eZine 02.09.2010

Many of you already own my new book Connect or have heard the buzz about my sticky-notes training exercise, helping youth ministry leaders not only take the spiritual pulse of their students, but also keep accountable to reaching them and helping them grow spiritually. Now we have an online video available where you can see me do this training.

This entire exercise and detailed descriptions of the “Six Types of Kids” are laid out in my book Connect (and we actually provide you with the Powerpoint you see me using in this video when you buy the book from us).

“Dad, can I download Down?”

That’s what my 14-year-old asked me this week, hoping to download the song from iTunes onto her iPod. If you’re a parent, you may have experienced a situation similar to this, seeing that 76% of 8-18 year-olds now own these mobile music devices (KFF, Generation M2, page 29).

During lunch that day, Alyssa had heard Jay Sean’s song “Down” play over the school’s PA system (because that’s what our public schools often do in CA). There’s little wonder why my daughter heard this song at school. Though it’s currently ranked #23 on Billboard’s Hot 100, this song by Jay Sean and Lil Wayne has been on the charts for 30 weeks and it peaked at #1. In other words, this tune has gotten some serious air time! I heard it in the airport last weekend.

My kids have an agreement with my wife Lori and me that they must review the lyrics before downloading any song. We’ve been trying to teach them to use discernment with what they listen to because we all know that music truly affects actions. (Just last week David’s Youth Culture Window article cited the unique study performed by the University of Sussex about the affect of music on teenagers. That study made me want to “knock some pencils off the table” in my house to see what happens!)

So when Alyssa asked me if she could download the song, I offered her the same response I always give. “Did you look at the lyrics?”

She answered honestly, “Yeah, but I couldn’t tell if they were bad.”

You gotta love this situation! Here’s my daughter being a normal teenager who likes the sound of a song. She knows the process in our house and she comes to me genuinely seeking an answer of what’s right… or just hoping I’d say yes!

Here lies the struggle. In moments like these I can’t help but second guess myself. Alyssa is a great kid. Am I monitoring her too much? Should I back off and let her just download what she wants? After all, my rules seem a little more stringent than many other parents I know…even some of those in my church.

Do you ever wonder what to do in these situations?

Sally and Shirley
I’ve met two extremes when it comes to making these kinds of decisions as parents. The first extreme is the parent I call Sally SoWhat…

Oskaloosa, Iowa
March 6th, Jonathan McKee and Tom McKee, co-authors of the book THE NEW BREED, are doing a fun Saturday training workshop (9AM to 4PM) for non-profit leaders, youth workers… anyone who recruits, trains and manages volunteers! If you’re within driving distance of Eastern Iowa, this workshop is for you!

Here’s the details for this Iowa training:

WHEN:

WHERE:

COST: (lunch Included)

TO REGISTER:

For more information call 641-673-4671

If you can’t attend this workshop, don’t worry. We’re offering the book right now through our web site. See below:

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:

• Learn the history of The Great Commission
• Find out what Greg’s middle name is (and what his initials spell)
• Discover what Greg calls “The Cause”
• Learn how to move from a “quarterback” model of evangelism to “coach” model
• Hear why Greg says the Gospel is like a grenade