I’m back up on Slant33 again, this time responding along with Michelle Lang and buddy Mark Oestricher to the question What’s the difference between teaching middle schoolers and high schoolers about dating and sexuality? My response is below, but do check the link for Marko’s and Michelle’s comments as well.

This is an essential question. I have come to a clear understanding that for many young people, this area is one of the larger challenges in authentically living out their discipleship. Yet, in asking the question, we have overlooked an audience of potential collaborators in this task—their parents. If all the recent research about how young people reflect the values of their parents, then we certainly must find ways to encourage parents to be involved in sharing our good news about love, dating, and sexuality.

One of my favorite activities to engage adults in, to inform their sharing messages of dating and sexuality, is to get them to think back to their own early dating years. They are asked to think of an early, positive experience of touch in a dating experience—holding hands, a kiss, a slow dance, etc. We carefully dissect the experiences into their own mental photographic images of those moments, then how they would describe the facts of those moments, followed by their own emotions at the time.

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The Academy Awards are presented at month’s end so we are going to focus a little on movies. And here we go again, not unlike with Moneyball, we are offering another movie metaphor for the field.

The Artist is getting a lot of buzz during movie award season having already won the Golden Globe as Best Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical. It is a different movie- both black and white and silent but a beautiful movie and, as with all good movies, demands that you actually pay attention.

It starts with silent movie star George Valentin and a chance encounter with the young and effervescent Peppy Miller.  She transforms her moment within his limelight into a film career not unlike that of her mentor. Yet, there is a difference.  Times change and with then comes the talkies. 

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The Video to Use with young people comes from the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC), representing the science center and museum field worldwide.

I know, weird, right?

There are all sorts on “impossible” things occurring around us…  Why do we find the impossible so challenging to believe as possible?

In Matthew 19, we read
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

I drove home later last night listening to sports radio.  They were reporting on Joe Paterno declining health and I thought that I probably needed to develop an thoughtful obit for him. This morning, I found myself typing on the fly, recognizing that I’ll probably be a little late for my next appointment.

Joe Paterno lived a life dedicated to a sport and to the young men who played it. Nearly half a century as Penn State’s Nittany Lions’ head coach advanced many student athletes into professional careers as business men, lawyers, doctors, and yes, pro football players.

Yet, today he passes on from this world with a reputation tarnished and damaged because of the shadows of failure to protect young people… and that matters to all those who minister, serve, work with and care for young people. ReThinking Youth Ministry blogger Brian Kirk called the Penn State scandal the Most Important Youth Ministry Story of 2011.  We must remain diligent in establishing proper boundaries people and consistent in implementing them. UPDATED: Ed Stetzer also considers Coach Paterno’s legacy. 

Meanwhile, our prayers go out to everyone impacted by the news of the day… and

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

I have another article on Slant 33 responding, along with Brooklyn Lindsey and Michael Novelli, to the question In a strong denominational setting, how do you support your denomination?  Hit the link to check Brooklyn and Michael’s take on the question. Here’s mine:

A Baptist preacher, a Catholic priest, and a Jewish rabbi walk into a bar… I have no idea where the punch line will go, but I will default in hoping that the Catholic priest does not fare too badly in the end.

I have friends who pick Catholic teams in the NCAA basketball brackets, even if Notre Dame is facing Duke, Boston College is up against Kentucky, or Xavier against Ohio State. (That’s all right; I have other friends who will pick Michigan over Gonzaga because a Wolverine should beat a Bulldog, or they prefer the team colors… Yes, I have weird friends.)

But man, as Catholics, we seem to sweat Catholic identity about everything…

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Let’s talk modern day metaphor here.

You are on the ship when the Costa Concordia runs aground near Italy’s Giglio Island on the evening of January 14. You hear a crash. Glasses and plates fall down and as you leave the dining room, you are told it wasn’t anything dangerous. Yet, the light are now our and you were navigating darken crowded hallways and stairwells until you found the outside decks. Everyone who walk past shouts instructions, but the instructions contradict each other. (taken from eyewitness reports)

Acts 27 tells of Paul as a prisoner on a ship:  But they struck a sandbar and ran the ship aground. The bow was wedged in and could not be moved, but the stern began to break up under the pounding of the waves… Those who could swim {were ordered} to jump overboard first and get to the shore, and then the rest, some on planks, others on debris from the ship. In this way, all reached shore safely.

We may be moving beyond new maps.  We need new vehicles. There is no righting of the Costa Concordia that will be getting us to where we are aiming to get, to where we need to be.  No ship working for you means it’s time for figure out another way.

Get off the boat safely and begin figuring out your next mode of getting to where you need to be.

< Filippo Monteforte / AFP / Getty Images source >

Back in November, we started the live feed of ReBuild My Church with a bang.

Mark Oestreicher is a long time youth ministry leader and the former president of Youth Specialties.  Marko has authored many books, including the much-discussed Youth Ministry 3.0.  In 2010, he launched the Youth Ministry Coaching Program, and The Youth Cartel, a full-service youth ministry consulting firm.

Mark suggests that if we were going to change one thing in the future, we would make it much more about belonging for young people, but challenges us to reBuild how we go about doing that… as in does a youth room separation from the main community actually accomplish that?  What else do we need to change to reBuild belonging?

Collaboration >>

The cry resounds throughout the heritage of our African-American Church, “Can I Get a Witness?” The expectation what that whatever being discussed or taught among the gathering of believers should have within that same community a testimony of a God-intervention that is related to the same point. Our creed as Church is creed, therefore, not just because of scripture and tradition, not just because of our respect for the teacher (pastor, catechists, parent, youth minister); but because of the lived experiences of ourselves and those around us willing to profess their lived faith.

Recently, the Holy Father declared a Year of Faith (in his apostolic letter Porta Fideis). It will begin October 11, 2012, which is the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council as well as the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Year will conclude on the Solemnity of Christ the King, November 24, 2013. Pope Benedict’s goal in declaring a Year of Faith is to arouse in every believer the aspiration to profess the faith in fullness and with renewed conviction, with confidence and hope (PF9)

Over thirty-five years ago, in Evangelii Nuntiando, Pope Paul VI reminded us that “the first means of evangelization is the witness of an authentically Christian life, given over to God in a communion that nothing should destroy and at the same time given to one’s neighbor with limitless zeal… ‘Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.’" (EN 41) Being a witness to the faith (in both words and deeds) is not an option if we are passing on the faith. Pope Benedict reminds us that

It is the love of Christ that fills our hearts and impels us to evangelize. Today as in the past, he sends us through the highways of the world to proclaim his Gospel to all the peoples of the earth (PF7)

as well as that

The renewal of the Church is also achieved through the witness offered by the lives of believers: by their very existence in the world, Christians are called to radiate the word of truth that the Lord Jesus has left us. (PF 5)

Clearly, one specific way that we in youth ministry will challenge young people and those that serve with them to evangelize as well as radiate the truth will be through the personal testimony of a Witness Talk.

Let us take a look as to what makes for an effective witness talk.

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Here is the last video of the year offering a message of training or encouragement for youth ministry types.

Within the Miller clan, there are a few time honored traditions.  One involves sneaking a recently baked chocolate chip cookie into the stuffing inside a turkey.

Another involves a viewing of White Christmas.  It’s a musical connected to Christmastime.  It is a “buddy film” of two song-and-dance guys who, in the end, pay tribute to their former commanding officer from their war days.  The Army themes recently evoke a special tone as my son completes his four year commitment in the US Army. He is on Christmas leave this year, home, hoping as we all are for a White Christmas.

There is a simple little Irving Berlin ditty that has a slightly spiritual side to it as well.  Here is a simple little song, but one that has truth for us in tough times.

Count Your Blessings.

Rachel Blom of the Youth Leaders Academy has some good suggestions regarding How to keep your Facebook relations with students healthy. She acknowledges that she loves Facebook, but is very much aware of the risks and dangers. Her suggestions:

  1. Know when to quit
  2. Don’t initiate
  3. Stay public
  4. Pause and reflect
  5. Create a social media policy (such as…)

Give the whole article a read and check yourself as to how you are using Facebook. <image source>