eZine 08.12.2008

Reflecting on Last Week’s Teen Choice Awards
Last Monday night the Teen Choice Awards was not only the cleanest it has been in four years, it was also the most viewed in four years, with 4.4 million viewers (as reported by Media Life). Blame it on Miley or the Jonas Bros (the popularity, or even how clean it was)… the results were a hit with teens, tweens and kids.

Last week I gave my annual report on the award show, a television event that I call a “must see” for youth workers. In that report, I remind youth workers that the show doesn’t provide the whole picture if you don’t know the “content behind the names.”

And that’s just what we did. We provided you with links about Miley, the Jonas Bros, Gossip Girl, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Katy Perry, Usher…. you name it. Click here for the entire article.

We like to use pop culture as a springboard for discussion. Here’s a piece of curriculum for you that uses a classic Nickelback song to jumpstart discussion about “Making a Difference.” This free discussion comes with small group questions, scripture, questions about the passage, and a wrap up talk.

Main Point of Discussion: God calls His followers to help Him change the world, so we must do our part!

The Music Video: “If Everyone Cared”

If Everyone Cared isn’t the first song from Nickelback’s album All The Right Reasons to make our list of MUSIC VIDEO DICUSSIONS. (Here’s another one.) Even though the album dropped in October of 2005, several of the songs are still getting lots of play time today. As a matter of fact, the album peaked at #1, and has spent the past 145 weeks in the Top 100! Yeah, it’s a popular album.

Hailing out of Canada, the group made a name for themselves in 2001 when How You Remind Me was released. Today, with more than 14,000,000 albums sold, and trophies collected from the MTV Video Music Awards, the World Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, and the Juno Awards, Nickelback is still reaping the rewards of this album. In addition to , the love ballad Far Away and the celebrity-laden, but raunchy messaged music video, Rockstar are also popular songs on this disc.

Nickelback is famous and talented, but not always appropriate. From Fight for All the Wrong Reasons to Animals to Side of a Bullet, the band issues its fair share of dangerous messages. Their lyrics are often laced with sex, jealousy, sex, violence, and sex. Though many youth workers have wanted to turn Nickelback “off” for the past 3 years, remember, lots of kids have chosen to turn them “up.”

It’s possible to teach students about God and His call to us by using Nickelback’s music video without actually endorsing their music to your teenagers. (The practice of using secular material for sacred purposes goes all the way back to the Apostle Paul. See Acts 17.)

You can easily download the video from iTunes for a mere $1.99.

NOTE TO LEADER: This MUSIC DISCUSSION uses two “large” passages of Scripture. Additionally, there are two portions of “context” notes for you to share with your group that will help the story make more sense. That being said, you should allow about 45 minutes for the small group discussion time (which comes AFTER your introduction/showing of the video and your transition statement.)

Introducing the Music Video
While passing out a copy of the song’s lyrics, say, “Here’s a copy of the lyrics from one of Nickelback’s songs entitled, If Everyone Cared. If you need to follow along on your sheet, that’s fine, but make sure you pay attention to the actual video so we can talk about the stories later.”

This is one of our favorite podcast series yet! In this much-anticipated second part of the two-part outreach podcast, Jonathan and David are joined once again by Rob Maxey of Youth for Christ, where he shares his Seven Sins of Visiting Kids On Campus. Get ready to take notes as the “Outreach Guru” shares his strategies.

Jonathan: Hey, share with us Sin #3.

Rob: I think Sin #3 is to not be aware of your school culture. Or to not be aware of the dance that just took place, to not be aware that you have a winning football team, to not be aware that your school has a great band.

Every school has its own culture, and so as I’m beginning new conversations with students, I want them to be aware that I know ?Hey, were you at the game on Friday night? Man, I can’t believe our undefeated season continues. We’re 11-0.’ Or ?Can you believe the dance show? Wasn’t that a great thing?’ Or even ?What did you think about 21 suspensions at the dance?’ And so immediately, they know that you’re engaged with their culture, you know what’s going on, you’re not perhaps, the typical parent, because ?How do you know that? My parents don’t know that stuff!’

So, I think that you’re meeting them at their level, and it gives you an area of commonality that you can talk about right away. So, the affirmative is to BE AWARE of the school culture and be prepared. Check the football score; see how the water polo team is doing.

Jonathan: How do you do that? How do you stay aware of that stuff? Obviously, you probably attend the football games. But is that just checking in with the office or what?

Rob: Well, I’ll check in at the office. Locally, our newspapers will have great prep sports write-ups, and so I look for specific kids and say, ?Man that was great. I can’t believe you won the high jump championship for the state.’ Those types of things where it’s common knowledge. And then also just through the kids that you work with. You know? ?What was the dance like? Give me the skinny. What was the fire alarm all about?’ Those types of things.

Jonathan: Good. Good.

David: Yeah, cause it’s not always just, like sports, or good stuff. I mean, maintaining the culture of the high school, like Rob’s saying, sometimes unfortunately, and very sadly, it also means being aware of the fact that there was that car crash that killed a kid. Or whatever it was. In the couple of high schools that we are ministering at in Tampa, in the school year from 2006-2007, six kids lost their lives at area high schools. That’s a big number, even for our metropolitan area.

Jonathan: Sure.

David: And so, just be aware of that. And this podcast is all about being on campus, but let me just say another tag in, if I may. That even would impact the ministry that you might offer at your church.

Rob: Absolutely.

David: Say, ?Hey, we were going to talk about the third installment on prayer. But tonight, we’re gonna pause and come back next Wednesday night and pick up that, because tonight we want to talk about that car crash or the suicide…‘ or whatever it may be. It’s not always just the good stuff. Unfortunately, it’s also sometimes the bad.

Rob: And David… being a presence on campus, we had a suicide last year, as an example. And for the faculty to come to you and say, ?You’re a consistent source. We know that you’re faith-based. We respect the fact that you come regularly. We’re bringing in trained counselors to deal with the suicide for grief counseling. Would you consider being one of those grief counselors?’

David: Yeah, wow.

Rob: And so, to make yourself a resource to the school, and being aware of what’s going on, whether it’s a car crash, a suicide, or a drug incident, whatever it may be.

David: Good or bad.

Rob: Yes, good or bad. Absolutely.

Jonathan: Good… Absolutely. What’s the next… (pause) you just said ?absolutely’ and I said it. David, will you say it?

David: Absolutely.

Jonathan: Good. Thank you. I just wanted to make sure we all three of us did. Uh, what’s the next sin Rob?

Episode Highlights:

• Hear the inside scoop about high school dances in the Youth Culture Window section.
• Rob tells about the time he met the female version of Satan!
• David and Rob give practical ways for youth workers to prepare themselves for on-campus ministry.
• Rob offers great tips for monitoring the culture of our schools.
• All three guys take a turn saying the same word, for no reason at all.
• Rob gives youth workers advice on how to talk with kids while on the school campus.
• Hear why Rob doesn’t think David is a “football stud” and why Jonathan’s kids think he’s a “fat wannabe.”