www.youthworker.com

DECEMBER 27, 2007

Show Me the Money

Merry Christmas! We hope your holidays are wonderful times of celebration, rest, and reflection.

If you're wondering how the heck you're going to pay for all the presents you bought, or if you are one of the millions of Americans who suffer from what is called "money worries," we have good news for you.

The January/February issue of YouthWorker Journal, which is on its way to mailboxes across America this very moment, is all about money. There are seven solid articles designed to help you develop financial sanity in your own life and model and teach that sanity to the kids you work with.

Yes, it takes money to subscribe, but unlike that doggie Chia Pet you bought, this purchase will pay off throughout the year. You can subscribe by clicking [HERE].

An Inconvenient Pregnancy

Everyone but the hermit monks has heard the news: Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant. The 16-year-old star of Nickelodeon's popular Zoey 101, in which she plays a virginal good girl, was supposed to be the moral alternative to sexy sister Britney. Then life intervened.

While many parents and youth workers saw the episode as a teachable moment to talk with kids about sex and consequences, others condemned the Spears family and promoted their own moral superiority.

About the same time, Thomas Nelson Publishers announced that mom, Jamie Spears', book on parenting and family values would be "delayed indefinitely."

The timing of the news release coincided with the Advent season, which celebrates its own scandalous but miraculous birth. (NOTE to trigger-happy zealots: We are NOT equating Jamie Lynn Spears with Mary the mother of Jesus!)

No matter what your take on the episode, it's clear that pop culture presents kids with many and varied life lessons. We'll address that topic in more depth in the March/April issue of YouthWorker Journal, which focuses on Pop Culture. Meanwhile, you might find this New York Times article interesting: "TV's Perfect Girl Is Pregnant; Real Families Talk."

Reviews from YouthWorker Journal:
Group's Emergency Response Handbook for Youth Ministry
Group, 2007, 152 pp., $14.99
www.group.com

Group's Emergency Response Handbook is a resource designed to be a quick reference point for counseling teens in crisis. The book covers 12 subjects, including grief, addictions, conflict, and abuse. Each subject starts with a real life narrative as an example, followed by care and counseling tips; criteria for referring; suggested scriptures; advice for the group; examples of what not to say; and recommendations for further reading and online resources.

While there are more thorough counseling resources out there for youth ministers, this is a great, unintimidating book for volunteer leaders. I wish the price was under $10, but in my opinion, it's still on the short list of books that every youth worker should have.

- Reviewer Matthew McNutt is youth pastor at Boothbay Baptist Church in Boothbay, Maine.

Lists: The Best and Biggest of 2007

The recording industry took a beating in 2007, but American Idol runner-up Chris Daughtry's band still sold 3.2 million copies of Daughtry, their debut album, which was the bestselling recording of the year, according to Billboard magazine.

Other bestsellers were:
- Akon's Konvicted (2.7 million copies);
- The Hannah Montana soundtrack (2.5 million);
- Fergie's The Dutchess (2.4 million);
- And Some Hearts by 2005 American Idol winner Carrie Underwood (2.3 million copies).

Meanwhile, here's Entertainment Weekly's list of the year's best online videos:

1. The Landlord -- starring Will Ferrell and a foul-mouthed toddler. Be duly warned. (Funnieordie.com/videos/74)
2. Alanis Morissette's "My Humps" (youtube.com/watch?v=W91sqAs-_-g)
3. Miss South Carolina Teen USA (youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww)
4. Filipino Prisoners Perform "Thriller" (youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o)
5. Backstreet Bird (youtube.com/watch?v=N7IZmRnAo6s)
6. Dramatic Prairie Dog (youtube.com/watch?v=jHjFxJVeCQs)
7. Keepon Keepin' On (youtube.com/watch?v=nPdP1jBfxzo)
8. Clark and Michael (clarkandmichael.com/)
9. Gilbert and Sullivan's "Baby Got Back" (youtube.com/watch?v=qkJdEFf_Qg4)
10. "Star Wars" Trumpet Solo (youtube.com/watch?v=Wffwg7pA0t8)

For more year-end lists see Entertainment Weekly [or for the ew.com web site click here].

Youthworkers need YOUR ideas. We need you to share your ideas in the Idea Exhchange so other ministry leaders can learn from you. Take five minutes and answer one or all of the following questions (click on link):

1) What special programs / projects do you do during the holidays?
2) What have been your group's top three success outreach initiatives?
3) What has been your group's most popular inreach ideas, and why?
4) What is the most effective means your group uses to promote authenticity?
5) How have you found pop culture to be a springboard for spiritual lessons?

The YouthWorker eJournal Survey Results: What's Ahead in 2008?

What are your goals for the coming year? Choose the answer below that fits you best and we will tell you what everyone else said in the next issue.

Next year, I want to have more time for family and friends. 11%

Next year, I want to have a deeper spiritual life than I have right now. 56%

Next year, I want to be a better youth worker. 28%

Next year, I want to win the lottery or star in a TV reality show. 5%

[To subscribe to Youth WorkerJournal, click here]

Thanks for joining us for this issue of the YouthWorker eJournal. See you next time.

Sincerely, Steve Rabey, YouthWorker Journal editor, and our entire crew