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 | Jonathan’s Resource Ezine |
Weekly Resources, Ideas and Articles from The Source for Youth Ministry
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
| In This Issue |
- Featured: Are You Ready for Special Needs Kids?
- Something You Can Use: A new Music Discussion about ‘searching for fulfillment’ using the new hit song Hollywood’s Not America
- Podcast: Take a glimpse at this small excerpt of our special “Narnia” episode where Jonathan and Furby interview C.S. Lewis’ stepson Douglas Gresham
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| Featured: Are You Ready for Special Needs Kids? |
Yesterday Jonathan shared some great advice in his blog that youth workers can use to minister to kids with special needs. Check it out (and if you haven’t subscribed to his blog yet, click here, or look for the red subscribe button on the left sidebar of his blog).
Are You Ready for Kids With Special Needs?
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.
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 should always include two elements…
Jonathan McKee is president of The Source for Youth Ministry and author of numerous youth ministry books like “Do They Run When They See You Coming?” and “Getting Students to Show Up.” Jonathan studies youth culture and trends, speaking and training across the country and providing free online resources, training, & ideas for youth workers at www.TheSource4YM.com| Something You Can Use: A new Music Discussion about ‘searching for fulfillment’ using the new hit song Hollywood’s Not America |
It’s so easy for teenagers today to have their dreams crushed, because they’re chasing after the “reality” that’s peddled by Hollywood. When they chase after that which is false, they discover the vast emptiness that has beguiled them. Our newest MUSIC DISCUSSION has what you need to pull off a great discussion with your students about the only thing that truly satisfies.
Main Point of Discussion: No amount of possessions, success, or pleasure will ever satisfy the ‘hole in the soul’ that exists in every human being.
The Song
“Hollywood’s Not America” is a song by American pop singer/songwriter Ferras and is featured on his debut studio album, Aliens & Rainbows. It was released on January 29, 2008, as the lead single from that album. It is currently in the Top 100 on the Billboard, and has gained incredible popularity since being featured on American Idol.
At THE SOURCE FOR YOUTH MINISTRY we like to use pop culture references to start Biblical conversation (just like the Apostle Paul used culture to start conversations about Jesus in Acts 17). This song might be a good discussion starter in some circles. Use your discernment.
If you want, you can print out the lyrics (below) and give each student a copy to refer to.
Introducing the Song:
Many of you have probably heard the song called ‘Hollywood’s Not America’ by Ferras. Tonight we’re going to take a closer look at the song and the powerful themes that come out of it.
Pass out a handout with the lyrics on it.
Song Lyrics:
With a restless soul
She moved west to California
Became a center-fold
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
So long, put your blue jeans back on girl
Go home
Remember Hollywood’s not America…
| Podcast: Take a glimpse at this small excerpt of our special “Narnia” episode where Jonathan and Furby Interview C.S. Lewis’ stepson Douglas Gresham |
In this episode, Jonathan and Furby have a fascinating conversation with Douglas Gresham, stepson of C.S. Lewis and co-producer of the upcoming new Chronicles of Narnia film, Prince Caspian. Hear unique insight about C.S. Lewis, the man Douglas calls “Jack,” that you’ve never heard before. Discover what it was like to be in the room with the great author. Douglas shares this and more in this fun and enlightening interview.
THE SOURCE4YM PODCAST, EPISODE #15
Jonathan: Well, that’s the challenge and we’re gonna do that.
I want to get a chance for everyone to get to know you a little better so I’m going to ask you some very quick questions just about yourself.
Douglas: Sure.
Jonathan: Like for instance, name one of your favorite films?
Douglas: One of my favorite films is The Notebook. My friend Mark Johnson produced it and I think it’s very nearly a perfect movie.
Jonathan: Oh, good. I love that one. O.K. so tell us, what if on a Friday night if you had no other plans, where would we typically see you on a Friday night? What would you want to be doing?
Douglas: Probably I would be out in one of the fields I just bought in Malta with a machete in my hand attacking a forest of prickly pear cactus.
Jonathan: That’s great. O.K. so now, if you could eat any dish tonight, what would be your favorite dish, your favorite meal?
Douglas: A really good cheeseburger.
Jonathan: (laughing)
Furby: Excellent!
Douglas: I’m giving you all the terribly wrong answers, I know, I’m terribly not correct but there you go, you know. (laughing) Another thing I might be doing on a Friday night is driving around in my Ariel Atom somewhere around the streets of Malta.
Jonathan: Ooh, I like it. So now you said your favorite is a cheeseburger, so if you were in America what restaurant would that be stopping at?
Douglas: Well, now in Los Angeles it would definitely be an In and Out Burger.
Furby: Yea! There you go.
Jonathan: We’re out of Sacramento and we have several of those.
Douglas: That’s great.
Jonathan: O.K. what about the latest music that you listen to? Maybe a CD that you purchased recently, or a download, what’s the latest piece of music you heard?
Douglas: You know, a piece of music I played over and over and over again on my computer just the other day at home in Malta, was the new Switchfoot song “This is Home.” And it’s in Prince Caspian’s credits and it is a fabulous piece of work. I love it, I absolutely love it! Brings me to tears every time I listen to it.
Jonathan: I read about that, and I’m excited that we’re gonna see that there. What about your favorite book? I know you’re a huge literature fan.
Douglas: That’s a really difficult one because I’ve got so many books that I love so much. It depends what genre we are looking at. I think if you’re talking about modern Christian literature it has to be Randy Alcorn, his series of books, with his detective series… they’re great books. If you’re talking about science fiction we move into the other realms all together and there are people, well C.S. Lewis of course, with the science fiction trilogy. But it all depends on what genre you are talking about.
Jonathan: Well, there you go.
Douglas: I read “The Lord of the Rings” once a year every year.
Jonathan: Oh, good. Good choice there. What book do you think every Christian should read?
Douglas: “Mere Christianity”
Jonathan: Good answer. If you could give one book to a non-believer, what book would you give them?
Douglas: “Mere Christianity”
Jonathan: You know, I thought you would say that.
Douglas: Well, the Bible of course, but “Mere Christianity.”
Jonathan: There you go. O.K. I’ve heard people say, who in history would they enjoy sitting down with for a conversation and a meal, you know if they could choose anybody in history and it’s funny because a lot of people answer… “Oh, C.S. Lewis.” Well, I didn’t think I would ever ask someone who actually has eaten with C.S. Lewis. But who would you choose today if you could sit down and eat with anybody in history?
Douglas: C.S. Lewis.
Jonathan: There you go.
Douglas: Without a doubt. I miss him so much… just to have a dinner with him again, wow! And you couldn’t get a better chance than that.
Furby: Oh, my Gosh. Wow!
Jonathan: Absolutely. What’s the best day of your life?
Douglas: Best day of my life? Well, there were several. One was certainly the day I looked up the aisle of a church and saw my wife Mary walking towards me. And then all I could see is her sort of floating down the aisle. And then there was each of the times when my children were born. And of course, now of course, one of the best experiences one has in being the father of five children is when they hand you the grandkids and it’s just phenomenal.
Jonathan: Absolutely.
Douglas: And the best days of my life, apart from those deeply personal family things, is of course watching The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe come up on screen for the first time. Of course Prince Caspian coming up on screen for the first time… are full experiences.
Jonathan: Good.
Douglas: You can’t, I mean there are very few people in the world who have had a dream since they were a young teenager and then seen it come to life and exceeding their own expectations of the way, I mean The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian… it just blows me away, it’s just so fantastic. It’s just wonderful.
Jonathan: Well, and I love how in your interview that comes in the DVD with the book, how you talked about, you know, that was a 20 year thing for you to try to bring that to the screen and I loved how you discussed about the Holy Spirit, how He might have even been holding that back for a while.
Listen to this entire interview now for free on iTunes! (CLICK HERE) Or, if you don’t have iTunes already… jump on Apple’s web page for a free download, then click on our podcast page.
Jonathan refers to Douglas’s book Jack’s Life: The Life Story of C.S. Lewis throughout the podcast, an incredible glimpse into the life of C.S. Lewis from the viewpoint of someone who actually lived with the man!
CLICK HERE FOR THIS PODCAST
ON THE SOURCE PODCAST PAGE
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Jonathan McKee
Jonathan McKee is the author of over twenty books including the brand new The Guy's Guide to FOUR BATTLES Every Young Man Must Face; The Teen’s Guide to Social Media & Mobile Devices; If I Had a Parenting Do Over; and the Amazon Best Seller - The Guy's Guide to God, Girls and the Phone in Your Pocket. He speaks to parents and leaders worldwide, all while providing free resources for youth workers on TheSource4YM.com. Jonathan, his wife Lori, and their three kids live in California.