RECENT BLOG POSTS

Belief in God… Just Not Church

Posted on: 05/20/08 9:47 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Last Sunday I provided a quick “youth culture update” to a local group of youth leaders. In this training, I talked about how the majority of this young generation in America is open to God and spiritual beliefs… just not church attendance or organized religion (a fact I discussed in detail in my book about reaching out to the unchurched).

UK opinion columnist Camilla Cavendish draws the same conclusion about people in Britain. In this article she highlights the religious trends report suggesting there will be fewer people attending churches than mosques by 2040. Apparently only 6.3 percent of the UK population attends church on an average Sunday.

But does that mean 93.7 percent are atheists?

Not even close.

Cavendish, a self described “moonlighting agnostic,” gives us a glimpse into the reality that people might be interested in God… they just aren’t interested in church.

There is a fascinating debate to be had about cause and effect. But the only point I want to make is that being a Christian country has always been about more than belief in God and Sunday worship. In the 2001 census, seven in ten people described themselves as Christian, to the astonishment of many bishops; 22 per cent claimed to be still going to church at least once a year.

So Britain is very similar to America in that the majority of the country describe themselves as Christian, but very few attend church. My friend Dan Kimball expands on this phenomena in his book They Like Jesus, But Not the Church.

This coincides with much of what we’re hearing from people in the media (the source where much of this generation are drawing their opinions from). Celebrities make statements frequently that support this kind of thinking. In my Reaching Out to the Unchurched Training I often share quotes from the media preaching “belief in the spiritual” but resistance to “church or religion.”

“I think I find more strength in faith than I do in organized religion.”
– Jon Bon Jovi, Time, August 6, 2007, p. 6.

“I believe there is something out there. I believe there is an energy, a Karma– you know– what goes around comes around. And I hope to God that there is an afterlife . . . I don’t go to church that often. I go for like Easter Sunday. There is such a short period of time to live and I’d rather spend it ‘living life’ as apposed to sitting down and praying.”
-Hayden Panettiere, Interview, The Source for Youth Ministry

“I grew up in a family that called itself Catholic. But nobody told me that to pray you have to go to a place. I’ve always believed in God my own way.”
– Actress Penelope Cruz, Jane, March 2005, p. 109.

Hmmmmmmm.

I always find it interesting to get a peek into the minds of those we are trying to reach.

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Are You Ready for Kids With Special Needs?

Posted on: 05/19/08 9:38 AM | by Jonathan McKee

And I thought I had experienced disruptive kids!

Carol Race can’t take her son to church. One Sunday she tried… and the Sheriff was waiting at the end of her driveway. The church had filed a restraining order. But according to this twin cities Star Tribune article, Carol’s son isn’t your average 13-year-old.

The Rev. Daniel Walz, who did not return calls left at the Church of St. Joseph parish office, wrote in court documents that Adam’s behavior was “extremely disruptive and dangerous.” He alleged that Adam, who is more than 6 feet tall and weighs over 225 pounds, spits and urinates in church and has nearly injured children and elderly people.

Wow. This wouldn’t be an easy situation for anyone. Carol’s son is autistic. Shouldn’t he be able to attend church? At the same time, are there boundaries of what behavior is tolerable?

How do we minister to special needs kids?

My wife volunteered in a Sunday school class where we had several autistic children that attended. Some were pleasant experiences, some were very difficult. If we as the church are unprepared for such a situation, the results can be very unpleasant for everyone. But with a little compassion and some pro-active planning, ministering to special needs kids can be one other aspect of our ministry where we can represent Christ not only in word, but in deed.

Being pro-active to minister to special needs kids always includes two elements:

1. Being prepared to offer one-on-one attention to special needs kids

2. Good communication with the parents

The best help in these situations is always providing “one-on-one” attention to these children. The church I attended realized that many of these special needs kids needed special attention. So the church assigned a single volunteer to these individual kids (yes, it should be no surprise that much of our job as youth or children’s workers is recruiting and managing volunteers). If the kid became too disruptive, then the volunteer could take the child on a walk or in another room. I attended one large church where they had a special room for special needs kids. This was a room set up with special toys and games reserved exclusively for these kids.

An open channel of communication with the parents is also always key. Parents of special needs kids should be assured primarily that we want to serve them and love them and their children. Then ask them for any advice about their child. Be a good listener. As you listen to their needs, explain to them what you can hope to provide with one-on-one attention and any special rooms or services. Then be sure to get a cell phone number or point of connection so you can call them for help if the situation gets out of hand. It’s not unfair to set boundaries.

My sister in law Amy is a speech therapist and works with numerous special needs kids, including autistic children. I emailed her about a special situation with a kid that was very disruptive in a youth group. Her response was very helpful:

To me, the physical outbursts have to be handled – I would definitely talk with the family and if they were unable to help control these, I may have to restrict the son’s involvement in certain events where he was more unmanageable. I would also consider having some private chats with the regular ed students – how God has made us all in His image, and see if God has placed these (special needs) kids on any of the student’s hearts to directly minister to and “help out.” It may help make them less “annoying” in the eyes of the group if the group has an opportunity to voice their frustrations and at the same time hear a bit of God’s perspective on these kids of His.

I love how Amy not only gave good advice about communication and boundaries… but she talked about an opportunity for our entire youth group to minister.

Jesus came across a lot of people with special needs and always seemed to act in compassion. I think we should try to do the same.

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Should You See Prince Caspian Tonight?

Posted on: 05/16/08 7:42 AM | by Jonathan McKee

The answer to that question is a definite YES!

It’s been a while since I’ve felt this emotional about a film. I don’t know if it’s because of my recent podcast interview with Douglas Gresham (C.S. Lewis’ stepson), my chat with Switchfoot about their new song in the film, or just the reality of seeing this amazing piece of literature coming to the big screen.

When my brother and I were weee little lads, my family would read the Chronicles of Narnia books after dinner together as a family. We read the whole series. I, in turn, read the series to my kids.

This week, I had the opportunity to bring my family to an early screening of the film (there are occasional perks of reviewing movies) … and wow! (I talk about the experience in my review.)

A quick note about my review. In it, I mention Lord of the Rings. Allow me to chime in on that just a bit. As fantastic as the Narnia films are, I definitely think Lord of the Rings films are superior (strickly from a film making perspective- and don’t let that distract from how great the Narnia films are… I loved them) … but I confess, I’m torn, because I really enjoy the Narnia books more. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the Lord of the Rings books. But as a believer, it’s hard to not love the imagery of Aslan… I get teary every time I read about (or now see in the movies) the kids rolling with Aslan. Wow… powerful stuff. And Caspian has a few awe inspiring Aslan moments that gave me goosebumps. The stories always get me thinking about the love, safety, “awe” and FEAR… that one might feel in the presence of God.

You can catch my review of the film on our MOVIE REVIEWS page.

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Interviewing Switchfoot

Posted on: 05/15/08 8:25 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Today I’m interviewing Switchfoot’s Drew Shirley. I’m doing a little research about the band. Their new song This is Home is the official Prince Caspian song, featured during the ending credits of Prince Caspian releasing in theatres tomorrow.

I saw the screening of Prince Caspian two nights ago… another subject… but let me quickly interject… AWESOME! You can catcha glimpse of both worlds (the world of Switchfoot and Prince Caspian) in Switchfoot’s new video which has clips from the film. Check it out.

Switchfoot wrote this song for the film. I think this was a good choice by the Narnia film-makers, because Switchfoot is made up of true narnia fans. (I remember way back in my previous interview with the band, Chad mentioning what a C.S. Lewis fan he was.)

In their press release for the film, Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman said, “We are so honored to be a part of the Prince Caspian film with ‘This Is Home.’ The Narnia stories have a really special place in my brother Tim and my lives. Our dad used to read these to us at bedtime when we were boys. Our imaginations were shaped on these amazing novels.

“‘This Is Home’ was inspired by the book after re-reading it for the opportunity to write for the film,” continues Foreman. “I am always taken by [C. S.] Lewis’ ability to write about the bittersweet beauty in this world; this home we aren’t really made for but is the place we work out our humanity in the midst of our longing for our true home.”

Cool stuff!

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Struggling With Juno

Posted on: 05/14/08 6:33 AM | by Jonathan McKee

The movie Juno, which only this week was bumped from the number two spot in DVD rentals, has been at the top of the rental charts since its release on April 15th . Kids love it.

I, however, am a little torn.

If you work with youth or have kids, you’ve probably already heard about this film about a young girl that gets pregnant and decides to keep the child and put it up for adoption (I mentioned this film in a previous blog about the surprising number of secular films this year with pro-life themes). Kids love Juno and critics are raving about it. I’ve even heard the youth ministry community praising it. And I can see why youth workers enjoy the movie– it’s an authentic look at youth culture today. But I have to admit, I struggled with this film.

Here were my thoughts that I recently added to our ministry’s movie review page:

JUNO FILM REVIEW
This film had me torn from the beginning.

If you’re like me, you went into this film hearing all the hype about what a wonderful film this is, Oscar potential, blah, blah, blah. (Besides… do the words “Oscar potential” mean anything to you? Did you actually see There Will Be Blood? Zzzzzzzzzz) Everyone is recommending Juno. So I admit… I had high expectations going into it.

To summarize my thoughts I’ll have to resort to bullets for this one.

THE GOOD:

Ellen Page was really a likable character, warts and all. She reminded me of several of my Campus Life kids from back in the day.
Jennifer Garner was surprisingly good. She wasn’t the typical “Alias” eye candy… she did some real acting here.
Like so many films this year, the value of life was communicated… even if in an awkward way.
The characters were very real. Very 2007. Not just a bunch of “actor models” who got the roles… but real people. Very convincing.

THE BAD:

I had heard that this was a good film for teenagers. In one of the first scenes we see a shot of a girl’s legs as her panties are dropped to the floor. Then she climbs on top of a guy. Yes, they didn’t show nudity. Yes, I know that’s what the film was about (a girl getting pregnant). But guess what… I don’t want my kids seeing the action- even just the beginning of it.
Juno was a fun character, but she was really foul. I have loved plenty of kids like this in my ministry and still do. But in this film, she was almost a role model. Her bad decisions, her lack of tact, and her foul mouth were almost given a stamp of approval. I realize that this is a hard balance to find. I love kids like this. But it doesn’t mean that I want kids to grow up thinking that it is “okay” to grow up acting like that.
The film showed very little consequences of behavior. The film was fun and light, and I think those elements made the movie enjoyable. But the film didn’t seem to show any of the pain or consequences from the behaviors. Sure, Juno got pregnant. But it was treated like, “no big deal.”
Similar to the last two bullets, this film contained a lot of immitatable behavior. And being that this is currently the MOST popular rental of the year… wow!

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
I think that most kids shouldn’t see it. I might show my older teenagers this film when they are 16 or older (depending on their maturity) if we went to dinner and talked about the film afterwards. I would need to talk through the bullets highlighted above.

But there is no way I’d show this to junior higher or younger. Come on people– how fast do we want our kids to grow up? Yes, I’m a huge advocate of talking with our kids about real life. But we don’t need to shove it down their throats early. Let it come as it comes. And then be open for those conversations.

Thoughts?

Posted in Jonathan's Rant, Movies, Sexuality, Youth Culture | | Leave A Comment

Hollywood is not America

Posted on: 05/12/08 11:24 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Here’s a little song that’s climbing the charts.. and Wow, does this song have a powerful message! (Parents will really miss out if they hear the word “Centerfold” and just change the station.)

The song is called Hollywood is not America. It’s about a girl that is looking for fulfillment in all the wrong places.

Here’s a glimpse of some of the lyrics:

Born Helena Jane
With a restless soul
She moved west to California
Became a centerfold

But once you change your name
Well the pieces fall
Now she hardly recognizes herself at all

And there’s never any rain, when you want it
A hollow little game, and you’ve won it
Looking for a thrill but you’ve done it all

And then part of the chorus…

So long, put your blue jeans back on girl
Go home
Remember Hollywood’s not America

(complete lyrics here).

This is one of those times when when I’m glad that teenagers DO listen to the lyrics. The song’s message is such a contrast to the other songs at the top of the charts right now ike Usher’s Let’s Make Love in This Club (sometimes titled Love in This Club) or Lil Wayne’s sexually explicit Lolliipop. Instead, Ferras’ Hollywood is not America deals with the cold reality that sometimes our pursuits are meaningless and hollow.

The song is growing popular fast. Today it’s #48 on iTunes (that’s of ALL songs mind you), and it’s 41 on Billboard’s Pop 100 and climbing. According to the Ferras website…

The multi-format radio hit, tipped as a USA Today “Pick of the Week” and an Entertainment Weekly “Download of the Day,” has sold nearly 100,000 copies since its release eight weeks ago. The video for “Hollywood’s Not America,” directed by Paul Brown… is one of only three videos in “Love” rotation at The N, the “VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown” and also MTV Hits, Music Choice and LOGO’s new music show, “New Now Next.”

You will definately be seeing a write up from us on our MUSIC DISCUSSIONS page next week.

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Beyonce’s “Hoochified” Fashion Line for Kids

Posted on: 05/9/08 2:42 PM | by Jonathan McKee

It’s Beyoncé… no, it’s a streetwalker… no, it’s… a four-year-old?!

Yes, Beyoncé is at it again. This time she’s not raising eyebrows with a low cut top or her “ghost thigh-master” dance move in her newest music video… this time it’s her clothing line for kids.

People are a little upset. And by “people” I don’t mean Falwell or Dobson. I mean the secular fashion world:

Beyoncé Knowles and her mother Tina launched the House of Deréon clothing line in 2004 and tagged it “where the sidewalk and catwalk meet”. The clothes they market display a mix of influences, from hip hop to the very stylish and feminine air of more traditional designer clothing. The brand was quickly expanded by Beyoncé’s younger sister Solange and by the singer’s fiancé / rumored husband, hip hop star and business mogul Jay-Z, who launched the junior line Deréon, aimed at teens and even young children. And it’s here that the controversy emerged, with a glossy magazine ad for the Deréon Girls Collection that led to a lot of raised eyebrows.

The ad depicts a series of young girls aged around 7 or 8 seemingly playing dress up, using what looks like their mother / older sister’s 5 inch high heels, wearing lipstick and posing in a slightly disturbing, overtly mature way. We could, of course, argue that the ads are simply about a bunch of trendy kids who can’t wait to wear mommy’s heavily embroidered sparkly outfits and have found the House of Deréon clothing line to be the answer to all their prayers. Mostly, however, these ads have been perceived as more than a little inappropriate, particularly the little girls’ attitudes and mature posing in front of the camera.

Blogs are popping up everywhere with nothing good to say about this little endeavor from the superstar.

“High heels, on a 4 year old?!”

“All I can say is like Hell!”

“Someone is going to buy this trash for their child, that is the saddest part.”

For years Beyoncé has got away with showing up at different Music Award shows flaunting “the twins” in a “J-Lo” dress and no one has made a fuss. But now she has messed with their kids. Has she pushed the envelope too far this time?

Posted in Entertainment Media, Music, Sexuality, Youth Culture | | Leave A Comment

Hip Hop, Where “Thug” Must Be on Your Resume

Posted on: 05/8/08 9:59 AM | by Jonathan McKee

“I’ve been shot seven times!”

“I did hard time!”

And these are… good things? Maybe not, but they always seem to capture the attention of today’s generation. Maybe that’s why recent Hip Hop star Akon lied about his background, adding a little bit more “thug” to his resume than was actually there.

Atlanta Journal – Constitution’s Cynthia Tucker shares an enlightening perspective about this thug culture:

You’ve heard of resume inflation? You’ve heard of people who lie about having Ph.D.s or Ivy League pedigrees in order to get ahead?

The world of thug culture has its own perverse equivalent, in which middle-class men with minor legal transgressions exaggerate their bad behavior, claiming to be hard-core degenerates to impress youngsters looking for outlaw role models. In this destructive environment, the more violent and predatory you are, the more heroic you seem.

That helps to explain why a metro Atlanta hip-hop star known as Akon wove a tall tale of malevolence and criminality, claiming to have spent three years in prison for running a “notorious car theft operation,” a story he’s been telling for years. In fact, he has apparently never served hard prison time. The Smoking Gun Web site recently exposed Akon as a thug wannabe, a “James Frey with … an American Music Award.”

American popular culture has always had a tendency to romanticize hoodlums, whether Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde or Tony Soprano. But the hip-hop world’s celebration of savage violence, educational failure and misogyny has been one of the worst influences on American youth, especially black youth, in decades. If you want to ruin a nation, a society or an ethnic group, persuade its members that the highest form of achievement is committing crimes.

This is a huge mistake for Akon. To today’s generation, no insult could be worse than “phony.” Authenticity is huge today. Kids don’t care if you’re a thug or in rehab. Those things are fine… as long as you “keep it real.”

Hmmmmmm.

(Thanks to Youth Culture Window guru David for this article)

Posted in Entertainment Media, Music, News, Youth Culture | | Leave A Comment

Nickelodeon’s “Zoey” beats NBA Playoffs

Posted on: 05/7/08 9:03 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Ever wonder what tweens are watching?

The pregnant Jamie Lynn Spears’ show “Zoey 101” drew huge numbers last Friday night for its serier final, beating everything else on cable last week, including NBA playoff coverage.

Media Life Magazine reports:

“Zoey” drew an average 5.1 million total viewers for the hour-long finale last Friday, May 2, at 8 p.m. Another half-hour rerun that followed averaged 5.05 million, making them the two most-watched shows on cable last week, well ahead of NBA playoff coverage and the first new episode of “Hannah Montana” since Miley Cyrus’ controversial Vanity Fair pictures were released…

And if you think controversy doesn’t attract attention…

The finale was nowhere near the 7.3 million total viewers who watched “Zoey’s” third-season finale in January, shortly after the 16-year-old announced she was pregnant. The show has regularly finished No. 1 among tweens this season.

Hmmmmm.

Posted in Entertainment Media, TV, Youth Culture | | Leave A Comment

Interactive Sermons Via Cell Phone

Posted on: 05/5/08 2:26 PM | by Jonathan McKee

This is a great idea for youth workers. I received an email with this submission to our Openers page recently and thought it was pretty creative, especially in line with our cell phone discussion we had in late March.

Opener Idea: Text-a-Friend

Description: Start your message by saying “if you have a cell phone, please turn it on silent mode” then proceed to say “I want you to text two people in your address book this question ” …whatever pertains to your topic. How does prayer work? etc. then continue your talk for a few minutes then ask who has a response. build off of their responses. This make for a great illustration for any topic. – Jason Meredith

Thanks Jason. Great idea. I love incorporating current culture and modern technology to our ministry.

I can totally picture talking with kids about a topic like evangelism and then asking them, “What do your friends think of God or the church? Text them right now and ask them, ‘Would you go to church if I someone invited you? Why or why not?'” What a great way to poll current attitudes and feelings of those just one degree of separation from your youth group.

This makes me think of the one suggestion we heard in a comment in that “Cell Phone Use at Youth Group” blog. Kenneth commented the following:

i don’t understand what the big deal is about cell phones. i’ve been yp at a church for a couple years now, and the first i did was to change the “no cell phone” rule to “have your cell phone rule.” are the phones really a distraction to you or are they a hit on your pride because you can’t keep their attention?

unless the phone is making noise every time they get a text or call, i don’t worry about it. can you see the head pastor calling out a member in the main service every time a man or woman pulls out their phone?

as far as trips, if a kid would rather talk or text on his phone at a retreat or camp than listen to me, i let him. when jesus was teaching, i can’t see him always pulling judas back in to listen to him even though judas was more interested in counting the money outside the meeting.

but for those who need an idea, here’s one that i got from a pastor in washington that works quite well. i have the kids text me any questions that pop into their minds while i teach. when i’m done teaching, i read the questions aloud and answer them. i usually leave around five minutes to answer the texts.

you do have the occasional “why are you wearing that shirt tonight?” or “why does poop stink?”, but overall it’s a very productive addition to the lesson. most of the students listen more closely because they want something i say to spark their interest so they can text me a question. this is a great opportunity to enter their world with the message and not make them stay in ours. it also allows me to answer their questions about my lesson as soon as i speak it. how many times have we prayed for a response from our kids? i’ve found this to be it. after all, as yp’s, aren’t we all about being as relevant as today’s paper?

you’d be surprised at how this catches on and the texts start pouring in over the weeks. just remember to put your phone on silent while you teach, or else you’ll have to confiscate your own phone. lol

Kenneth was pretty bold with this comment in a sea of comments instructing us to “collect” cell phones at the door or confiscate them. But more importantly… I love his idea of getting feedback or questions about your talk right then and there. Fantastic idea.

Thanks Jason and Kenneth for these ideas… good food for thought.

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