| TheSource4YM.com | |
 | Jonathan’s Resource Ezine |
Weekly Resources, Ideas and Articles from The Source for Youth Ministry
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
| In This Issue |
- Featured: A Ton of New Video Clip Ideas
- A Video Clip You Can Use: “Wide Awake” … M. Night’s first Film
- A Great New Resource: Looking for a source for CLEAN FILMS?
- Last Chance: This Week is the last chance for a free spot at the California YS Conference
| If you aren’t a subscriber of this EZINE and would like to subscribe – it’s free – just pop on www.TheSource4YM.com and sign up in the upper right hand corner. |
| Featured: A Ton of New Video Clip Ideas |
Looking for something to kick off your discussion this week? How about a video clip?
Some of you have frequented our VIDEO CLIP IDEAS page over the years. You might have even used our recent Lord of the Rings: Return of the King discussion starter that gave you descriptions of the clips to use, small group questions, and a wrap up. This is just one of the many discussion starter ideas that we have on our VIDEO CLIP IDEAS page.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR NEW VIDEO CLIP IDEAS PAGE
| A Video Clip You Can Use: “Wide Awake” … M. Night’s first Film |
M. Night Shymalan’s name has been buzzing around Hollywood once again since the recent release of his new film “The Village.” (CLICK HERE FOR MY REVIEW OF THE FILM) Critics and fans consistently refer to his earlier works like “Signs” (with Mel Gibson) and “The Sixth Sense” (with Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment). But many overlook M. Night’s first major theatrical release, the 1998 film “Wide Awake.”
“Wide Awake” is a great discussion provoker. It’s not intense action, and it’s definitely not a horror. It falls in the category of drama. It will make you laugh, and it will make you grab a few Kleenex.
The film introduces young actor Joseph Cross as Joshua A. Beal. Josh recently lost his grandfather and seeks out God to make sure that “Grandpa made it up there okay.” In Josh’s quest for God, he finds more questions and more answers than he set out to find.
The whole film is worth watching, but there are definitely a few scenes that stand out. The one I like the best is approximately 58 minutes into the film when kids in the cafeteria are waiting to be picked up from school. One of the nuns (played by Rosie O’donnel) calls various kids, finally getting to Freddie, the bully of the school. In a prior scene, Freddie just had a meeting with the principal and found out that his parents can’t afford the school anymore. This will be Freddie’s last day of school. Josh overheard this conversation in the principal’s office and actually feels sorry for Freddie. But he can’t figure out why he cares for a kid that has devoted his life to picking on Josh.
Sister Terry: (calling his name) Waltman! Freddie Waltman.
Freddie doesn’t get up. He just sits at the cafeteria table with his head hung low. All the kids watch as Sister Terry walks over to him.
Sister Terry: (comforting Freddie) You okay? …
Josh’s Voice Over: Freddy Waltman has picked on me since I was in 3rd grade. He pushed me in a locker, put cherry Jell-O in my sneakers and told everyone when I split my pants in social studies. What is wrong with me? Today should be the happiest day of my life.
Freddie is led out to his parents’ car by Sister Terry.
Josh, responding to his own conviction, leaps from his seat and runs out to Freddie’s car, now slowly pulling away.
Josh: Wait! Wait … stop!
The minivans puts on its brakes and Josh runs up to it and knocks on the window next to where Freddie is sitting in the minivan. Freddie looks puzzled for a moment, but then opens the minivan door.
Josh pauses for a moment, then extends his hand to shake Freddie’s hand.
Josh: Bye Freddie.
End scene with the handshake.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- Name someone that you really get along with well. Why do you get along with them?
- Now think of someone that you don’t like at all. Don’t name them … but tell us why you don’t like them?
- How do you think we should treat the people we don’t like?
Read the following passage:
Matthew 5:43-47 (NLT)- “You have heard that the law of Moses says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. [44] But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! [45] In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust, too. [46] If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. [47] If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.”
- Who does God want us to love? Why?
- In the video clip, Josh felt compassion for his “enemy.” Freddie had never done a nice thing to Josh in his entire life. What changed?
- When Josh overheard the conversation in the principal’s office, he understood a little more about Freddie, and once he understood Freddie, he felt compassion for him. How can we seek to understand those around us?
- What are actions we can take to reach out to those who might be “enemies” in our mind?
Sometimes compassion starts with the question: “What is it like to be ________ ?” (Fill in the name of your enemy in the blank.) Compassion starts with putting ourselves in their shoes and seeking to understand them. Pray and ask God to give you compassion for that person today. Now, think of an action you can do this week to reach out to that person?maybe something as simple as the gesture Josh made to Freddie.
CHECK OUT OUR VIDEO CLIP IDEAS PAGE (CLICK HERE)
ON OUR WEB SITE!
| A Great New Resource: Looking for a resource for CLEAN FILMS? |
Well, regardless of your take on the issue, the controversy is over and the system has been perfected. Now you can get films with the junk edited out.
It’s called Clean Films, and it’s like NETFLIX, but with only “clean,” “edited” films.
Some of us don’t have access to fancy editing equipment to make even some of those so-called “PG” films watchable. Clean Films might be just what you’ve been waiting for.
| Last Chance: This Week is the last chance for a free spot at the California YS Conference |
In the last few EZINE?s we?ve told you about the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention. It?s in three cities across the U.S. again this fall, and THE SOURCE will be at all three conventions.
We at THE SOURCE are looking for someone to help us at our booth at the Anaheim convention. We?ve received a bunch of requests, and we need to finalize our decision at the end of the week.
Here?s what we?re looking for:
INFORMATION ABOUT THE EVENT:
We are looking for someone who currently works in ministry (volunteer or paid) who is familiar with our web site www.TheSource4YM.com … to volunteer in our booth at the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention in Anaheim California this September. If someone can commit to the following:
- spend some time getting pretty familiar with our web site.
- helping us set up the booth
- tear down the booth at the end of the convention
- work the booth during all the times the Exhibit Hall is open (the Exhibit Hall is closed during all General Sessions)
We cannot provide lodging or transportation to this event, so were are looking for someone local. (Although if someone out of the LA area wants to cover their own lodging or transportation costs, we have no problem with that.)
Still interested? Keep reading.
Convention Dates: Thursday, September 23rd through Monday September 27th
Days/Times You Would Work:
- Thursday
- AM – setup
7pm – 9pm
- 9am – 12:30pm
3:30pm – 7pm
- Noon – 2:30pm
4:30pm – 7pm
- Noon – 3pm
late afternoon – teardown
CLICK HERE for schedule of entire convention.
If you CAN meet all of the above expectations (learning about our ministry, helping us set up, working the booth ALL times specified, and helping us tear down the booth), and would like to apply, please email Jonathan at jon@TheSource4YM.com
Delivered free via e-mail to subscribers each week. We encourage you to distribute this newsletter freely and ask only that you not change its contents.
HAVE YOU MISSED PAST “EZINE” ARTICLES?
CLICK HERE FOR JONATHAN’S “EZINE” ARCHIVES
And for more FREE resources and ideas … go to THE SOURCE
www.TheSource4YM.com
Copyright ?2004 The Source for Youth Ministry
All rights reserved.
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.