titled, Grappling with the Smartphone Generation.

NOTE: I don’t typically like these kind of “online training webinars”… because they’re a little static and dry Continue reading “Free Online Training”

Posted in Internet, Movies, Music, Parenting, Smartphones/Cell Phones, Social Media, Speaking/Training, TV, Youth Culture | | Leave A Comment

Traveling Near You

Posted on: 09/2/14 5:45 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Jonathan-McKee-speaking-B September is already here and I’m about to begin spending a lot of time in airports! That might just mean I’ll be coming to a city near you. Check out my fall schedule and see. Here are some of the highlights… staring with Eastern PA this weekend:

September 6 and 7, 2014 (Lititz, PA)
This Saturday night I’ll be training youth leaders at Grace Brethren Church of Lititz. Then Sunday morning I’ll be preaching in their services and teaching my Parenting the Smartphone Generation workshop later that afternoon.

September 14, 2014 (Woodville, TX)
I’ll be preaching in the morning services at First Baptist Church Woodville, then teaching my Parenting the Smartphone Generation workshop early afternoon following lunch.

Continue reading “Traveling Near You”

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Nicki Minaj and Other Top Female Role Models

Posted on: 08/26/14 5:45 AM | by Jonathan McKee

This last Sunday night MTV revealed something new about today’s most popular music stars… they are mostly female.

It was an incontestable reality at MTV’s VMAs this year. Ladies swept the awards. In fact they won almost every single award except Best Male Video.

So what are our daughters gleaning from these female role models?

The VMAs
Sadly, the entertainment industry is providing most of the role models for many young people today. And if you glimpse at a show as powerful as the MTV VMAs, a show that last year was cable’s #1 entertainment telecast of 2013 among 12-34 year-olds, you’ll discover who many of these role models are, and you’ll garner a pretty accurate a sampling of their content and fashion choices.
Continue reading “Nicki Minaj and Other Top Female Role Models”

Posted in Entertainment Media, Music, Sexuality, TV | | Leave A Comment

In Your City

Posted on: 08/18/14 5:45 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Finally… someone created an online hub for Christian happenings!

It’s like this. Every time someone brings me out to their city to speak they always want to publicize their event, their training, or their conference… and depending on the city, some have some good “word of mouth” networks to get the word out… but most don’t.

For years I’ve been commenting, “I wish their was one ‘hub’ where people could go to and see what events, resources, speakers, etc. were available in their own area.”

It’s finally here! And by a group I trust.
Continue reading “In Your City”

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My Top 10 Post Surgery Activities

Posted on: 08/12/14 5:45 AM | by Jonathan McKee

This morning, as you read this, I’m being rolled into surgery for a rotator cuff repair.

It’s been six weeks since I first tore my shoulder (something I’ve replayed in my mind over and over again, regretting more and more each time I think about it), and now that I’m starting to feel a little bit better… I get to start all over again!

Surgery is at 10AM this morning. Luckily, it’s an arthroscopic surgery (unless he finds something more), but he still said to count on four to six weeks with no mobility, and six months before I’m even picking up a coffee cup without wincing. (Nice!)

The timing is actually perfect. August is always a pretty lax month where I take time with my family, and I have almost four weeks before I begin a pretty insane speaking schedule on September 6th. So what does that mean for me for the next four weeks of immobility?

Glad you asked! Here are my plans.

JONATHAN’S TOP 10 POST-SURGERY ACTIVITIES

10. Trying to break a new record of the most movies watched in a 24 hour period! (Or the most movie hours… like the day I watched the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy– the extended editions!)

9. Avoiding email like it’s 1999 (yes, typing actually hurts).

8. Playing stool softener roulette. During post surgery clogs, discovering how much it actually requires to get things moving… not exploding!

7. Calculating the perfect angle to set the recliner for sleeping.

6. Learning to eat with my left hand.

5. Learning to brush my teeth with my left hand.

4. After the stool softener kicks in, learning to roll the toilet paper …. well… there are a lot of things I have to learn to do with my left hand!

3. Growing a beard (although Lori informs me it will not be a real beard, just a patchy imitation. Curse my baby-face!)

2. Sleeping on my back with my arm propped in a brace.

1. And in all reality… counting my blessings! I don’t have to look very far to notice God is very good to me.

Thanks for all your prayers! (I’ll try to post a comment below with a quick update after the surgery)

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Should I Watch Game of Thrones, PART II

Posted on: 08/5/14 5:45 AM | by Jonathan McKee

In my previous post I discussed the growing popularity and availability of sexually-charged entertainment, shows like Game of Thrones or the upcoming movie, 50 Shades of Grey.

Popularity, availability... how about the morality of these shows?

In a world where this kind of entertainment is commonplace or “no big deal”… I’m starting to hear a lot of Christians growing comfortable with it. The Millennial Generation in particular really likes Game of Thrones and doesn’t seem to have a problem watching it.

So that’s why I asked you the question. Is it okay? If we have put our faith in Christ alone and are being sanctified by Him, when does this modern “art” and entertainment become a distraction slowing us down, a sin that we need to “strip off” (Hebrews 12:1,2)? Continue reading “Should I Watch Game of Thrones, PART II”

Posted in Entertainment Media, Jonathan's Rant, Movies, Sexuality, TV | | Leave A Comment

Should I Watch Game of Thrones?

Posted on: 07/29/14 5:45 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Game of Thrones anyone? How about the new Fifty Shades of Grey?

In a world where this kind of sexually charged entertainment is rapidly becoming the choice diet of mainstream audiences… what are Christians to watch? I mean seriously. How many times do we have to watch Facing the Giants?

I just read an article sharing John Piper’s thoughts on “Nudity” and Game of Thrones, and I was compelled to chime in. Yes, I realize that I’m taking a risk to even speak out about Game of Thrones, especially to my Millennial readers (currently, age 19-34), because… Continue reading “Should I Watch Game of Thrones?”

Posted in Entertainment Media, Jonathan's Rant, Movies, Sexuality | | Leave A Comment

Want a sneak peak?

Posted on: 07/24/14 11:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

I just finished a brand new youth ministry book about mobilizing and equipping volunteers for ministry. I turn it in to the publisher in 7 days and would love to get some feedback to make some last minute tweaks before I turn it in.

Anyone want to preview my book this weekend? (UPDATE: I’ve already had an overwhelming response. I can have 5 more people look at it- but they’d need to be able to read it literally this weekend and have me comments by Monday at noon.)

The book is a short little resource, just 10,000 words (that’s like just 2 to 3 chapters of most of my books), part of a creative new youth ministry set that GROUP Publishing is coming out with early next year. I won’t give too much away about the project, but I’ll let you know that Continue reading “Want a sneak peak?”

Posted in Books, Youth Ministry Philosophy | | Leave A Comment