Personal Archives - Page 12 of 25 - Jonathan's Blog From The Source

Thanks to You...

Posted on: 07/5/11 10:53 AM | by Jonathan McKee

It’s a good day to be a reader of this blog. Fun announcements all around, including the 10 winners of our GAMES & ICEBREAKERS page “Comment Contest.”

But first… a very cool little piece of news. I want to thank you all for being readers of this blog and helping it land in the 2011 list of the Top 20 Youth Ministry Blogs. I’m humbled to be part of that amazing list of writers… thanks so much for reading what I write! (Congrats to all my friends on the list as well: Tim, Greg, Kurt, Walt… too many to name)

Now let me announce the winners of our “Comment Contest.” The task was simple. Jump on our GAMES & ICEBREAKERS page and post a comments and/or rating. This helps us keep our resources current and fresh. This also will help us add a very cool feature to that page soon- we’re going to add a “sort” feature so that you can sort the list of games by “ranking.” This way you can see which games you- the viewers- like best.

We had 100s of comments and ratings come in providing your “two cents” about many of our over 900 games. This morning I randomly chose 10 winners. Five people win the new THOU SHALT LAUGH DVD (My two cents on that DVD here), and five people win their choice of any of my books in print (any of the books you see pictures of on the left hand side of this page).

Here are the winners! (I just emailed these people this morning!)

Thou Shalt Laugh 5

Ashley for her comment about the Alka-Seltzer On the Head Duel

Josh Shrable for his comment about Newspaper Name Nail (great game by the way)

Nathanael for his comment about the $1,000 Bill Exchange

Chad for his comment about Two Truths and a Lie (love that game… use it all the time!)

Robert for his comment about Candy Hunt

BOOK WINNERS

Chris Childs for his comment about Grab It

Lee for his comment about Battle of the Generations (also an awesome game!)

Dan Manns for his comments about Bear Hunt

Karen for her comment about the Penny Challenge

Carissa Hippen for her comment about Alphabet Getting to Know You

Thanks for being part of this blog!

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Massive DVD Give-away

Posted on: 05/19/11 9:05 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Earlier this week we were going through our office and I found some of our FINAL COUNTDOWN DVD’s from a few years back. This DVD has three really cool countdown videos on it that I use before workshops, at youth events, etc. (I’m actually using it this weekend in Pittsburgh- one of the countdowns has some great extreme sports shots, while couting down to the beginning of the program.)

We have a few hundred of these DVDs left, so I thought, “Hey, lets give these away!”

So right now we’re giving these DVDs away with any order of any of my books. It doesn’t matter what book you order, or how many you order… we give you a free DVD. They are flying out of here!

HERE’S THE DETAILS

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If the World Doesn’t End Saturday…

Posted on: 05/18/11 9:27 AM | by Jonathan McKee

I don’t know if you have a billboard in your town, but one of the major highways in my town has one of Harold Camping’s billboards talking about the end of the world being this Saturday.

Sigh.

I guess if you keep predicting Jesus’ return, some day you’ll eventually be right.

Well, if you live in PA and you believe that Friday night is the last time for repentance, then you can come hear me speak at a smalltown youth conference up in Meadville, PA (More about the conference here). I speak to kids Friday night, and then on Saturday, if Jesus doesn’t come by then, I’m doing my all day CONNECT workshop, training youth leaders how to build relationships with young people today.

I’ll be doing the same workshop this fall in Kansas, about an hour west of Wichita (more info on that here).

Oh… and shouldn’t we just live every day as if it was the last day? (just my two cents)

Posted in Personal, Speaking/Training, Travel | | Leave A Comment

Tomorrow My Son Turns 18… Have I Raised Him Right?

Posted on: 05/16/11 11:11 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Tuesday, my son Alec turns 18.

In just a few months I’ll be dropping him off at his college dorm, over 300 miles from home, where he will start the next stage of his life… finally out on his own.

For 18 years Lori and I have been teaching him, coaching him, hanging out with him, laughing with him, playing with him, dragging him to events and camps that I’ve spoken at. I still have a drawing he made for me at one of those camps—he drew it during my talk to the teenagers. It says, “I’m proud of you dad!” I still have it. I keep it in my laptop case when I travel.

I love to think of those fun moments.

Of course there were also the times in the last 18 years when we were correcting him, lecturing him, grounding him… (gulp) yelling at him… it’s weird to think about it all—good and bad. My parenting was so imperfect. Constant second-guessing. Was I too lenient? Was I too strict? Did I teach him enough? Did I lecture too long?

My days as the primary mentor in his life are mostly over. Sure, I still have input, but the reality of the situation is, he’s now a young man and he can do whatever he wants.

Have I prepared him for this day?

For years now, at the end of my parenting workshops—almost every time—a mom will come up to me in tears and say something like, “I think I’ve blown it! It’s too late. I think I’ve lost my son.” (or my daughter) Each time this has happened, I tried to comfort them and offer encouragement, emphasizing the importance of looking for opportunities for relationship building with their son or daughter.

In the last few years when I faced these questions, I began to sweat a little more and answer these questions with a little less confidence. After all, I’m far from the perfect Dad.

In my latest book, CANDID CONFESSIONS OF AN IMPERFECT PARENT, I addressed these feelings as I wrapped up the last few chapters of my book. The last two chapters are titled:

CHAPTER 9: BEFORE THEY’RE GONE—RAISING UP DANIELS

CHAPTER 10: AM I TOO LATE? –LAST MINUTE EFFORTS

In those two chapters I talk about the calling that we have as parents to raise up “Daniels” who will someday be plucked from our safety net and thrown into the real world where they have to “resolve” for themselves how they will live their lives.

Tomorrow, those chapters become a reality for Lori and I.

As I look at who our three kids have become, I am truly humbled at God’s grace. In spite of my many failures, they are really amazing kids. They’ve traveled with me (Alec even spoke with me this year), they love their church and are involved in leadership there. I’m so proud of my kids.

Have I told them that enough?

Maybe it’s my turn to sit down and make a drawing for Alec.

“I’m proud of you, son!”

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Our 2 Cents on Thor and More…

Posted on: 05/11/11 2:21 PM | by Jonathan McKee

This summer’s movie lineup is packed with films that will be drawing our teenagers to the theatre, and believe it or not… a lot of them look pretty clean.

David wrote an entire Youth Culture Window article (on the front page of our site now) giving you a glimpse of many of the May and June releases like Thor, Pirates3, Kung Fu Panda 2, Hangover 2, etc. (as you can see, some good, some bad). Part II of the article will be posted next week.

Todd and I already posted our “2 Cents” of the first film on the list, in our review of Thor, on our MOVIE REVIEWS & QUICK Q’s page right now. Here’s a snippet:

TODD’S WORD: I know it’s only May, but with the release of Thor, the summer movie season has officially begun, and once again it’s a Super Hero movie that is taking control of the box office.

JONATHAN’S WORD: Yeah, not a bad start. Thor was fun. It wasn’t anything I’d rush out to the theatre to see… but it was fun.

TODD’S WORD: Since 2000 Marvel Studios has released 24 films and two more coming out this summer (X-men: First Class and Captain America). No one can argue that they have had a few duds (Ghost Rider, Dare Devil and Elektra), but for the most part they have given us one huge summer blockbuster after another (Ironman, X-men, Spiderman and the Fantastic Four). No doubt about it, comic book heroes are box office gold, especially when you include DC Studios (Batman and Superman).

JONATHAN’S WORD: It’s an interesting genre. They’ve had some really great ones (The Spiderman films, the Ironman films), and, yes, a few duds. For me, Thor was a lot more like Fantastic Four. Just okay. I felt like it could have been so much more. It was hit and miss for me.

TODD’S WORD: Well, let’s break it down…

Click here for the rest of that review and its QUICK Q’s.

Posted in Entertainment Media, Movies, Personal | | Leave A Comment

Three Buttons Every Parent Should Use

Posted on: 05/9/11 11:36 AM | by Jonathan McKee

This past weekend, on Mother’s Day, I spoke in all three services at a local church on the topic of parenting media saturated kids.

I decided to let my 13-year-old Ashley speak with me because I was talking specifically about teaching our kids lasting values, and I wanted to give them a glimpse of what that actually looks like. So Ashley shared candidly about what it’s like being a Christian kid living in a secular world that saturates teenagers with raunchy media. She talked openly about songs she likes, and how “racy songs” can be alluring to kids her age- especially when she hears them all day at school, sports, etc.

Ashley closed by encouraging these parents not to just try to be the “cool” parent that says yes to everything… instead, be the caring parent that cares enough to say “no, this doesn’t belong in our house.”

The audience really liked hearing from her (she did a great job). Then I chimed in and gave some application of what it looks like to build values into our kids “as we get up, as we walk along the road, as we go to bed…” Fun stuff.

This month, “More to Life” Magazine has posted and article I wrote for them on their MY HOME section of the web site, an article titled, “Three Buttons Every Parent Should Use.” This article gives a glimpse of some of what Ashley and I shared on Mother’s Day. Here’s just a peek:

Today’s parents often wonder if they’re truly making a difference in the lives of their kids, or if they should just throw in the towel. I assure you, don’t give up. Research unanimously reveals that parents who care enough to spend time with their kids and help their kids make good choices are the parents who become the number one influence in their kids’ lives. (I cite numerous examples of this research in my book, Candid Confessions of an Imperfect Parent).

Many parents might not be so quick to throw up their hands and quit if they were just given a few tools to help them navigate this intimidating arena of 21st century parenting. In a world of Facebook, iPods and MTV, how can we connect with our media-saturated teens and tweens?

I’ve found it extremely helpful to use three buttons…

CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTIRE ARTICLE.

Posted in Entertainment Media, Family, Parenting, Personal, Speaking/Training | | Leave A Comment

Jonathan… or Snookie?

Posted on: 04/26/11 12:11 PM | by Jonathan McKee

“Well… I’m cheaper than Snookie!”

Yeah, that’s probably not a great place to set the bar. 🙂 (more on Snookie speaking in a moment)

As most of you know, I do quite a bit of speaking and training around the country, usually not more than twice a month away from home (simply because I don’t want to be the “deadbeat dad” speaker guy). So here’s a glimpse inside the life of someone who travels speaking and training. Each of us do it a little bit differently. But two things have never changed for me in the last 10 years: my price for a training or parent workshop, and the way I book.

1. MY PRICE: For the last 10 years, I’ve never raised the price of my workshops. Gas is more, flights are more… but Jonathan is still $2,000 total for workshops, that includes all travel… everything. All that money goes 100% to our ministry and the free resources and training we provide. My board and I have made an effort to keep that price as low as possible since “equipping” is a huge part of our vision. (My “speaking” and “keynote” prices are a little more, but training is always only $2,000.)

But every once in a while I get someone who doesn’t understand the price. They wonder why I can’t fly from California to Alabama and speak for a week for $300. I’ve even been told that if I had more faith, I’d speak for free.

Sigh.

Well, earlier this month Jersey Shore’s Snookie was booked to speak at Rudgers for a price of $32,000… and parents were outraged. I don’t blame em.’ That’s $10,000 more than annual tuition there! (Fox News).

Even though most people actually find my prices cheap, I’ve had several experiences where people tried to book me and were surprised at why I’d be $2,000 to come in and train. I simply tell them to feel free to call some of the other people who do what I do and check prices. Usually I get a call back in a day or two with a, “Okay… you’re cheap. Let’s book you!”

2. NO AGENT: For the last 10 years, I’ve never used a speaking “agent” because I really like the personal interaction and communication with the people that I’m ministering with.

About 15 years ago I was the guy booking speakers and bands. Every time, without exception, that I had a problem with a speaker or a band… it was because of miscommunication. “Your agent said that…” or “I thought you were supposed to…”

In my book about programming events I spend a whole chapter talking about booking speakers and another chapter about booking bands. Those chapters are filled with hilarious stories of miscommunication and disaster. Let’s just say, I always want to make sure that those of us doing ministry together are working as a team together.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? What are some of the experiences you’ve had good and bad with speakers/trainers?

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Pray for Us

Posted on: 04/15/11 2:06 PM | by Jonathan McKee

I’d really appreciate your prayers for my family, especially this weekend. All five of us are doing ministry in different directions… and one has a 103.5 temperature! (More on that in a minute)

Last night I dropped off my wife Lori and my 8th grade daughter Ashley at the church, and they embarked with our church’s middle school group for a three-day missions trip to the poor areas of San Francisco. They’ll spend the next three days helping out the homeless, the addicted, as well as aids victims. My other two kids have done this trip in years past—amazing. Imagine a junior high student literally washing a homeless person’s feet. It’s a life-changing experience. Lori has gone with our church for the last 3 years.

This morning, I left for Kansas to teach one of my CONNECT workshops, and my son Alec left for his weeklong trip to Southern California where he’ll be working with the homeless, engaging conversations with people on the street, and serving the poor—another great missions experience. As a senior in high school, he leaves early (today), where my daughter Alyssa leaves Sunday—then they both minister for the week.

As of last night, Alyssa had a high fever. She’s missed two days of school so far. She’s so bummed… she’s been looking forward to this Easter Break missions trip all year. She’s hoping to get better by Saturday night so she can leave with the rest of the high school team (about 70 kids) Sunday a.m.

So Lori and I left my parents with a sick kid. Nice, huh?

Please pray for my little Alyssya’s health (okay… she’s 15… but she’s still my little Lyssy).

I also appreciate your prayers for Lori and Ash in SF, me in KS and Alec in Southern CA. I look forward to what God is going to do!

Thanks for your prayers!

Posted in Family, Personal, Prayer | | Leave A Comment

David’s Debate Results

Posted on: 04/8/11 9:49 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Well, David has finished his pornography debate at the University of South Florida. Late last night, he emailed me to let me know of his immense gratitude for the prayers from The Source’s users. He also gave me some details about how the debate panned out. I’ll let him describe it to you in his own words.

Jonathan,

The porn debate is over, and I’ve got great news!

But first, thanks again for all the prayers. I received emails, text messages, and Facebook comments from all over the country thanks to your previous blog about the porn debate. I cannot describe to you the incredible amount of support I sensed from knowing people all over the country were praying specifically for me during a specific timeframe. Leaders from churches I’ve trained at or spoken at over the years – who are also users of The Source – were also chiming in with Bible verses and prayers. In short, incredible! I jokingly told our student body I wanted to face another tough task this coming week just so I’d have this much prayerful support.

And now, time for some good news. To begin with, we had a record-setting attendance. Close to 200 college students poured out to hear the debate…and eat free 5 Guys Burgers and fries. Our facility had students jammed into every corner, with standing room only, as well as a lobby (used as spill over space) crammed full of bodies. Great crowd!

More importantly, that crowd allowed each of the three panelists the opportunity to share their perspective on “the effects of pornography.” (Yes, that’s right; three. At the last minute, a third panelist, the General Manager of The Todd Couples Superstore, a local adult retail store, joined our discussion.)

Because I come from a generation that actually kept score, we passed out tally sheets at the end of the night to gauge where students were at, what they thought, what they learned, and how the debate had impacted them. We asked 4 simple questions that allowed students to describe (1) what they thought about porn BEFORE coming to the debate, (2) what they thought about porn LEAVING the debate, (3) what they were going to do about porn AS A RESULT of the debate, and (4) who WON the debate.

I’m quite pleased – and very humbled – to say that I won the debate. Scratch that; God’s truth won the debate! Without even letting our regular students participate in the tally, our position was found to be “the most compelling” by 52% of the students in attendance. The second place position secured 28% of the crowd’s support, and the third place position garnered 20% of the students’ support.

Even more exciting, we’ve got score cards essentially saying, “You guys have helped me understand I cannot live with the effects of porn any longer. I want help.” Because of this ministry event, we now stand poised to help dozens of young men and women who silently struggle with this serious issue. Praise God!

But, it gets even better! Several of our board members – myself included – strongly believe the young man who participated in the debate (from the adult retail store) is open to further discussion about the effects of the products he sells at his store. I have lunch planned with him next week. Our board is already praying about that conversation over BBQ.

Please join our leadership in praying for Shayne. He was raised in a Catholic household and knows the truth…even though he doesn’t live it. Pray the Gospel is clearly communicated to him through me. Pray that he receives Christ as his Savior…and Lord. Finally, pray that his lifestyle mirrors his newfound faith.

Thanks so much for all you’ve done, and for all you’ll do. You’re an incredible blessing to me.

Like David, I want to take a moment to thank you for praying. He and I travel all over the country and we speak on behalf of God’s truth several times each month. It’s great knowing that you are praying for us. In this blog, I just wanted to update you guys about the effects of your prayers: they worked because God is good, all the time.

Posted in Faith, Personal, Prayer | | Leave A Comment

David vs the Strip Club Owner

Posted on: 04/6/11 5:37 PM | by Jonathan McKee

David R Smith, the guy who writes well over half of our Youth Culture Window articles, was talking to me on the phone earlier this week about an upcoming debate he has at his college ministry on the campus of The University of South Florida. He told me that he was hosting a debate on pornography at his ministry facility with Joe Redner, owner and operator of the Mons Venus, a world-renowned strip club in Tampa, FL.

The debate is going to center on the effects of pornography; are there any, and if so, are they good or bad?

David has told me he’s taken a huge leap of faith in this arena. Redner has made millions of dollars through adult entertainment, and has spoken at hundreds of venues like the one Thursday night, espousing his views on pornography. Simply googling the name “Joe Redner” reveals tons of information about the guy; he’s also on Wikipedia. In short, this guy is a giant in the adult entertainment business.

David wisely met him for lunch earlier this week; at that meeting, Redner made many disparaging remarks about the idea of God, verbally embraced atheism, and promised David he’d embarrass him in front of the campus body.

Hmmm…sounds like another story involving a giant who hated God and a guy named David….

I’m using today’s blog to ask you to pray for David. He’s going to have audience with an incredible amount of college students Thursday night, and he’d greatly appreciate your prayerful support. Who knows what could come out of this night. Clearly, David has the truth. Let’s ask God to give him the words, the insight, and the clarity to communicate those truths to college students in South Florida.

The debate starts live at 8:15pm EST, Thursday night (for those in the Tampa area who would like to attend, it’s at the Crosswinds ministry building on 50th Street next to the new athletic fields). David has told me there’s a tech team in place to film the entire event so we can make it available to our blog and Ezine users at a later date. In addition to determining a winner and loser, college students will also be given a chance to state whether their belief AND USE of porn will shift as a result of this conversation. We’ll share that with you as soon as we can.

Thanks for your help in this. David has already expressed his gratitude to me on behalf of your prayers for him.

Posted in Entertainment Media, Faith, Personal, Prayer | | Leave A Comment