eZine 10.06.2009

Weekly Resources, Ideas and Articles from The Source for Youth Ministry
Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Jonathan interviews Jim Burns and Tom McKee about Youth Ministry in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s ? Episode #29 (10/3/2009)

In this podcast, The Source invites you to hear from a couple youth pastors of yesteryear: Jim Burns (who had teenage Doug Fields in his youth group) and Tom McKee (who had teenage Chap Clark in his youth group). Jonathan, Jim and Tom discuss how youth ministry has changed over the past several decades and what tools and practices we definitely shouldn’t discard! Don’t miss this fascinating and enlightening podcast!

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.

Episode Highlights:

• Discover how youth ministry was done by our predecessors, building disciples that are still making a difference today
• Get the real story of what teenaged Chap Clark used for communion at a late night Bible Study
• Learn the difference between throwing a bucket of water over a bunch of bottles and hoping water gets in each bottle vs. pouring into each bottle one at a time
• Hear a little about the Jesus movement in the 70’s and how it changed and affected youth ministry
• Find out what Doug Fields told Jim Burns would “cause him to leave his faith altogether”

She’s been front page news since the VMAs, where she was nominated for 9 awards, winning three, and performing probably the most talked about performance of the evening. Her songs decorate the charts, including three singles from her debut album that went #1. As of Friday, her tour with Kanye is off, but her ability to catch the affection of our kids is right on. Her name is Gaga? and she’s the hottest thing in pop culture.

Ever since the VMA’s, MTV has her listed as their number one “Top Artist.” Her song Paparazzi is currently #7 on both iTunes and Billboard’s Hot 100. Her music video for the same song is the #6 most downloaded video on iTunes at the moment, and easily accessible for any kid on YouTube. Her bizarre fashion sense is the buzz at the water cooler and every street corner, with fashion guru’s like Perez Hilton mentioning her 13 times in July alone.

Gaga has us just where she wants us.

How did this 23 year old singer, an Italian Catholic school girl born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, get so popular?

It’s fun, it’s informative, it’s gritty… it’s Jonathan’s Blog.

5 Ideas You Can Use
Posted on Saturday, October 3, 2009 7:31 AM
This is fun… five free ideas youth workers can stick into their back pocket when planning time is short.

Last week while at the National Youth Workers Convention, Adam McLane was filming snippets for the YS (Youth Specialties) blog. They are going to be featuring different speakers and authors, so Adam asked me to share some “back pocket ideas” that youth workers could use!

The video is up! This is what I came up with… take a peek. Five Ideas in Five Minutes (well… more like six and a half minutes!)

Main Point of Discussion: This small group discussion helps students understand that because we are made in God’s image, we have a moral instinct (conscience) that helps us know what is inherently right and wrong. Taking it further, as Christians, we also have the Holy Spirit who makes God’s commands very clear.

Opening Activity:
You’ll need a piano, sheet music, and someone who can read/play the music. Have the group of students sit around the piano close enough to hear it. Ask the group to look at the keys on the piano and figure out which ones are “wrong.” Of course, it’s a confusing question with no right answer? at this point.

Ask for a volunteer to come forward and play 2 keys together at the same time…

It’s always fun to use movie clips to springboard discussion about relevant issues. This fun lesson uses the thriller “The Sixth Sense” to jumpstart a discussion about evangelism. Enjoy this great discussion starter, small group questions, a corresponding scripture and a wrap up!

Main Point of Discussion: As Christians we see ?dead’ people all the time, so the question is, what should we do about it?

The Movie Clip:
The Sixth Sense is about a child psychiatrist named Malcolm Crowe who is confronted one night by his former patient Vincent Gray who he failed to help. After Vincent shoots Crowe in the stomach and kills himself, Crowe can’t stop thinking about it. A few months later he is hired to help a troubled boy named Cole Sear, who has many of the same problems Vincent had. Crowe sees a chance to redeem himself, but doubts his ability to reach the boy, particularly when Cole claims to see ghosts who don’t know they’re dead….