eZine 11.12.2008

It’s fun, it’s informative, it’s gritty… it’s Jonathan’s Blog.
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Some of Jonathan’s Recent Blog Entries:

Do Parents Really Know About Twilight?
Posted on Monday, November 10, 2008 8:26 AM
I was talking with a friend on Friday, a very conservative woman who homeschools her children. I asked her if her junior high daughter had expressed any interest in the Twilight books or upcoming movie.

She said, “What’s Twilight?”

I gave her the 5 second definition: “It’s the popular book series about a teenage girl falling in love with a vampire. The books have sold millions and it’s being released as a movie next week. Every teenage girl in the country is going crazy over it.”

She said, “I don’t think (my daughter) even knows about it. I know she hasn’t read it.”

I suggested that she ask her daughter.

She called her daughter over. “Have you heard of this Twilight?” Her daughter paused for a second, glanced over at me, then back at her mother. “Yeah. I read a chapter over at Carly’s house.”

Trust me. Your kids have heard of Twilight, some have read Twilight, and most of them want to see the movie releasing a week from Friday. The question is… should they be reading Twilight? And is this movie okay?

Trojan vs. Candies Foundation
Posted on Thursday, November 06, 2008 10:34 AM
Last week, a new Candies Foundation PSA was released during Gossip Girl (I guess the Candies Foundation thought they might as well hit the audience most likely to be “hooking up“)…

Imagine My Surprise
Posted on Wednesday, November 05, 2008 9:20 AM
My dad and I were hanging out my house last week and I looked over on the kitchen counter and saw the new issue of GROUP Magazine. The cover said, “The Seven Deadly Sins” and had a subtitle about “Volunteer Recruiting Efforts” …

Sexy TV Linked to Teen Pregnancy
Posted on Tuesday, November 04, 2008 9:07 AM
Last week I was watching a fairly clean prime time show with my entire family (not a lot of prime time that my 11, 13 and 15 year old can all watch anymore). The star of the show made a quick comment to his nerd friend that was spending time on the web on comic book sites. He said, “Why can’t you just watch porn like everyone else.” A subtle comment, but packed with meaning. Anyone normal looks at porn. It’s no big deal…

Millions of dollars are made off the story.

Such is the pop culture phenomenon known as Twilight. Seventeen million copies of the books have been sold worldwide, and midnight showings for the upcoming movie are selling out.

But what is this story really teaching young people about love?

Romeo and Juliet Meets Bram Stoker
When Bella Swan leaves her mom in sunny Phoenix to move in with her chief-of-police dad in dreary Forks, Washington, she meets Edward Cullens, the most mysterious and handsome guy she’s ever seen. She couldn’t take her eyes off him… and he couldn’t take his mind off her. Not only was she smitten with love, but she was in danger of being bitten as well. After all, Edward was a vampire.

That’s right, a vampire.

But that didn’t seem to bother Bella very much. She says,

“About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him ? and I didn’t know how dominant that part might be ? that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.”

The rest of the 512 page novel, Twilight, tells the story of these two star-crossed lovers as they seek to understand their emotions for one another, and engage in a life-and-death battle against a coven of evil vampires.

The story has captivated a global audience and has claimed some very prestigious accolades since its release in late 2005. It’s been a #1 New York Times Bestseller and was voted “Best Book of the Year” by Publishers Weekly. Teen People made it their “Hot Pick,” and since then, the novel has been translated into twenty different languages. This is worthy of some celebration in light of the recent decline in teen reading. Not since the Harry Potter books have so many teens had their noses in a book.

Edward and Bella’s tale doesn’t end on the last page of Twilight, however. When her first book sold millions of copies, Brigham Young educated author Stephanie Meyers did what any writer would do. She wrote another one….

and another one…

and another…

And so, the Twilight Saga was born, and teen and tween readers, mostly female, have been captivated since page one.

A Scary Love Story
I grabbed a copy of Twilight to see what the buzz was about, and I must say, it was a good enough read that I tore through it in a few hours. It’s your typical “boy meets girl, saves girl’s life, falls in love with girl, saves girl’s life again” young adult romance novel… but with a vampire.

Meyers provides readers with a (somewhat) original twist on the whole vampire legend in her story. Her vampires have a “superfluous” amount of superhuman abilities and can survive in sunlight; plus, there are good vampires as well as evil ones. Meyers also does an excellent job with suspense and cliff hangers, so I stayed up past midnight feverishly flipping pages to find out what happens in the end.

If books were rated like films, Twilight would probably land at PG-13, with minimal swearing (a couple of “damns”) and a wee bit of violence. The sensuality is what helped push Twilight to the PG-13 mark. The MPAA seemed to agree concerning the upcoming film, rating it PG-13 for “some violence and a scene of sensuality.” You can watch one of the TV spots to judge for yourself.

Subtle Messages
Many people in religious circles are worried about the “vampire” elements in the books. But our chief concern gravitated more toward Bella’s emotional vulnerability and the graphic sensuality described in the romantic scenes between she and Edward. We’re not talking Harlequin Romance material, but it was enough to make me wonder how young readers would react to the content. For instance, in one scene in her upstairs bathroom, Bella found herself regretting leaving her Victoria Secret silk pajamas in Arizona while Edward waited in her bedroom. In the book, nothing sexual happens, but we catch a pretty accurate glimpse into the thought process of the modern teenager.

Today’s young girls will most definitely identify with Bella’s concern for self image and consistent need for validation. In the books Bella is portrayed as very plain. Most girls can relate to this. Seven in ten girls feel they do not measure up in some way, including their looks and in relationships.

What about the sensuality?

Parents are going to have to be the judge if they want their 12-year-old girls absorbing Meyers’ descriptions.

In chapter 13 of the book, Bella describes a private moment in a meadow with Edward.

Slowly, never moving his eyes from mine, he leaned toward me. Then abruptly, but very gently, he rested his cold check against the hollow at the base of my throat. I was quite unable to move, even if I’d wanted to. I listened to the sound of his even breathing, watching the sun and wind play in his bronze hair, more human than any other part of him.

With deliberate slowness, his hands slid down the sides of my neck. I shivered, and I heard him catch his breath. But his hands didn’t pause as they softly moved to my shoulders, and then stopped.

His face drifted to the side, his nose skimming across my collarbone. He came to rest with the side of his face pressed tenderly against my chest.

Listening to my heart.

And a little later in the same scene…

Jonathan McKee, president of The Source for Youth Ministry, is the author of numerous youth ministry books including the brand new 10-Minute Talks, and the award winning books Do They Run When They See You Coming? and Getting Students to Show Up. He speaks and trains at camps, conferences, and events across North America, and provides free resources for youth workers internationally on his website, TheSource4YM.com.

David R. Smith is the Director of Content Development at TheSource4YM.com, providing truly free resources and ideas that help youth workers reach kids. David speaks and trains around the U.S., sharing the gospel, and equipping others to do the same.

Episode #18 – Why We Need Change in Youth Ministry-a Conversation with Marko about Youth Ministry 3.0 (11/9/2008)

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.

On this podcast, The Source welcomes Youth Specialties President, Mark Oestreicher, for a conversation about why we need change in youth ministry. Marko, as he is affectionately known in the world of youth ministry, spends some time with Jonathan and Brandon discussing his new book Youth Ministry 3.0. This episode also includes Marko’s “7 Sins of Reinventing Your Youth Ministry.” Finally, the guys spend some time answering questions that have been received at ASK THE SOURCE.

Episode Highlights:

• Find out which one of these three guys does NOT have a tattoo.
• Listen to Brandon verbalize how to get from “sizzle to fizzle.”
• Discover what affinity, autonomy, and identity have to do with youth ministry today.
• Hear some theories why so many of us feel like sometimes we “just aren’t making a difference.”
• Find out why “a sense of belonging” is important and how you can foster it in your group.
• Learn some of the pros and cons of having a middle school ministry that’s separate from a high school ministry.