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

The Music Genre Kids Like

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”

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Unedited Advice to Teen Guys

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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Alyssa’s Top 10 Uganda Pics

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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First Launch

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”

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Advice to Small Group Leaders

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”

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Sticks and Stones Contest

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

Media Fast

Posted on: 03/1/13 3:02 AM | by Jonathan McKee

No TV, no music, no texting, no movies, no Facebook, no Instagram, no Tumbler…

Sounds like teenage Hell!

Some teenagers might describe it as that, but about 100 kids at our church have opted to do this for 25 days. It’s a media fast that is preparing them for a missions trip they’ll take during Easter break.

The kids aren’t embarking on this fast alone; most the parents are doing the fast with their kids. Our house has committed to it, and it’s been Continue reading “Media Fast”

Posted in Faith, Personal, Prayer, Youth Ministry Planning | | Leave A Comment

Hot Topics

Posted on: 02/27/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee

I’m really excited about the training labs I’m teaching this weekend at YSPalooza Chicago, because the two topics I’m teaching are addressing two of the biggest training needs I notice in youth ministries across the U.S.

I know that might sound a little dogmatic. Don’t get me wrong—I really don’t think I have some unique sense of what American youth ministries need. I just make a habit of listening to people on the front lines all over North America, and I have noticed some common denominators that surface when it comes to training needs. The YS leadership team looks at these as well so they know what training and resources to provide. This year, these two topics were among that rose to the top Continue reading “Hot Topics”

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Scream & Shout

Posted on: 02/19/13 11:50 AM | by Jonathan McKee

The music industry is at it again, pimping easily accessible smut for our kids’ eyes and ears. This time, it’s a new music video from Will I Am… and most parents don’t have a clue.

That’s what scares me the most– how unaware parents are. After the Super Bowl this year, I kept encountering articles written by parents who were “shocked” by Beyonce’s performance.

Really?

Don’t get me wrong. She was overtly sexual, she was inappropriate, and I think it’s sad that our country happily endorses that entertainment. But her performance was in no way “shocking.” If you’ve ever seen Continue reading “Scream & Shout”

Posted in Entertainment Media, Jonathan's Rant, Music, Parenting, Sexuality, Youth Culture | | Leave A Comment