eZine 12.08.2009

Weekly Resources, Ideas and Articles from The Source for Youth Ministry
Tuesday, December 8, 2009

FIND MORE READY-MADE FREE RESOURCES AT
www.TheSource4YM.com

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

Free Stuff from To Save a Life
Posted on Monday, December 07, 2009 12:29 PM
You guys like free stuff, right? Well… I’ve got something for ya. Those of you who have been subscribers of my blog for a while might remember me talking about a Christian film I got a chance to screen, a film titled, To Save a Life. The writer of the film, Jim Britts, is a buddy of mine, and he just hooked me up with some free stuff to give away to you guys. I’ve got 10 things to give away. So I thought we’d have another little contest. More on that in a minute.

This film is one you really should check into. It’s releasing in the theatres January 22 and is something I would use in two ways. One, I’d use it to open doors to spiritual conversations with my outreach kids. Secondly, I’d definitely use this as a tool with my student leaders to help them start thinking about reaching out to their friends at school and what that actually looks like. The film addressed typical church youth group “hypocracy” like no other.

I really enjoyed this film (you can check out my earlier blog about it here, where I gave my complete “two cents” on the film and received a few comments that got pretty interesting). As I mentioned, it’s a fantastic tool to show to a small group of kids or even an entire youth groups and discuss afterwards. It’s very real… even a little edgy at parts (You can see their new trailer here on their official site).

Jim is giving me three of his Youth Curriculum Kits to give away to you (a cool little kit with a seven week teaching series- it’s got a leaders guide, a DVD with clips from the film, ppts, and more)… and seven of the To Save a Life Novels. Cool stuff!

So here goes: a little “google-proof” movie trivia again since we’re talking about movies here:

The first three people that use the comment feature of this blog to answer just one of the questions below correctly, get the To Save a Life Kits. The 7 runner ups get the novels. (I won’t post the comments until all answers are in)

1. What scene of what movie did actor Richard Dreyfuss refer to when he said that he didn’t even have to make up his interest in another actor because he was so captivated by his performance? (those are my words, so you can’t Google his real words!) 🙂
2. In what movie does Joe say, “I got Ice Capades!”
3. What scene of what movie did Morgan Freeman shoot, only to come onto the set the next day with an ice-pack on his shoulder, with no mention of it or no complaint?

That’s it. If you don’t know it, ask your movie geek friends. First 10 people with correct answers win!

Look out! It’s the end of the world…according to Hollywood…again. That’s right, the blockbuster 2012 is still in theaters, but in this MOVIE CLIP DISCUSSION, we’ve provide you with an actual clip from the movie along with small group questions, biblical passages, and even a wrap up.

Main Point: Even though 2012 is a talked-about date as a potential end of the world, we should consider what Jesus says about it.

The Movie Clip: Escape LA
2012 is a 2009 disaster film about the prediction of the end of the world based on the end of the Mayan calendar coming true. The plotline states: “Never before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists, and governments. A global cataclysm brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors.”

“There’s a big difference between pornography and erotica.” “There’s no difference between coed dorms and gender-split dorms on campus.” “Hooking up isn’t demeaning; it’s liberating.”

Are you confused by some of these messages? So are teens…and it’s having an impact.

Subliminal Messages
There are plenty of messages about sex swirling through the world of teenagers these days. Some are responsible and values-driven, like “real love waits,” while others are blatantly graphic and harmful. A billboard posted in my city ? for a short time ? claimed a certain brand of alcohol was “liquid panty remover.” Fairly brazen, but at least the message was clear.

Then there are more subtle messages like, “It doesn’t hurt to look,” and “Everyone’s doing it,” or “Oral sex doesn’t count.” Without a doubt, these advice-laden messages are reaching teenagers. But what are they communicating?

Apparently, lots of confusion.

Confusion About Casual Sex
There are now two schools of thought concerning young people who “hook up.” One group condemns casual sex as dangerous and damaging, while another embraces “free love” as liberating and empowering. (This article explores both sides of the argument, but don’t miss the video that’s linked in the upper left hand corner.)

This discussion is ongoing at several college campuses, including a few Ivy League schools. Some girls note the apparent disparage between a guy’s sexual conquests versus that of a girl’s. “When girls sleep with multiple people on different occasions, she is labeled as a ?slut’ or ?whore,’ but when guys hook up with multiple girls they’re seen as heroes to the male race,” said Rachel Sloane, who’s a senior at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. “As long as she isn’t taking advantage of the other person, why shouldn’t she have that right?” she asks.

So, just to be clear, your argument is based on “he’s doing it too” mentality?

It’s more than “slightly interesting” to me that this discussion is happening on college campuses. Just a year and a half ago, I wrote about the growing prevalence of coed roommates in college dorms. I raised several questions, with the chief one being, “Will coed rooming have more consequences, or benefits, for students?”

At this point, enough semesters have passed to conduct studies. The jury is in: students at colleges offering coed dorms ? not even coed roommates, necessarily ? are more likely to have an increased number of sexual partners.

You’ll have to forgive me for not being surprised.

But that’s not all researchers discovered. In their study released in The Journal of American College Health they claimed that university students in coed housing were 2.5 times more likely to binge drink every week. 42% of students in coed housing reported binge drinking on a weekly basis, compared to 18% of students in gender split campus housing. Also, pornography use was higher among students in coed dorms.

And finally, late last month, Jenna Jameson, who Oprah calls “the biggest porn star in the world,” visited with the host of the most-watched talk show in the country. The two women talked about the porn industry, how proud Jameson is of her professional career, her family, how she thinks others see her, and whether or not she has any regrets. This short video clip from the show provides a glimpse of the dialogue between Oprah and Jameson on the nature of the adult film industry….

What kinds of kids do you encounter in your ministry area? Do you connect with all six types of kids? What does that look like week to week? – Episode #31 (11/9/2009)

In this episode we fly to Canada where the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches interviews Jonathan about one of the most important aspects of ministry: connecting with kids in one-on-one relationships. Enjoy hearing these three Canadian youth workers pick Jonathan’s brain about his brand new book CONNECT, and how adults can connect with today’s ‘disconnected’ teenagers.

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:

• Understand how “big picture” thinking can help lay the groundwork for effective relational ministry
• Hear the plural word for “moose”
• Meet the six types of kids that we will encounter in our ministry areas
• Hear about talking with kids on the “front lines” without sounding creepy
• Learn the first two questions a kid will ask you when you meet them on their turf
• Take a peek at what “making relational ministry a priority” can look like in your ministry weekly

---