Let’s face facts, your parents had it easier. Back then, good parenting advice just needed to include “always wear clean underwear” and “never talk to strangers.” Wouldn’t they be astonished to be thrust into child rearing in 2010? You probably don’t get too much of an argument about clean underwear, but talking to strangers has become a sought-after activity and it’s startlingly easy.

A new website called Chat Roulette has become very popular among teens and young adults. The concept of the site is simple: turn on your webcam, press a button, and be instantly connected to another random user. The site says that you need to be at least 16 to use it, but there is no way to confirm a user’s age. In fact, you don’t even have to create an account or enter any information at all. Just click, and you’re face to face with…who knows who?

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From the Inbox…

Where/How does your group go about transporting kids to off site youth events?  According to my research, many churches are stepping away from using 15 passenger church vans citing safety concerns, in favor of smaller vehicles or buses.  Oh wouldn’t a million dollar budget be a wonderful thing

You’re right…the 15-passenger vans have pretty much been blacklisted. They have proven themselves to be a particularly unsafe mode of transportation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warns against using them. And I understand that churches who have them are finding it more and more difficult to insure them.

We had one at Jesse Lee when I first arrived, but I convinced the Trustees to get rid of it. The design of most models puts a seat and cargo space behind the rear wheels, causing them to handle much differently in quick-turn or skid situations, while the passenger weight increases the center of gravity, making them more susceptible to rollover accidents.

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