This week's Youth Culture Window article on our web site revealed some good news... and some sad news.

The sad news is that the typical father spends less than three minutes per day alone with his own teenager. (I've blogged about the decrease of "family time" before) The interesting twist on this, what I call "good news," is that kids actually want to spend time with parents.

Here's just a snippet of the article:

And this shortfall of face time couldn’t come at a more crucial—or ironic—moment. In a landmark study by the Associated Press and MTV, performed in 2007, researchers discovered that a whopping 73 percent of teens said their mothers and/or fathers made them “happy.” (No, that’s not a typo.) And when asked, “What one thing in life makes you the most happy?” the most frequent answer given was “spending time with family.” (Nope, that’s not a typo, either!)

You might be thinking to yourself: “Yeah, but that was three years ago. The iPhone was invented, and reinvented, several more times since that research was performed. Kids don’t want me around; they want stuff, entertainment, and whatever else my hard-earned money buys.”

Well...

In a brand new survey by Family Circle, 25 percent of teens claimed they wanted more time with their parents. In fact, one 16-year-old guy actually said, “I think it’d be cool if my parents worked less, just because I’d get to see them more.”

CLICK HERE FOR THE WHOLE ARTICLE

After reading these studies, I admit, I asked myself some tough questions: "Jonathan, are you really spending good quality time with your kids?" "Are you really much better than 3 minutes?"

It's scary if you really track your time and write it down... because we're busy, right? We all can probably list out excuses (let's see, kids go to school, then water polo, then homework...). But busy schedules don't trump the need for "face time" with our kids. We've gotta make it happen. Period.

I've blogged about the importance of "family dinners" before. In that blog I cite a September 2009 report revealing that teenagers who have fewer than three family dinners per week are more likely to get C's and are more likely to smoke, drink and use drugs. Poignant stuff.

No excuses.

Parents, we need to make connecting with our own kids a priority. We need to be pro-active about it... or we'll just be another statistic.

Even if you don't know his name, you might have seen his hair. His name is Troy Polamalu and his long dark locks are often seen cascading from the back of his Pittsburgh Steelers helmet.

No, it's not a wig. The three foot long mane is not only genuine, it's now valued at $1 million dollars.

No joke. Yahoo news gives us the skinny:

You'd think that an All-Pro safety who missed 11 games in 2009 due to a knee injury would be most concerned about other body parts, but Pittsburgh Steelers superstar Troy Polamalu(notes) also has endorsements to consider. One of his endorsements is with the Head & Shoulders company, which makes sense when you consider Polamalu's famed three-foot-long hair. It's a tribute to his Samoan heritage, and it's not something he plans to cut anytime soon.

Apparently the insurance carrier, Lloyd's of London, has done publicity stunts like this before, insuring Tina Turner's legs, Keith Richard's fingers, Jimmy Durante's nose, and Celine Dion's pipes!

Do they insure J-lo's badunkadunk?

If I was famous, I wonder what they'd insure of mine? My big mouth?

I've seen my share of funny viral videos. Christians even have our own special collection of favorites. (Those old  dubbed Jesus videos, Jesus is my Friend by Sonseed...)

Mike, over at ChristianCollegesOnline.org sent me a link to a recent article he posted on his blog titled "10 Unintentionally Hilarious Christian Music Videos." Jesus is my Friend was one of them, Degarmo and Key's old song "666" (wow... I remember listening to that one in youth group... was I really that stuck in the 80's?), MC Hammer's "Pray" (which I don't think was that bad). A Stryper video even made the cut.

This was by far my favorite. Yikes!

Click here to watch if you don't see the embedded video.

"...and it's better than a bone." Wow. That's deep.

Click here for Mikes whole list

In my CONNECT workshop, I always teach a section called "Connecting on the Front Lines." This is where the rubber meets the road-- when we step out of our comfort zone to try to meet some kids on their turf... and we have NO IDEA what to say!

Have you ever been there? I have. It's terrifying!

Michelle has too. She just emailed me this idea she uses when she's on campus trying to connect with kids.

Hey Jonathan!

I just wanted to share an idea with you. I have been visiting our local middle school every week for the past three years. Something that works really well for me to meet students is to bring snack-size candy bars. I put a few on the table where I sit, and it doesn't take long for kids to ask, "Hey, can I have a candy bar?" My response is always the same. "Yes, but there's a catch. You have to tell me your name." They do, and then I tell them my mine. Okay, so now I'm learning some names (and I do write them down and try to learn them!).

The next week, some of the same kids will approach (plus a few of their friends), and hopefully I remember their names (or at least a few names). So I tell them, "If I remember your name, you have to answer a question for me. If I don't know your name, the candy is yours." I bring a "Would You Rather?" book or another discussion starter book along with me. The kids love this! They run up every week yelling, "What's my name? Ask me a question!"

Eventually, I had a small group of them that just wanted to answer questions, and the principal allowed them to skip the "free rec" time outside to sit with me in the cafeteria and talk.

I thought this might help some of those out there with a fear of going on campus to meet kids. This way is pain-free!

Thanks for a great site!

Michelle, Michigan

I love Michelle's idea.

It's tough out there on the front lines. That's why I wrote CONNECT. Chapters 5 thru 8 talk specifically about going to the front lines to reach the three types of outreach kids on "their turf," laying out the process step by step. Youth workers- Now is a great time to get this into the hands of your volunteers! (We have this book on sale right now on our site- lowest price on the web. We even have bulk package deals with a greater discount if you want to buy it for your whole team.)

The Wall Street Journal posted an article recently talking about "Hipster" Christianity, an article that, in all honesty, was a little critical of churches today that are trying too hard to be "cool."

But I love the author's conclusion. Here's just a snippet: (emphasis mine)

"And the further irony," he adds, "is that the younger generations who are less impressed by whiz-bang technology, who often see through what is slick and glitzy, and who have been on the receiving end of enough marketing to nauseate them, are as likely to walk away from these oh-so-relevant churches as to walk into them."

If the evangelical Christian leadership thinks that "cool Christianity" is a sustainable path forward, they are severely mistaken. As a twentysomething, I can say with confidence that when it comes to church, we don't want cool as much as we want real.

If we are interested in Christianity in any sort of serious way, it is not because it's easy or trendy or popular. It's because Jesus himself is appealing, and what he says rings true. It's because the world we inhabit is utterly phony, ephemeral, narcissistic, image-obsessed and sex-drenched—and we want an alternative. It's not because we want more of the same.

The article (click here to read the entire article) is by Brett McCracken, author of the book, Hipster Christianity: Where Church and Cool Collide (Baker Books).

If you read the entire article, you'll probably find McCracken a little critical of today's churches. An example:

There are various ways that churches attempt to be cool. For some, it means trying to seem more culturally savvy. The pastor quotes Stephen Colbert or references Lady Gaga during his sermon, or a church sponsors a screening of the R-rated "No Country For Old Men." For others, the emphasis is on looking cool, perhaps by giving the pastor a metrosexual makeover, with skinny jeans and an $80 haircut, or by insisting on trendy eco-friendly paper and helvetica-only fonts on all printed materials. Then there is the option of holding a worship service in a bar or nightclub (as is the case for L.A.'s Mosaic church, whose downtown location meets at a nightspot called Club Mayan).

A little harsh. But I think many of us have seen some of these elements "out of balance" on either extreme. For example. We, like the author of the article, have probably seen the church that seems to just "try too hard." They concentrate so hard on looks and appeal, but are stingy when it comes to simply opening the scripture and teaching truth. But before we cast stones, we need to realize that this church might just be an "overreaction" to a church that has been dead for decades because they put people to sleep with bad teaching and a lack of relevance. (Most of us have sat through some of these services) There's nothing wrong with quoting Stephen Colbert or referencing current music. These elements become "out of hand" when they monopolize a service and Jesus becomes lost in the shuffle.

This discussion has huge relevance in youth ministry circles. As McCracken points out, kids are savvy to being target-marketed with the "slick and glitzy." Some of us need to sit back and take a deep look at our ministries, asking some tough questions. Does slick and glitzy trump relational ministry? Do we spend more time programming then hanging with kids? Are we better at presentation than connecting? (all red flags) But don't ignore the opposite side of the spectrum. Do we lack good communicators that are gifted at teaching the scriptures? Do we not provide safe arenas where kids can feel safe to dialogue? Do we put kids to sleep? (all red flags as well)

I think many churches and youth ministries are searching for a balance here. It would be nice to be relevant to the culture the way the Apostle Paul was, but at the same time, not stray from the privilege of clearly introducing people to the love of Jesus. McCracken's article is a good reminder of that. (and a good discussion peice for your next volunteer training)

McCracken is a graduate of Wheaton and UCLA, currently the managing editor for Biola University's Biola Magazine and working on his Master's in Theology at Talbot. He regularly writes movie reviews for Christianity Today and articles for Relevant Magazine. You can see an online video interview of him about his new book here.

Katy Perry is going to be the top pick in most teenagers' iPods this week with the Tuesday release of her new "explicit" album Teenage Dream. That's why we released a Youth Culture Window article yesterday, not only giving you a peek into Katy's world, but also providing you with a glimpse at the content you can expect from her.

Her album cover should tell parents enough. It's a full body picture of her, lying naked on a cloud (with the Parental Advisory label on the bottom right). But unfortunately most kids will be downloading it anyway, and sadly... many parents really don't care.

Her title song, Teenage Dream is already #1 on iTunes right now, and the very racy video is #2. My article goes into more details. Here's just a snippet:

She’s the daughter of not one, but two, pastors. She says she’s a believer, and often prays…sometimes in tongues! She’s even released a gospel album.

Then why is it that she’s one of the worst role models for young people these days?

A Good Run
When she takes the stage nowadays, it’s as Katy Perry, even though she was born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson in 1984. Regardless of what you call her, this young lady has had quite a run over the last two years.

On May 6, 2008, her smash hit “I Kissed a Girl” was released and quickly hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (where it stayed for seven weeks). Her follow-up song “Hot N Cold” peaked at #3 on the charts very soon after.  

More recently she’s offered the world her version of summertime pop in “California Gurls.” (No I didn’t misspell her title; that’s her way of invoking the Beach Boys without paying royalties.) It sits at #3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.

August 2010 is proving a watershed month for Perry as well. On August 9, she hosted FOX’s annual Teen Choice Awards. Her latest photo op is the August 19 cover of Rolling Stone, where the lead feature article tells of “The Hard Road & Hot Times of a Fallen Angel.” Perry’s latest hit “Teenage Dream” is riding the #9 position on Billboard’s Hot 100 (and, depending on the day you look, usually #2 on iTunes’ song and video charts). Her highly anticipated new album (also titled Teenage Dream) drops this Tuesday, August 24.

Now you see why “it’s good to be Katy Perry.”

But does that make Katy Perry good for our kids?

CLICK HERE FOR THE WHOLE ARTICLE

Keep your eyes on Katy... our kids already do.

It's the last week of summer break for my three kids, and yesterday my two girls got creative with a camera. I'm not sure the point, if any... but it sure looks like they were having fun.

First they designed one of our water pitchers to look like the Kool Aid pitcher. Then they took pictures comic book style of them posing with the container, drinking it, etc.

Here's Glimpse (here's two of the pics full size, then thumbnails of just a few of the pics to get the comic strip effect)