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This is getting mixed reactions. It is funny yet is there truth to it? You decide.  It’s called What If Starbucks Marketed Like the Church? A Parable.

Here is a great article with some interesting insights from Business Week about the up and coming generation of students (that we minister to as youth workers). It really puts into perspective the Net Generation. Here’s a clip:

The digital world that Net Geners have been weaned on is profoundly interactive. Kids have grown up to expect a two-way conversation, not a one-way lecture. This interactive reflex has a profound effect on what one academic has called their “habits of mind.” Instead of simply absorbing information—from a teacher or even a book—they go out and find it. As O’Shea’s story illustrates, the Net Geners use Google when they want to find out something. When they do so, they construct their own story, their own idea, rather than following the line of thought drawn by someone else in a book. This obviously doesn’t replace conventional book reading, nor should it. But what we’re seeing is a new form of literacy that many experts say is just as intellectually challenging as reading a book.

Now some critics say that because Net Geners don’t read books cover to cover, they don’t get a chance to follow a fully developed argument. The result, according to these critics, is that they never learn to build a frame of reference that the intelligent reader needs to interpret the world. My own view is different: In the online hunt you can develop your own frame of reference, which is based on far more information than we ever had at their age. I think this makes the Net Generation smarter than they would have been had they just spent the time sitting on a couch watching TV.

What are your thoughts?

Had a great Saturday night at UNITED!  In fact a great night is an understatement.  I am so proud of my youth staff and how they brought everything together.  They are all volunteers but at times they work as if they are in a full time paid position.  Our drama was intense and you can look for a video on that later this week.  Our worship was some of the best I have ever been around in working with teens all these years. Our Fellowship staff showed up in support and also stepped up big to help us out.  Ben ran all of our lighting and Jeff ran all of our video.  Nancy set up everything for all the band and drama teams to be able to eat and get a rest after practice.

At the end of the night we had 7 students receive Christ.  It was awesome to see 20-25 guests their as well.  Still working out the numbers, but that shows that our students are stepping up to the challenge of investing into their friends and it is paying off.  Be in prayer that we can now connect with the families of those students and get them involved in our church.

Thanks to all those who served, prayed, fasted and sacrificed for this event.

We are finding that the absolute best way to connect with students and parents about upcoming events is through text message.  Below you will find links for either parents, middle school or high school students please click on the link and spend the next 20 seconds updating our accounts…thanks.

High School

Middle School

Parents

• Service Sunday was Awesome
• Jeff did great with worship and technically we sounded great
• Set-up was done in no time which is always great
• Buddy Cremeans brought it on Sunday as he usually does
• It was great to see his family
• He is at the 2nd best church in the Northeast…Northway Church
• Kristi and Dan had their little girl Aramai…phonetically it sounds like error-a-my, she was born at 3am
• Props to Dan showing up after no sleep to run KidVenture…now that is dedication
• Ben & Courtney had an ultrasound and they are having a little boy
• Fellowship is growing their reproduction
• Life groups for middle school went on and I got to take off the night
• Stu and Kyle did a great job
• I’m tired of not getting scared when I pay to be
• Got to meet a couple new people this weekend that just loved the service and Fellowship
• Snuck in and heard some of the Christmas music and you are in for a treat
• iphone has so many cool free aps
• I got a lot of housework done today
• Can’t wait to vote tomorrow
• Loved the extra hour of sleep yesterday
• My mom is now home and safe
• UNITED is next Saturday night at 6:00pm, parents please get your kids to it

The last couple days I have been working on overcoming my fears.  Anybody who knows me knows that on any given day somebody can scare me and usually does.  I have this tendency to get really involved in what I am doing and then somebody (usually a staff member) thinks its hilarious to watch me jump and scream.

Wednesday night, Jeff Sareyka, Ben Jones, Kyle Short and myself jumped in the car after the last pitch and went up to Broad Street to watch the festivities (code word for mini-riots) unfold after the win.  At first it was fun and then it became scary as police were called in, bottles and cans were being thrown at random people, fires, loud explosions, fights and mass chaos broke out.  At that moment the joy turned to fear and we left immediately.  Interesting what happens with 100,000 intoxicated fans with nothing to do.

Last night Greg Davis, Dan Mcinnes, Kyle Short, Luke Desimone, Stuart Nelson and myself went to Terror Behind the Walls at the Eastern State Penitentiary.  It was said it was the #1 scary venue in the United States and people say it was the scariest place they have ever been.  I had a blast with the guys and it was a fun and entertaining time.  Not scary.  All the hype for a fear let down.  Great special effects and make-up.  It took us forty minutes to get through it and it was a nice time.

I continue to try and overcome my fear.  The high school students and I hit Bates Motel last weekend and now I find myself a scary environment junkie as I continue to look for that fix that will scare me.  My next stop will possibly be an attempt at Jason’s Woods.  So far the scariest thing for me was when my iphone battery died and I wasn’t near a charger.

• Even when obstacles come up God always works them out…great Sunday today
• Team came together well and got all “bugs” worked out
• John had fun smashing a cow bell and hopefully that will mean that the Phillies will crush tonight
• Eagles won
• Volunteers were awesome today
• The food was really good in volunteer central today
• John got to go to the Eagles game today, I am so happy for him
• Bates motel was awesome as 27 of us went…not very scary, I’m ready for Eastern State now
• Had a cool day yesterday with my boys and won them 21 little rubber dinosaurs…I’m up for dad of the year in their eyes
• John is at the Phillies game tonight…how do you score tickets to two events in one day?  Incredible!
• We had 17 at high school life groups
• We played a sock game and the students attacked me…don’t ask
• I am ready for bed
• God kicked my butt this week and hopefully he will release me to share that with you next week