• Mariah Carey & Jimmy Fallon Sing All I Want for Christmas

    Mariah Carey and Jimmy Fallon do a duet? Yes please! I’m loving the classroom instruments meme that Jimmy Fallon is creating.

    And I want to be Jimmy Fallon when I grow up. 

    ht to Leana

  • How does a teenager become an adult?

    How does a teenager become an adult?

    How does a teenager become an adult?

    Is it something intrinsic? Like, does a person become an adult because of the way they think of themselves? Is it when they except responsibility for themselves internally and start making adult-like decisions? Is it putting them on a pathway towards independence? (Vocation, education, relationships)

    Or is it extrinsic? Do you cross a threshold physically to become an adult? Does turning 18 years old make you an adult? Does achieving some physical characteristic make you an adult? Does some level of educational achievement or military service make you an adult?

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  • The Year of the Book

    My new book: A Parent's Guide to Understanding Social Media

    2012 will be remembered around the McLane house as, the year of the book. 

    First, I partnered with Jon to write Good News in the Neighborhood which came out in May. Then I partnered with Marko to write A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Social Media which arrived yesterday.

    If those two projects were bookend, starting a publishing line for The Youth Cartel was sandwiched in the middle.

    From the very beginning, Marko and I talked about doing some stuff in publishing. But we didn’t necessarily see that as starting our own line of digital and physical products. We were more thinking we’d work with other publishers, helping shape a Cartel voice into a wide variety of publishing efforts. (Actually, something we do quite a bit of.) It wasn’t until last Winter that we decided to include publishing our own products as part of our publishing plan. I’ll be the first to admit that when we decided to go forward with publishing some of our own stuff I had no idea what I’d agreed to. 

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  • A link found between adolescent hook-ups & depression

    From a paper published in September, 2012.

    Depression and Adolescent Sexual Activity in Romantic and Nonromantic Relational Contexts: A Genetically-Informative Sibling Comparison

    Results indicated that adolescent dating, in and of itself, was not associated with depressive symptoms. The association between depressive symptoms and sexual activity with a romantic partner was fully accounted for by between-family genetic and shared environmental confounds. In contrast, sexual activity with a nonromantic partner was significantly associated with both mean levels of depressive symptoms and clinically severe depression, even within sibling dyads. This relationship was greater for younger adolescents (<15 years). These results are consistent with a growing body of research demonstrating that relationship contexts may be critical moderators of the psychosocial aspects of adolescent sexual experiences.

    Source

    Not surprising for anyone working with teenagers. Does the above statement surprise you in any way?

  • 7 Ways to Build a Sustainable Movement

    A flywheel is needed to build a sustainable movement.
    A flywheel is a rotating mechanical device that is used to store rotational energy.

    Want to see change? Don’t start a church. Don’t start a business. Don’t hire a bunch of experts.

    Those things are great. But they are a bit finite in their ability to affect macro-level-change in society.

    Instead, start a movement of people.

    And if you really want to see change, start a sustainable movement. As in, something that’ll go beyond you, outpace you, and grow bigger than you can imagine.

    A sustainable movement starts with you and grows a life of its own.

    It is possible. It is within your skill set. And it just might be what God wants you to do. 

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  • Parenting with a goal in mind

    Here are some words Kristen and I use to describe our long-term hopes for our kids. 

    1. Independent-minded.
    2. Dependent on a loving God.
    3. Recklessly, hope-filled dream chasers.
    4. Happy and simple adult relationships.

    We jokingly sum up our goal of parenting like this, “We don’t ever want to see our kids on Springer.”

    That’s not the most articulate thing in the world, it doesn’t lay everything out, but it does keep the end-goal in mind.

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  • Two deals on A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Social Media

    The book I co-authored with Marko, A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Social Media, is starting to ship. I’d love to get this resource into the hands of as many youth workers and Christian parents as possible. Why? I believe it’s needed stuff!

    Here’s two deals to help with that. 

    1. I’m reimbursing the first 25 people who post an honest review of the book on Amazon’s Kindle store. Here’s the details on that.
    2. If you order 10 or more copies from the Cartel store by December 15th, you’ll get free shipping on your entire order. Here’s details on that.
  • 3 Tips for Dealing with Ministry Frustration

    3 Tips for Dealing with Ministry Frustration

    I have several friends for who have used the word “frustrated” in response to the question, “How are things going in your ministry?”

    Why Am I Frustrated?

    If your ministry is a job, you will be frustrated for a few reasons.

    1. God promises in Genesis 3 that our work will be frustrated as a result of sin in the world.
    2. I’m convinced that Satan has a special department for ministers. He knows our weaknesses and he takes great joy in frustrating us.
    3. People tend to transfer things they can’t control into their lives onto you, because they think that since you are a minister, you work for them.
    4. Ministers have a tendency to transfer frustration from other areas of their lives into pressure/expectations on their ministry.

  • Jim Burns endorsement of A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Social Media

    I’m thankful for Jim Burns endorsement of the book I co-authored with Marko. Jim is a youth ministry legend. His decades long ministry has impacted the lives of countless students, youth workers, and parents. I was humbled that he not only read the book and offered this endorsement, he also had me on his radio program. We recorded 2 segments last week that’ll air in January.

    Is there a parent anywhere who hasn’t asked, “How do we create a media safe home for our kids?”  Adam McLane and Mark Oestreicher are two of America’s leading experts on teen culture and this book is a must read for parents who want to grasp just how the ever changing world of  social media is influencing their kids. This is my new “go to” book on the subject. 

    Jim Burns, PhD

    President, HomeWord

    I’ll be on the HomeWord radio broadcast January 9th and 10th. Make sure to tune in.

    Don’t forget, order 10 or more copies of the book before December 15th and get free shipping at the Cartel store.

    This book started as a parent seminar. If you’re interested in having me teach at your church, please let me know.

  • Two San Diego State Universities: The Power of Winning

    Two San Diego State Universities: The Power of Winning

    I’m new to State. I moved into the College Area in 2008 and quickly adopted them. I’m not an alumni. I didn’t grow up in San Diego. They are just the school that’s near my house and I enjoy going to football and basketball games.

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