Time to Tweet

Posted on: 08/12/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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One of the fun ways I enjoy keeping you current is through 140 characters or less! (Isn’t that brevity lovely!)

I’m speaking of Twitter, of course, and this month I’m rewarding you for following my Tweets with some fun contests, giveaways and resources.

My Twitter account is a vehicle I use to tell you about new resources, articles, funny anecdotes, and the newest trends and news in the youth-ministry/parenting world. For the rest of August, I’ll be rewarding those of you who decide to follow me and reTweet!

It’s this simple. I tweet something you like… you hit that nice little reTweet button and reTweet my Tweet. Each time you reTweet me, your name goes in the hopper to win. I’m giving away a book per week this month, a choice of any of my books, including my brand new Zombie Apocalypse Survival Guide for Teenagers which is shipping this week.

Happy reTweeting!!!

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Discipling Teenagers

Posted on: 08/7/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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In the nineties youth ministry was so focused on ‘effective outreach,’ often ‘effective spiritual growth’ was moved to the back burner.

This went on for about a decade, until the church had to begin doing triage with kids who had been raised in the church, but never discipled to own their own faith.

Now the most common questions I hear from youth workers and parents are Continue reading “Discipling Teenagers”

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Responding to The Jonas Brothers’ New Music Video

Posted on: 08/5/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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I like to keep an eye on the music charts and see what young people are putting in their heads. The next few months, and even weeks, will be interesting, because new music is on its way from Katy Perry (Aug 12), Lady Gaga (Aug 19) and others. But among these, it was the new Jonas Brothers music video that caught my attention.

Unlike so many artists today who become the heroes and role models of kids today, The Jonas Brothers seem to have kept a pretty clean slate. Back in 2008 Continue reading “Responding to The Jonas Brothers’ New Music Video”

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Teenagers and YouTube

Posted on: 07/29/13 2:32 PM | by Jonathan McKee

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I went camping last weekend with about 20 families from my church, all families with teenagers. I always look forward to this time away from technology. It’s fun to see teenagers sitting around campfires, swimming in a lake, hiking… probably one of the only times of the entire year I see teenagers without their phones out!

But it wasn’t totally tech-free for the four days we were there. At times a young person would pull out their phone in the middle of a huddle of teenagers and start playing music through their little iPhone speaker (something I’ll never understand… if I can’t hear it through good speakers, I don’t want to hear it at all), or a group would pull out one of their phones and immediately it would start, “Have you seen this one?” Then they’d show each other the newest and funniest YouTube video. Continue reading “Teenagers and YouTube”

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Nudity and Sex… No Big Deal

Posted on: 07/24/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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We’ve seen an increase in nudity and sensuality on TV, in Music Videos, and other entertainment media in the last few years. Should we be concerned? Is America concerned?

STD rates are up in my city and up to 23% higher in my entire state. These rates are the highest among young adults age 15-24. I thought it was bad enough in 2008 when the U.S. Center for Disease Control informed us all 1 in 4 teenage girls in America have an STD. Is America’s chillaxed attitude about sex sending young people the wrong message?

My girls went to Italy and France last summer and saw some of the classic paintings and sculptures from brilliant artists like Michelangelo, DaVinci… and those other Ninja turtles. As they gazed at nude paintings in the Louvre and on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel… my wife didn’t cover their eyes.

So when is nudity art… Continue reading “Nudity and Sex… No Big Deal”

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Proud Daddy

Posted on: 07/22/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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Saturday was a fun day for me as a dad and a husband. I, once again, participated in Sacramento’s “no swim” triathlon called Eppie’s Great Race… but this time my wife and my daughter did it too.

My daughter Alyssa and I both did the “ironman” (run, bike, and kayak) and Lori ran with a team.

Both girls did better than they thought they’d do. They ran together, clocking roughly 8:30 minute/miles for the 5.82 mile run. Alyssa then hopped on her mountain bike for the 12.5 mile ride, averaging over 17mph (which is good for a mountain bike, especially after a run), then did the 6.35 mile paddle in about 57 minutes, for a total time of 2 hours and 33 minutes. She’s a stud!

My time was 3 minutes Continue reading “Proud Daddy”

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Experiencing New York City

Posted on: 07/17/13 10:23 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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This past week I took my 15-year-old daughter Ashley on one of my speaking trips, speaking 8 times in three states… then two days in New York City just for fun!

Rather than blabbing all about it… here’s the picture highlights:

The flight out was very comfortable. It’s always nice when the person next to you doesn’t take up any of your elbow room at all Continue reading “Experiencing New York City”

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3 Best Practices Developing Young Leaders

Posted on: 07/15/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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I just heard my friend Doug Fields share three “best practices” developing young leaders helpful not only in the context of youth ministry, but also in the context of parenting.

Doug is a big believer in developing young leaders. In all three cities of his SLC2013 Conference this year, he pulled the adult leaders aside and prepped them for what they could do to help their students glean as much as possible from this leadership event. In this little face to face meeting, Doug shared 3 “Best Practices” adult leaders could make a habit of, not only at this conference, but this entire year, developing young leaders Continue reading “3 Best Practices Developing Young Leaders”

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Evolution of the Bikini

Posted on: 07/10/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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How do most guys respond when they see a woman in a bikini?

That’s what a group of men at Princeton sought to discover. In their study they showed men photographs of scantily clad women and observed brain activity.

“They are responding to these photographs as if they were responding to objects.”

This is just a snippet of the research clothing designer Jessica Rey shares in this fascinating little YouTube video about the history of the bikini:

This video probably provokes polar responses from audiences, cheers from one end and sneers from the other (the teenage side of the audience). And that’s what I like about it. It’s heated topics like this that Continue reading “Evolution of the Bikini”

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