Sometimes you don’t have their attention for very long. Whether you’ve planned for a short message or your program has run long, a ten-minute talk is sometimes all you have space for in your youth ministry. So make sure you make it ten minutes that really count! If you need to communicate something meaningful in just a little time, 10 Minute Talks has just what you need—more than two dozen ready-to-go, story-based talks. With talks for spiritual growth, targeted at your Christian students, and outreach talks, perfect for any teenager, you’ll be prepared to give them a bite of truth that they can walk away remembering. Following the method Jesus used most often, these 10 Minute Talks give you stories that can impact students with one simple point. Each talk gives you the tools you need to make it count, and the flexibility to make it work for your context. Along with each topic and title, you’ll find: • The Big Idea • Scripture • The Story • The Transition Statement • Application • Closing Don’t get caught with nothing to say—or too much to say in the time you’ve got! Get 10 Minute Talks and get a meaningful message across quickly!
"In an age where teenagers are deeply engaged in virtual communities and social networks, they’re still feeling alone and isolated. It may sound all too simple, but the truth is that you have the opportunity to make a profound impact on the lives of students with the simple act of spending time with them, one-on-one. Whether you’re a volunteer or the lead youth pastor, getting some students to open up and share their lives can be a challenge. In this practical book you’ll learn the importance of connecting with students on an individual basis and get helpful ideas on how to engage a variety of students in meaningful dialogue. You’ll explore and learn more about connecting with six different types of students, including: • The “No Way” Kid • The “Not Interested” Kid • The “Checking Things Out Kid” • The “Stagnant” Kid • The “Growing” Kid • The “Looking for Ministry” Kid Connect will walk you through the steps to lead you into relationships with students that go beyond the youth room and impact them into adulthood."
For many teenagers, sharing their faith in Jesus to their friends is an overwhelming and scary prospect. Outreach is inviting their friends to a fun event once a year.In this entertaining video-based training (DVD/digital video sold separately), Jonathan McKee ignites the passion of Christian teenagers to live authentic lives and gives them tools to reach out to their friends in ways that won’t give them cold sweats! The message is simple: an authentic faith creates opportunities to talk about Jesus. Students will discover the secret to sharing the reason for the hope that’s within them.Designed for use with the Real Conversations Video Study (sold separately).
Are you and your favorite teenager having too many conversations like this? "How was school?" "Fine." "Soccer practice?" "Same as always." "Anything interesting happen today?" "Nope." "Nice talking with you!" Let's face it. Teenagers have a PhD in one-word answers . . . if we don't ask the right questions. In this book, veteran youth expert Jonathan McKee shares 180 creative discussion starters to help teens open up about issues that matter. You'll also find tips for interpreting their responses and follow-up questions. From light-hearted to more serious, these conversation springboards will encourage even the most reluctant teen to talk about friends, school, values, struggles, and much more. "The perfect tool for connecting with today's teenagers." --Dr. Kevin Leman, author of Have a New Teenager by Friday "Few people understand the teenage world like Jonathan McKee. This book is one of the most helpful and practical tools I have ever seen to get teenagers talking with their parents about important topics."--Jim Burns, PhD, author of Teenology: The Art of Raising Great Teenagers and Confident Parenting
Have Real Conversations With Your Kids About SexThe old ways of having the "sex talk" just won't cut it anymore. Sadly, the number one place today's young people go to for answers about sex is Google. Meanwhile, kids view nearly 14,000 sexual references a year on television, and 70 percent of teenagers have encountered pornography on the Internet. If we want our children to know the truth about healthy sexuality, we need to create a comfortable climate of continual conversations.Jonathan McKee will show you how to move beyond the initial awkwardness of this subject into an ongoing communication with your kids about God's amazing gift of sex. He equips you with what you need to talk openly about dating, temptation, porn, and purity, and you will find answers to tough questions and relevant Scripture on sexual issues.It's normal for kids to be curious about sexuality, and they need to know that their parents are the most reliable source of information. Be the one your kids turn to on this crucial topic."In a world full of explicit lies, today's kids need parents who aren't afraid to tell them the explicit truth. This book provides parents with the tools they need to have these candid and continual conversations."--Dr. Kevin Leman, New York Times bestselling author of Have a Happy Family by Friday"Jonathan McKee is one of America's premier youth specialists, and this book will help you navigate the rough waters of teaching your kids healthy sexuality."--Jim Burns, PhD, president, HomeWord and author"Parents, take a deep breath. This book pulls no punches. But it will give you exactly what you need to walk alongside your kids at this time when they most need it."--Shaunti Feldhahn, social researcher, speaker, and bestselling author"A thorough, straightforward, and engaging resource that will both equip and inform a parent for effective, culturally relevant, and God-honoring conversations about sexuality and all its implications. It is a critical read in critical times."--Brian Berry, generation ministries pastor, Journey Community Church, La Mesa, California; and author"SO many parents I know don't feel equipped to talk to their kids about sex. This book helps you overcome the (guaranteed) awkwardness of conversations like that, and provides both tools AND motivation. I wish every parent would read it."--Scott Rubin, director of middle school ministry, Willow Creek Community Church"Jonathan McKee provides clarity and practical knowledge so that you and I can do more than just give a nervous 'talk' to our kids; we can be loving and consistent parents for them as well."--Terry Linhart, PhD, educator, author, Bethel College--Indiana"Kids need parents who are educated, aware, and relevant when it comes to sex. Thankfully, Jonathan McKee gives us powerful, poignant, and practical tools to help us win in this delicate and scary parenting arena."--Doug Fields, co-founder of DownloadYouthMinistry.com, youth pastor for thirty years at Saddleback & Mariners Church, speaker, and author "McKee is a frontline youth worker with current and regular interactions with Christian teenagers wrestling with the intersection of their faith and their sexuality. Never condescending, Jon brings his writing style to a subject I wish more parents were talking about with their teens."--Mark Oestreicher, partner, The Youth Cartel and author"Jonathan McKee's book helps us to remember that 'the talk' is a myth at best, and a terrible strategy at worst. A lifestyle of preparation, a strategic series of discussions, and a proactive commitment to conversation is what our kids need, and this book will help any parent to walk with their kids in confidence."--Chap Clark, professor of youth, family, and culture, Fuller Theological Seminary
In 52 Ways to Connect with Your Smartphone Obsessed Kid, author Jonathan McKee offers just the help you need to have meaningful interaction with your kids instead of always overreacting to their unhealthy consumption of technology and media. In a world where over 80 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds now own a smartphone, parents are searching for ways to pry their kids' eyes from their devices and engage them in real, face-to-face conversation. Mckee--drawing from his 20-plus years of experience working with teenagers, studying youth culture, and raising three teens of his own--provides an abundant supply of useful tips and creative ideas to help you bond with the Smartphone Generation.
Ever wish parenting came with a do-over button? "Here's where I messed up. . ." Whenever I say those words during my parenting workshops, you can hear a pin drop. Parents are on the edges of their seats. "And here's what I'd do differently next time. . ." That's when every pen in the room begins writing furiously. Let's face it. Hindsight is 20/20. If you ever find yourself saying "I wish I had a do-over. . ." You're not alone Join author and youth culture expert, Jonathan McKee, as he shares from his own personal parenting experiences of raising three kids, while making purposeful, effective tweaks along the way. Delivered with a refreshing blend of humor and vulnerability, the author's candid style and real-world application will equip you with solid, helpful practices you can actually use in your own home. With chapters like "Let It Go," "Press Pause," and "Tip the Scales," McKee provides the honest answers you're seeking as you parent your kids.
Honestly?. . . ""Why wait for something when I can enjoy it now?"" "These images don't really affect me. . .do they?" ""How could smoking a little weed really be that bad when it's becoming legalized everywhere?" "I'd like to tell you I don't care what others think, but honestly, I want to be liked."" Maybe you're thinking, ""I've had one. . .maybe even a few of these thoughts, and I don't know how to even begin to deal with them."" The good news? You're not alone. And there is a way to fight these battles head-on, overcoming the past, pressing forward, and becoming the person God designed you to be. So what's a guy to do? . . . Join youth culture expert and author of the popular Guy's Guide to God, Girls, and the Phone in Your Pocket, Jonathan McKee, as he gets real about the four common battles every young man will encounter in his life: 1: Sexual Temptation 2. Screens 3: Controlled Substances 4: Self-Esteem With humor and honesty, McKee offers up practical, spiritual advice filled with real-world application helping you face today's distractions.
"There are only three types of kids: bullies, the bullied, and bystanders. Which one are you?"It was a day like any other at Mesa Rosa High School - except for one sophomore boy who decided to carry out unprecedented revenge on fellow students. No one would be spared. Certainly not those who mercilessly bullied him over the years, and not even those who stood by and did nothing. Bystanders. Brett had declared them all "guilty" on this day.The preparations took months. He emptied his college fund to purchase exactly what he needed. He had the school schedule memorized down to the minute. He even studied other school massacres to determine what went wrong so he could avoid mistakes.But he didn't account for intersections: The determined detective who just couldn't just put aside a seemingly humdrum police report; the female teacher/ex-soldier who met an unexpected comrade-in-arms while the attack came inches closer to her room; the black sophomore boy from the other side of the tracks and white sophomore girl from privilege who've never spoken to each other until this day finds them hiding in the same maintenance closet where they work out their plan of escape - and their differences.Bystanders is a suspenseful thrill-ride wound around compelling snapshots of characters so real and flawed and deep and heroic that the unfolding day they step into - one that none of them will ever forget - reads like it was culled from real-life newspaper accounts.
