eZine 10.21.2008

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.

Join us for our second annual “Road Trip Podcast” with Jonathan and Brandon traveling all the way to Sacramento (a long drive, mind you) for the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention. This podcast once again features quite a few cameos from different authors and speakers you’ll recognize, as Jonathan and Brandon survey them. They also give you snippets of various aspects of the conference, a tour of the book store, and a few minutes of Jonathan’s new CONNECT seminar.

Main Point: Earthly treasures mean nothing if we are not rich toward God.

The Music Video: “Whatever You Like”

“Whatever You Like” is the current chart-topping hit by T.I., Atlantic Records’ poster child for hip hop success. Born Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr., this rapper, businessman, and actor, formally known as T.I.P., just released his sixth album, “Paper Trail.” The album has all the elements necessary to make a run for number one.

But don’t assume that his extensive resume makes him a well-rounded person. He’s had as many scuffles with the law as he has invites to the Grammys. His lyrics and messages are consistent with the values (or lack thereof) found in much of rap/hip hop music. Every song on the new album, including “Whatever You Like” carries the EXPLICIT warning.

That being said, we at THE SOURCE FOR YOUTH MINISTRY believe some elements of pop culture can be used to start Biblical conversations. (Hey, the Apostle Paul did it in Acts 17!) This music video can definitely provoke conversations about materialism, but we strongly suggest you use your discernment in deciding how to use it.

The music video is available for download on iTunes for $1.99, and sites all over the internet for free (Your church’s tech person can help you run the video from your computer to a video projector.)

WARNING: As always, when we use pop culture to jumpstart conversations, it’s a given that much of this pop culture can contain inappropriate stuff. Although most copies of the music video are edited, the unedited version of this song’s lyrics are foul. I recommend presenting this video as “This is what the world says… let’s see what the Bible says.” We will include a statement expressing our disapproval of the song’s message in the following introduction statement.

Introducing the Music Video:
It’s on iTunes. It’s on MTV. It’s on YouTube. It’s even the ring tone for a lot of people’s cell phones. I’m talking about T.I.’s “Whatever You Like.” You’ve probably heard this song standing in the electronic’s department of your favorite store, or at your school or in maybe even in traffic…cause it’s hot right now! The question I have is, “What is T.I. saying?” “What is the message?”

I don’t recommend you buying or downloading a song if you don’t agree with its message. So, let’s dissect it this once and check out exactly what T.I. is communicating with this song. Then we’ll spend a few minutes talking about it together. (Note: This is the clean version of the song so sexual lyrics are removed from this version. But the question still remains, does the clean version communicate actual truth? Is T.I.’s recipe for happiness valid?)

As most of you know, our web site www.TheSource4YM.com has a gold mine of free resources just waiting for you to take and use in your ministry. The biggest question that many people ask is where to find the right resources on such a huge database of free resources.

Glad you asked.

Whenever a holiday is approaching, just jump on our website, scroll up to the top of the page where it says FREE RESOURCES & IDEAS, and choose HOLIDAY IDEAS from the drop menu. Click there to access a page that links our resources for certain holidays. If you click there today, you’ll find a handful of Halloween resources there like this one:

If you are looking for a shocking, in-your-face-way of reminding kids that life on Earth is temporary, then warm up the church vans, and take them on a Death Trip. OK, OK, it’s really not as gruesome as it sounds…but here’s how you do it!

Step One: Call a funeral home/parlor that your church has a good connection with, and pre-arrange a trip to visit it with your group. (Most churches do LOTS of “business” with funeral homes, so this should not be a problem.)

Step Two: The night of the Death Trip, have kids meet at the church. Start off the Death Trip by having every student write out their will. (You can get a copy of a standard, blank will off of the Internet. Just pass them out to the students and instruct them to fill in the blanks.)

Step Three: Load the kids in the vans (each of which is driven by a responsible adult) and visit the funeral home of your choice. Have one or more of the staff members talk to your group about death and how some people deal with it well, while others are devastated by it. Allow the students to ask them questions. Thank them for their generosity and head back to the vans.

Step Four: Leave the funeral home and head to the local cemetery. Huddle everyone around a pre-selected site and share with the students Jesus’ words on death and eternity. (Jesus talked about it a lot, so choose the passages that fit your group’s needs the best.) This might be a great place and time to lovingly share the gospel.

Step Five: Finally, drive everyone back to the church where you give them a little while to debrief with you and the other adult leaders. Ask them stirring questions about their experience that evening and about any decisions they might have made.

(idea by Greg C.)

HALLOWEEN
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