NUMBER SEVEN

APOLOGIZE
This song was originally a song from the band OneRepublic, although it was truly Timbaland’s remix of the song that brought it the most attention. OneRepublic offers both versions of the song on their iTunes version of their album Dreaming Out Loud. Timbaland offers the remix on his triple platinum album Shock Value. If America hadn’t heard it by then, the rest did on May 21, 2008 when OneRepublic appeared on the finale’ of American Idol performing the song as a duet with Idol finalist David Archuleta.

OneRepublic has yet to prove themselves. But keep your eye on the band’s lead singer Ryan Tedder, long time singer, songwriter and producer who has penned popular songs for Natasha Bedingfield, Jennifer Lopez, Hilary Duff, Leona Lewis, and others.

Timbaland’s name has become more commonplace in the last few years, especially after the word “featuring.” You’ve probably noticed songs that say by Nelly Furtado “featuring” Timbaland, or Justin Timberlake “featuring” Timbaland. You’ve especially noticed those songs in the top 100, because people can’t get enough of Timbaland’s unique bass heavy bounce beats and “quiet murmuring” beneath the track—his signature.

Apologize is just another example of Timbaland’s icing on an already tasty cake. The music is catchy, the beat is smooth, and surprise surprise… the lyrics are clean! In fact, we saw that the song had huge potential for provoking discussions on forgiveness, so I found a MUSIC DISCUSSION you can use for free.

NUMBER EIGHT
No Air is a song about lost love, sung as a duet by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown.
• Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air
• Can't live, can't breathe with no air
• It's how I feel whenever you ain't there
• It's no air, no air



This heartbreaking song offers our list a “two-for-one special” concerning superstars. Sparks survived the scrutinizing eye of Simon Cowell when she won the 6th season of American Idol. She then went on to produce several songs in the pop/R&B genre, with her most famous one being Tattoo.

Sparks has kept her music clean for the past two years, and avoided the filth so frequently associated with her genre of music. Not only has she kept her music pure, she even spoke up in defense of sexual purity when it was criticized at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards shows by comedian Russell Brand.

The other half of this duo is the young heartbreaker, Chris Brown. He announced himself to the world in a big way, when, at the age of 16, his very first R&B/Soul single Run It! debuted at the top of the Billboard charts. Never before has a male artist’s debut single topped the charts.  

But don’t let his voice fool you; Chris may be more famous for his dance moves than his singing. This dancing machine has all the moves of Michael Jackson, and none of the lawsuits.  

Speaking of lawsuits, he has also kept it clean during his first three years in the spotlight. He even wears his pants around his waistline instead of his thighs, unlike most of his colleagues.

By the way, Brown is currently dating Rihanna. Let’s hope they influence each other in positive ways.


THRIVE
Victory

Top 10 Most Downloaded Songs of 2008 part 2

NUMBER NINE
• It’s like the darkness in the light, Disturbia.
• Am I scaring you tonight? Disturbia.
• Ain’t used to what you like. Disturbia Disturbia.
These are some of the cryptic lyrics from Rihanna’s #1 hit Disturbia, which has been on the charts for 25 straight weeks. This incredibly popular song comes off her latest album Good Girls Gone Bad, which has pushed her “records-sold-worldwide” to over 11 million!

[caption id="attachment_46" align="alignleft" width="333" caption="Beautiful Rihanna"][/caption]

The bombshell, no one new to our Youth Culture Window articles, goes by the name Rihanna, though she was born Robin Rihanna Fenty in her native Barbados. She’s famous for songs like Umbrella, Don’t Stop the Music, and Take a Bow, but it was Disturbia that won her a place on this list…and an invitation from MTV to kick off their 2008 Video Music Awards show with a live rendition of it.

In the course of her short career, she’s accrued five #1 songs and six tattoos. Though she ranks 9th on the most downloaded list of 2008, she is currently perched atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart right now for her collaboration with T.I. on Live Your Life.

If you’re hoping that the title of her latest album is not a foreshadowing of content to come, you may be disappointed to hear Rihanna’s thoughts concerning her own…um… booty. “I keep working at it as I want it to be perfect,” she told the News of the World's Fabulous magazine. “It makes my clothes look good – and guys like it!”

It looks like Rihanna knows what sells in America.

THRIVE

Top 10 Most Downloaded Songs of 2008

The biggest songs of 2008 were, by the most part, also the most downloaded songs of 2008. Millions of teenagers have imported these songs onto their mp3 players so they can listen to them over and over again. So, what music (and message) are teenagers cramming in via headphones?  

A Look Back
This article will count down the most downloaded songs of 2008 as charted by The Nielsen Company (which you’ll notice are very similar to Nielsen’s list of “the most listened to songs on the radio” and the list of “Billboard Number Ones” throughout 2008). Our article will not only provide a glimpse at each of the artists that sing these songs, but it will also include several excerpts from the songs’ lyrics. That way, you can take a peek at what kids have been listening to for the last year. The most popular songs from 2008 ranged from completely harmless to incredibly foul.

And here they are…

NUMBER TEN
It’s not surprising that the song 4 Minutes made it in the Top 10 when you consider the artists behind it. The tenth most downloaded song is the result of three decades of talent shoved into just two artists: Madonna and Justin Timberlake.

Madonna emerged in the 80’s but remained a hit for the next two decades. Timberlake’s career was launched in the 90’s, but grew even stronger in the new millennium. So what happens when you put “Like a Virgin” and “Sexy Back” together?
• Madonna: Time is waiting
• Justin: We only got 4 minutes to save the world
• Madonna: No hesitating
• Madonna: Grab a boy
• Justin: Grab a girl
• Madonna: Time is waiting
• Justin: We only got 4 minutes to save the world
How about that! We’ve gotta have sex… in a hurry!

The words and video speak for themselves. “If you feel it, It must be real just... Say the word, and I will give you what you want.” This is nothing new. 4 Minutes is just another example of a song that communicates “Do what feels right at the moment,” a message Madonna’s been preaching for years.

More tomorrow!!

Thrive
Victory

Youth ministry: YouthYouth Ministry tips from ground zero

Youth ministry: YouthYouth Ministry tips from ground zero

THRIVE

Youth and porn

Mobile Porn
Teens Using Cell Phones for X-Rated Purposes

It’s all too common to see teenagers using MySpace and Facebook to share racy pics of themselves. Lately, teenagers are using a new tool for taking sexy photos of themselves to share with friends…and the rest of the world. Their cell phones

It’s all too common to see teenagers using MySpace and Facebook to share racy pics of themselves. Lately, teenagers are using a new tool for taking sexy photos of themselves to share with friends…and the rest of the world. Their cell phones.



Bloody Sunday
Cell PhoneI’ll never forget Sunday, February 15, 2004, when one of the guys in my youth ministry took an “upskirt” photo of the teenage girl sitting beside him during worship…yes, worship. He immediately sent it to two of his buddies, who sent it to their friends, who sent it to… you get the picture (no pun intended).

Within a few days, evidence of his “photography” caught the attention of a conscientious adult leader who shared the news with me. What followed was a lot of headache and heartache as all the families, law enforcement officers, and the senior pastor got involved. The whole event, which spanned a couple of months, left me wanting to confiscate every cell phone brought to our youth ministry, only to be given back after graduation from high school.

Unfortunately, it appears as though my teen “photographer” isn’t the only one playing this game.

Racy Wallpaper
Teenagers love decorating their wallpaper (cell phone screen) with pictures they’ve taken on their camera phones. Recently, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy conducted a study on exactly what kind of pictures (and messages) teens have stored on their cell phones. Here are a few of their disappointing findings:


* 20% of teenagers say they've sent (or posted) naked or semi-naked photos or videos of themselves, mostly to be "fun or flirtatious,” (33% of 20-26 year olds have done the same)

* 33% of teenage boys say they’ve seen nude or semi-nude images sent to someone else (about 25% of teenage girls have done the same)

* 39% of teenagers say they've sent suggestive text messages (59% of those ages 20-26 admit to it as well)

* 48% of teens have received sexually suggestive text messages (64% of young adults also have)


In spite of these risqué behaviors, most of those surveyed (73%) said they knew sending sexually suggestive content “can have serious negative consequences.” Several teenagers already know this to be true; just ask these 15 year old cheerleaders who are facing child pornography charges for snapping nude pics of themselves and sending them to high school friends.

Why Cell Phones?
In a word: privacy.

Nielsen Mobile estimates that 80% of all American teens use a cell phone, most of them on a daily basis. We’ve known for some time that teenagers prefer text messaging to actual phone calls on their cell phones because of the privacy text messaging affords them. OTX reports that text messaging is the feature used most often on teens’ cell phones. Among 13-17 year olds, the average number of phone calls on teens’ cell phones was 231 per month while the average number of text messages was 1,742 per month.

So, making the leap from sending racy messages to sending racy pics seems to follow a natural progression.

According to Homeword.com’s Jim Burns, in an interview with The Source for Youth Ministry, “By the year 2011 cell phones will be the greatest provider of internet pornography. In fact, by 2011, the average kid will be 11 years old who sees pornography, even accidentally. Kids view pornography; it’s the death of innocence.”

His prediction sounds right on the money. Knowledge Networks reports that teens are four times more likely than adults to watch TV or video on their phones.

Leaving a Wireless Footprint
We all know that most sources of media can be filled with racy material… material that can now be accessed by cell phones owned by teens. How can parents and youth workers engage themselves in teenagers’ use of their cell phones?


1. Teach teenagers about sexual purity’s all-encompassing boundary. So many teenagers want to reduce sexual purity to mean “not having actual sex.” They have no problem justifying oral sex, online pornography, and nude cell phone pics inside the confines of sexual purity (as adults we model this). Sexual purity encompasses many aspects of teens’ lives, including their cell phone use. We must teach them that porn is porn, regardless of the source, and sexual impurity is a sin in any form.


2. Remind teens of the consequences associated with irresponsible cell phone use. I’m not talking about a big monthly bill, here; some teenagers have been arrested for possession of child pornography and face being labeled a sex offender even at a young age. There are consequences for all of our actions, even our mobile/wireless ones.


With all the good that teenagers could be doing with their cell phones, it’s quite a shame this trend developing. TheSource4YM.com has several ways youth ministries can use teens’ cell phones in fun and safe ways. Here’s a cool game to play, and here’s an opener to jumpstart a spiritual conversation. We hope you can use these resources to initiate teaching moments that reveal God’s desire for us to serve Him with all that we are, and have, including our cell phones.

David R. Smith at TheSource4YM.com

10 commandments of networking

So, how do I do this networking thing?

I’m glad you asked. Here are the Ten Commandments of Networking:

1) Think Win/Win. Any relationship that God is a part of is mutually benefiting.
2) Lead by asking questions. (Come prepared with written questions.)
3) Think about the other guy first. What can you do to help him or her?
4) Listen more. Talk less. (Be quick to hear and slow to speak.)
5) Be a Giver. Find something of value that you can give away.
6) Avoid talking about politics and theological differences. You can learn from anybody,regardless of his theology.


7) Turn lunchtime into the most productive hour of the day.
8) Don’t be afraid to ask for help? My Mom always said “the worst they can say is no”.
9) Give people space. (Don’t be too clingy.) Meet somebody new and then move on.
10) Get outside of your circle. The body of Christ is a bunch of little circles. If you get to
know someone in a new circle then he or she can introduce you to many new friends.

Youth Networking

How do I get started with networking?

1) Start with the leaders in your own church. Make a list of the most influential leaders in your church and have coffee with them or take them to lunch. Make a concerted effort to get to know them. Great leaders know how to work with other leaders.

2) Participate in events at your church that are not sponsored by the your favorite ministry. Attend the Ladies Meetings and the Men’s Retreats. If the greeters don’t recognize you, don’t blame them. Maybe you need to get out more. (Just a thought.)

3) Connect with other pastors in your state. Every lunch is an opportunity to meet another like-minded leader.

4) Visit other churches. Ask around: Who has a really good program? Go visit those churches. If you can’t get away on a Sunday, do it on a Wednesday night or a Saturday night.

5) Participate in networking sites. Take advantage if web sites like CMconnect, Kidology, and Face Book.

6) Go To Conferences. By far, the best place to meet like-minded people is at Conferences. Three things happen at conferences, Training, Product Sales and Networking. All three are valuable but my favorite part is networking and meeting new people
In his excellent networking book “Never Eat Lunch Alone”, Keith Ferrazzi says, “True conference commandos aren’t restricted by the agenda that they receive at registration. Who says you can’t arrange your own dinner while at the conference, or put together an informal discussion on a particular topic that matters to you.” In other words create the conference within the conference.

Youth Networking

The Importance of Networking With Other Leaders

The definition of the word “networking” depends on who you ask. In other words ‘networking” means different things to different people. According to Webster’s Dictionary networking is “The developing of contacts or exchanging of information with others in an informal network, as to further a career.” When you ask a teenager or young adult what networking is they would say “It’s like making friends”. (I like both definitions)

Networking is the intersection between work and friendship.

For the purpose of this article I am defining networking as “Building friendships with like-minded people where you can help each other fulfill your goals”

“IT’S ALL ABOUT WHO YOU KNOW” I first heard this statement from a pastor’s wife. She was commenting on how (in her opinion) her denomination was too political. The inference was that people were promoted to positions of leadership, not based on their character or abilities but simply on who their friends were.

Admittedly this does happen (on occasion, however if you receive a promotion simply based on friendship and don’t have the necessary abilities, you won’t have that job for very long. On the other hand if you don’t have any relationships you may not ever get a shot a job that you really want. (It doesn’t matter how good you are at something if nobody knows about it.)

The truth is that “who you know” is a key part of what makes life work. My best friends are people I work with at my church, or have met at a conference somewhere around the country. These are people that I genuinely care about. I want to see them succeed and they want to see me succeed.

Networking is like breathing. It’s not the only thing that matters, but if you don’t do it you won’t last very long.

To be continued……..
http://www.markharper.blogspot.com

Youth from ground zero 3

So I went to an all church Victory Church Christmas party last night. It was Pat & Ray's house, a beautiful acreage covered in lights! It had a beautiful horse and carriage of lights, light trees, Santa and his reign deer, snow men and buildings all of light! A veritable winter wonderland right here in Florida. The back yard was set up like a perfect entertaining venue, with a covered gazebo for serving the food, a deck with a fireplace and propane heaters. The yard was beautifully manicured with wooded paths trees and shrubs, again all covered in lights. Then by the deck and the house there was a rustic pond with a bubbling fountain. It looked like I had stepped out of civilization and into a beautiful rustic mountain land.

So did I have fun? Oh and I forgot to tell you of the food! We had weeny roast and marshmallows, we had chili and enchiladas, salads and potatoes, casseroles and all kinds of pot luck goodies. It was probably one of the best spreads that I have ever had the pleasure to indulge in.

So, did I have fun? Did I enjoy myself? Well that is really not the question. A big part of youth ministry is fellowshipping or for a more real term, having fun with not only your youth but also their families. Networking, that is really what I am talking about! Connecting with people in your church is vital. They are your support, your leaders, your funding. Basically your ministry too! If you neglect the rest of your church you are an island and you will not prosper.

THRIVE!!

Slow day

Ahhhhh the slower days! Needed to stay home today and take care of my son! He is such a wonderful boy! A true blessing and miracle from God! We had waited 5 or 6 years to start trying to have children and then when we did start to try nothing happened. for 7 long years, month after month with no results. We prayed and prayed. We tried artificial insemination, we tried doctors, chiropractors, acupuncture, homeopathic meds and dr's to no avail! Still infertile. Finally, we were praying and getting much counsel from wise people and we felt we should do in vitro fertilization and it worked on the first try! Only a 20-25% chance but it worked and we now have a beautiful, healthy, funny, full of joy little boy that we can call our own!!
God bless Dr's God bless them everyone!

emedicinehealth.com/in_vitro
wikipedia.org/wiki/In_vitro

Youth Ministry from ground zero 2

So tonight was a lot of fun! We had a great turnout at Thrive, http://www.thriveoline.org and awesome praise and worship. At first it was not really going anywhere but then we hit this one song called the stand and God showed up like a wonderful warm flood! Then we talked about giving and receiving, how we should make it a lifestyle. Giving and receiving, sowing and reaping are not just good things to be aware of, they are irrefutable hard as stone laws, facts, truths that can not be dismissed. If we live our lives for ourselves we will live very lonely lives! If you are someone who talks about others, judges others or blows others off, you will be talked about, judged and blown off yourself. On the flip side, if you are the kind of person who is helpful, kind, forgiving and loving then you will be treated kindly, you will be helped, forgiven and loved! Giving and receiving, sowing and reaping are truly not only about money although they do involve money but they are laws that must be adhered to and embraced!!

Don't let life bass you by! Grab it by the horns! Embrace it! Be the best you can be! Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!!

Youth ministry from ground zero!

Ok, it is Wednesday morning and i am putting the finishing touches on my sermon for Thrive youth tonight! Today is always a great day! The anticipation of the service, the preparation for all the festivities and I get to do this once a week! Tonight i am teaching on giving, as we are in the Christmas season and everyone is so intent on shopping for gifts. i suspect that most are shopping as much for themselves as they are for others! Giving is much more than just a once in a while thing but it is a way of life! i am not just talking about giving money or gifts i am talking about giving of your whole life!! But that is another blog!

i am very excited about what is going to happen tonight! God has really done alot in Thrive these last few years! Without going into it, it has been crazy with all the things going on im my life as well as my A #1 leaders life God has still managed to help this be one of the most on fire groups that i have ever had the privelege to work with! i love it when a plan comes together!

So back to youth ministry! It really is the little things that count. The little questions you ask the youth, the smiles you throw their way, the way you make them feel like they are the only ones in the room! That is youth ministry! Youth ministry is all about relationships and it is important to not get caught up in the programs @ the expense of the youth themselves!

There is a whole lot more, but that is for another blog.

Youth

My name is Rod Mock, I am the youth Pastor of Thrive Youth! i just got back form our redneck Christmas party! What a blast! Although we had only a portion of our group, we ALWAYS seem to have fun!! We ended up going to McDonald's all dressed like hunters or truckers or one dressed like a Viet Nam vet with an American flag and an American flag hat!! Our Youth Thrive (http://www.thriveonlline.org) (http://www.thrivespace.ning.com) is a vital, growing awesome group of about 40 teens in Apopka FL @ Victory Church in Apopka. (http://www.victorychurch.cc) i have been the youth pastor there since 1995 where we started with only 5 boys and have seen our group grow to over 80 at times! God has been so wonderful to us! We are now in a rebuilding mode getting back to 80 or more will mean a lot of work but it is well worth it!! I am not all about numbers but more numbers means more youth which means more kids know Jesus! We are not teh largest group in the world but we have so much to offer! Live Praise and Worship, Gereat games and contests, Awesome, life changing preaching and teaching & really really great people!
Well this is all for now but I will be back so C-ya