eZine 08.04.2009

In this podcast, The Source invites you to get a perspective on life from the vantage point of a “church kid.” Everything from music, to sexting, to discipleship, to internet pornography is covered in this podcast. Listen in as Jonathan and Andy are joined by five Christian teenagers who talk about life in raw terms.

Listen to it 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: So let’s talk about some of these pressures. Lately there’s been an abundance of articles, even like 60 Minutes specials on this trend called sexting. That’s, of course, where you send sexually explicit text messages or even naked or sexually revealing pictures of yourself. Have any of you guys witnessed this or received any of these messages? I mean, do you see this as a trend at your school or your social groups? Do our “good kids” face this?

OK, Alec’s got his hand up. (Alec, Jonathan’s 16-year-old son was introduced earlier in the podcast)

Alec: Don’t worry dad, I haven’t actually sexted, but I do have a friend who has sexted. I’m not gonna lie; it wasn’t a temptation because it wasn’t me, number one, and two, it was personally really annoying cause we were playing video games and he’d stop like every five minutes, and he’d be like, “Ohhhh,” in the corner and I’d be like, “What are you doing?” and he was all, “I’m texting my girlfriend.” And then later I found out that he wasn’t just texting his girlfriend!

Jonathan: So, you’ve seen it with certain friends?

Alec: Yes, but I haven’t like seen it firsthand or anything.

Jonathan: And that was, I guess you could say, “explicit messages” to each another. It wasn’t like sending pictures?

Alec: No, there were pictures.

Jonathan: Oh, OK. Alright. So, anybody else had any experience with that?

Haley: (a home-schooled kid introduced earlier in the podcast) Um, my friend who actually goes to church sexted with two guys that she met once and her boyfriend, so, and you know, I was there….

Jonathan: Words or pictures?

Haley: Both.

Jonathan: OK.

Haley: Yeah and she was like, “Haley, c’mon, c’mon.”

Jonathan: Cause she wanted you to just look at them, or she wanted you to actually send the message, or what? What’s the pressure?

Haley: I have no idea. It was probably both. I felt it was both.

Episode Highlights:

• Hear teens talk about what it means to “follow Christ” these days
• Find out why Alec can’t use iTunes
• Catch a glimpse of the biggest struggles teens face
• Listen to what these kids wish their parents would teach them
• Discover the topics teens need discussed in youth ministry settings

CHECK OUT EVEN MORE PODCASTS ON OUR PODCAST PAGE

August 15, 2009 (South Bend, INDIANA)
“Connect” Training Seminar

REGISTER: Call John Ferguson at 574 291-4741

September 19, 2009 (Galveston, TX)
Connect Training, Moody Methodist Church (more information coming soon)

September 25-28, 2009 (Los Angeles, CA)
Training Workshops, Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention

November 20-23, 2009 (Atlanta, GA)
Training Workshops, Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention