Predictability is not all Bad

While it’s true that creativity is an important part of student ministry, so is predictability. Young people crave consistency and an effective youth ministry will provide it.  This is especially vital when it comes to the discipline policies and basic structure of a youth meeting.  Here are 10 “predictability check” ideas on what I mean:

1)    Make sure all parties involved know the process for misbehavior and make sure that all leaders follow it to the rule.  This will minimize distractions and you might find that it brings out the best in your students.

2)    Create a basic outline for youth meetings and follow it every week.  I would suggest opening with some fellowship time and a fun activity/game.

3)    If you have snacks at your youth group, build in specific times for munching and limit students to this time.

4)    As you move into the content, have a specific flow that you stick to.  I suggest opening with the scripture.  Here’s a hint, use the scripture that your pastor is preaching on.  You can choose to prep (the lesson before) or reinforce (the lesson after) the sermon with your youth meeting.

5)    Next, reinforce the sermon with some sort of media.  You can find clips for every situation on Youtube or Vimeo (even if it is from a cheesy bible movie).

6)    If you have a second text, sandwich the media piece with the two readings.

7)    Now create four or five open-ended discussion questions for the group to explore.  Yes/no answers should be treated as if they are the black plague.  Don’t try to steer things too much; you will be able to take things in the right direction with a wrap up (5 minutes or less) at the end of the night.

8)    You may pray at other times during the night but always close the night with prayer.

9)    Give students a few minutes to share praises and requests.

10) Challenge students to pray but don’t push them to hard.

Youth Ministry Christmas Ideas

Decorate Youth Room Night – Tired of decorating the youth room? Get all the stuff ready and make one of your nights a night where you all pitch in and decorate the youth room for Christmas. You can break students  into teams and have each team be responsible for 1 aspect of the room such as lights. Have one team be in charge of getting the Christmas tree ready ect… Have rockin holiday tunes playing for the evening on Pandora or your favorite way to broadcast music and have fun together! Have some treats ready to go so that you can take a  break or when it’s all done – pig out together.

Student Christmas Tree – Basically – get everything you need to make a person into a Christmas tree. This is a lot of fun and you can divide up students into groups and pic 1 student out of the groups to be the volunteer to become the Christmas tree and then give a time limit and once they are all completed – judge 1st, 2nd, 3rd and so on. You can even give out prizes too! Make sure each group is prepped and has the same amount of stuff along with scissors and tape.

Host Your Own Community Christmas Party – Have your students raise money and host a party for your community! Turn your youth room or make it a non-church facility and turn it into a Christmas Party. Be as extensive as you want with prize give-a-ways, treats, karaoke to Christmas carols, and more. Invite the community to share the love of Christ. Your students can be involved in various aspects of the evening and the point is to serve and love your community.

Christmas Caroling – Do you remember doing some of this growing up? I do. Why not bring it back? Have your group or groups go out and do some caroling either house to house or in your local nursing homes. TIP: do some practicing because if some students haven’t ever sang Christmas carols before – then it’s kind of embarrassing showing up and nobody really knowing how it goes – lol. So just make sure there is a good handful of students/adults that know the songs before you head out so that your song/s don’t die out.
The “First Christmas” Skit – Do a skit with your group using the “First Christmas” (click the link to read about how). Skits are a powerful way of helping us to think and remember and respond to the meaning or message in the story.

White Elephant Gift Exchange – This is probably over-done – however – this is still a fun and easy way for students to have a gift exchange. A white elephant gift exchange is about wrapping up funny gifts and then everyone draws a number and the first person starts – opens a gift and then the 2nd person can take the first person’s gift or open a new one. This continues until all the gifts and exchanging are over. You can apply whatever spins and twists you like to game.

Un-plugged Acoustic Worship Night With Just The Christmas Lights On – I don’t need to expound on this one right? Select some Christmas or Christ-focused worship songs and have your student team or an adult that is up to snuff on the acoustic guitar lead the group in some worship songs. The only thing that is plugged in is your Christmas lights. I encourage you to just stick with the Christmas lights – so don’t paste words on a screen or anything like that. Another alternative is to use candles. Have an un-plugged evening of singing and testimonies in candle light! This has a great effect on the mood and students opening up to God.
What are your favorite Christmas ideas for Youth Ministry? Please share them with the rest of the readers below so we can see what it is that you do with your youth ministry.

Above every activity that you decide to do – keep CHRIST in Christmas! Focus on Jesus and you can never go wrong with your time together!

Advent Idea: Advent-in-a-Box

Try this idea to encourage your youth to spend some time focusing on the themes and texts of the Advent season.  Inspired by a 2011 post by Joel Mayward.

Prepare a small gift box with the following items:  shepherd nativity figure, watch or hour glass, baby toy, votive candle, greeting card with image of the nativity, strips of green and red construction paper (most of these items I just picked up at a dollar store). Print and cut out the texts below and tape them to the corresponding object in the gift box.  Invite one participant at a time to select an item from the box, read the text and corresponding question and pass the object around the group, giving each person a chance to respond. Note: You could do this as one large group (no more than ten would be good) or divide into smaller groups (with 3-5 people per group).

WAITING:Read from Luke 3: “As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John (the Baptist), whether he might be the Messiah, *16John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with*the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Advent is a season of waiting – waiting once again to celebrate the birth of Jesus and the way that birth changes the world.Invite each group member to hold this watchand answer the following question: What are you waiting for this Advent season (for example, in your personal life, at school, with your family, in the world, etc.) If you like, pass the watch around again and ask each person: What do you think God is waiting for? 

STORY: Read from Luke 2: “In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,*the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ “

Consider the nativity story. Pass around this greeting cardto each person and have them answer: Which character from the story do you most connect with, relate to, or see yourself as at this point in your life?The humble, smelly, outcast shepherds? The expectant (and potentially disgraced)mom? The worried, confused dad? The wandering magi bearing gifts? The angels bringing good news? The animals watching from the background? 

PRAYER:  Read from Colossians 3:“ As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…”

Who are you praying for this Advent season (Yourself? Someone else?) Everyone take a slip of red or green paperand write the name of the person you wish to lift up in prayer on the paper. As you go around the circle and share your prayer concerns with the group one at a time, attach your prayers to form a paper chain, connecting your prayers together.After each person shares their prayer concern, respond as a group: “God, in your love, hear our prayer.”

SHEPHERD: Read Luke 2:8-14: In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,*the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,*praising God and saying,14‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!’* 

What a radical story we tell, claiming that the first people to come and worship Jesus were a bunch of dirty, peasant shepherds!These were people that most wouldn’t have given the time of day, and yet they are the ones who we follow to the manger.Scripture often refers to Jesus as a shepherd who cares for his sheep – as one who will lead others to the way of peace and compassion. Pass around the shepherd figure and ask each person to answer: Who is (or has been)a “shepherd” in your life that you are thankful for?Who is nurturing you? Who is guiding you and helping you find your way? 

LIGHT: Read from Isaiah 9: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined.”

The Messiah was expected to be like a light in a dark world, especially to the poor, the hungry, the outcast, the marginalized, and the oppressed.For many people, Jesus wasthat light. But he also said, “You are the light of the world.” Pass around this votive candle and have each person share: How are you being called to be a light this Advent season? Where are you needed right now to illuminate some love and peace in the world?”

EXPECTATION:Read this passage from Luke where the teenager Mary discovers she will be having a baby: “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ *29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’” 34

In the story, Mary is pretty confused when she gets this news from the angel. And yet, very often the announcement of a new baby on the way is good news, a chance to celebrate new life.In Advent we prepare to share the good news that the same God who loves the world through the birth of a tiny, helpless, peasant baby, also loves the world through each of us…if we are willing. That’s pretty good news! Pass around the baby toy and have each person share: What good news do you have to share about your life right now? What can you celebrate?

Close by passing around the box itself and say: "Think about what gift you would most like to receive this advent season to help you be part of sharing the good news of Christ's love -- something that can't be bought in the store.  Maybe it's rest, self-confidence, or patience to deal with a friend." Pass the box around the room and have each person share. Close in prayer.

Key Elements to Youth Ministry

Key Elements to Reaching Young People from Warren Bevacqua

5 Practical Things you can do to have a Healthy and Relevant Youth Program Webinar PowerPoint

Webinar - Get Real-Youth Ministry for the 21st Century from Warren Bevacqua

Think Big

There is a tension most youth workers face in a smaller ministry setting: They want their group to be bigger! Ironically most youth workers in a large setting face a similar tension: They want to be (or at least feel) smaller!  So if you are leading a smaller ministry, here are a few “big thinking” ideas that will help you where you’re at, and help pave the way for where you’re heading:

Think About Infrastructure
As you grow, how many volunteers will you need? Start recruiting volunteers now, so you are ready when growth happens. How will your follow up strategy need to evolve? Start tweaking it now! Do you have room to grow or will you need to ask to move your ministry to a larger broom closet? What will growth demand of your budget? These are just a few areas of infrastructure worth thinking about in bigger ways while you’re still smaller.

Think About Scalability
Look at virtually every aspect of your ministry and ask yourself if it’s scalable…in other words, can it handle a growth spurt? Pretend 10 new students joined your small groups—could your current system handle it?  Thinking big means organizing in such a way that growth can be accommodated without completely upsetting the apple cart. 

Think About Communication
More students, more problems! And one of the biggest problems larger youth groups have is in the area of communication. As your group grows, gone will be the good old days of calling every student once a week, or taking each volunteer out to lunch on a regular basis. You won’t be able to stop each parent in the church foyer to touch base.

The good news is we minister in an era that has seemingly unlimited tools and technology to meet our communication needs. Start experimenting now, so you are ready when growth arrives.

Prepare now for the students that God will trust you with in the future. Get ready…because they're on their way!

(I got these ideas from a weekly e-mail that I get about youth and young adult ministry)

Social Media's Impact on Personal Relationships

There is a great post over on ChurchMag.  They highlight the amount of time spent on social media and ask the question, How much is too much?  Check out the infographic and let me know what you think.

Keep the Momentum Going All Year Long

As we begin another school year—for us it is easily the biggest time of the year. We've got momentum from school, the chaos of summer vacations is behind us, new friendships are forming, and faith is being shared regularly. Then come the Christmas slowdown and the spring, when seniors start setting adrift and checking out.

Is it possible to have fall-like energy throughout the year? How do we keep momentum going all year long?

NO, YOU CAN'T

Realize that the cycles of youth group are real—that there are seasons of ministry when you won't feel the momentum and when the attendance will dip. Honestly, there isn't much you can do about it, except strive for health and remain calm if you have a few more empty seats than normal. When attendance dips, take the time to build an infrastructure to better support growth in the big season ahead.

YES, YOU CAN

So once you've got a firm grip on reality, know that there are a few things you can do to at least help the situation in the future

1) Plan big events at key times

We only do a few events a year, and they are totally supplemental to our ongoing programs (youth group and small groups). But when we have them, they are at crucial times when we need a boost. In late October we have Pumpkinfest to help carry momentum through the slow holiday season.

2) Plan a key series at a typically low time

In our high school ministry we planned a series called You Own the Weekend that is built around student involvement and friendship that takes attendance way up in a time that is usually painfully low. Think creatively about a teenager's specific felt-need when you don't naturally have momentum.

So is it possible to keep momentum going in your youth ministry?

10 Back To School Kick Off Ideas Youth Ministry

1. Barbarian Hyped Up Capture The Flag – this is a fun crazy spin-off of capture the flag sure to get the blood pumping. It takes a little prep work, but it’s definitely a fun one.
2. Before School Phone Blast – Blast an encouraging txt message to your students before they go to school to encourage them to live for Jesus! If your group is a little big or if you want to send group text messages – then read my post about Youth Ministry Text Messaging Service where you can txt your group all at once. Another idea along the same lines is to record a voice message every morning and encourage them to call in and listen to encourage them. I would try to keep it to 5min.
3. Do a Lock-In After See You At The Pole – I’m enouraged that lots of students and youth ministries still participate at SYATP – but why stop there? Since SYATP is still early in the fall – you can do a lock-in that Friday – the same week as SYATP. This year besides Survivorz Lock-in (which is a blast) you may opt-in for something more outreach oriented like Supernatural Event. SYATP is a cool public display and also a cool platform to have the students in your community hand out flyers or txt their friends about Supernatural Event. I want to emphasize that Supernatural Event is for the non-church student so there needs to be a well explained plan to your leadership and Christian teens on what it is about and the purpose of how it can reach out to students in your community – could be very powerful and start off your year winning souls to Jesus!
4. Bigger or Better – This is a fun activity where you break your group into smaller groups so that they can fit in cars and then each team starts with 1 penny and is set out to go knock on doors and introduce themselves to let the people know that they need something bigger or better then the penny (or whatever they currently have after the penny). Give them a time limit and award a prize for the team that has come up with the biggest thing and the team that has come up with the better thing. Sometimes the big is also better so just use your best judgement on how you want to handle that.
5. Church Sponsors – take a photo of each student and have them fill out a card – try to keep things in order to make it easier to match the pic with the card (some churches have software programs to plug people in along with info). Then assign each student with an adult sponsor in the church. The adult sponsor is responsible for praying for the student throughout the school year and you can take it a step further where they meet the student for lunch once a month or twice a school year. Stick to your church policies about background checks and such because you just never know. This can be a great way though for the adults in the church to get know and pray for the student ministry.
6. Progressive Dinner To Meet All The Youth Sponsors – A cool way for you to introduce your sponsors for the year would be to set up a progressive dinner where the students start at one place with say dessert and then move on to the next place main dish and each place they visit is also a youth sponsor (when I say youth sponsor – I’m meaning a youth leader volunteer for your youth ministry). The youth can then connect better with who the sponsors are so that when they head into their small groups – they feel like they at least know them a little more. Relationship builder and dinner = 2 for 1 SUPER AWESOMENESS!
7. Fastest Text In The West – Or east or south or middle or north lol. To make this work a little better – divide into 2 – 5 teams and select one person as the texter for the whole group. The group that texts you the quickest with the right answer wins points or a prize or candy. You can go at it for say 10 questions or two rounds. You can also style it by making it like your favorite game show such as jeopardy or family feud.
8. Messy Olympics – Since we just came off an Olympic summer – this may be something they are in the mood for – plus its messy – so definitely take some pictures – it will be fun to have those posted for the school year.
9. Facebook Status Outreach Challenge – This activity is a challenge – guys vs gals to see who can by Facebook status update bring the most friends in within 1 hour. Structure what they need to say for there status update like: “Hey we are doing a girls vs guys challenge to see who can bring in more friends to [ such and such place] and the winning side gets free ice cream. The challenge ends in 1 hour from this post. please help us girls/guys win.” Or something similar. Have each group cheer when a new girl/guy comes through the door. You may just be surprised that you need to pay for 1000 ice cream cones, but you also will have made some new connections with students you may haven’t known before.
10. Year Long Group Art Project – This is a cool idea that helps build and promote community in your youth ministry. Start your year by starting some type of art project that the students can build either 15min every week or a whole youth ministry evening once a month or somewhere in-between. Maybe it’s building something like the last supper (life size) out of news paper, or Jesus on the cross using play-dough. Come up with some type of project that will take your group a school year to complete – you will be glad you did.

The Perfect Youth Ministry Volunteer

Youth Pastor, Chris Dortch, in North Carolina recently posted on his church's blog looking for volunteers. Here's what he's looking for, and I thought it sounded pretty good! 

What would the “perfect” youth ministry volunteer look like?  I think I have an answer, but first let’s address some of the myths.


Myth #1 “You’ve got to be cool.”
Let’s face it, we probably weren’t that cool in high school and we’re certainly not cool as adults.  Students don’t need someone to be cool, they need authenticity.  If you are willing to be yourself around teenagers, you’re a great candidate for volunteering in the youth ministry.


Myth #2 “You’ve got to be young.”
Sometimes we think that the 20-somethings “relate better” to teenagers because of their age.  Most teenagers have a hard time telling the difference between at 25 year-old who is married and a 37 year-old who is married (they are both “old”).  Research shows that teenagers are actually drawn to the oldest person in the room who will listen to them and take them seriously.  If you are willing to listen to teenagers and take their problems seriously, you’re a great candidate for volunteering in the youth ministry.


Myth #3 “You’ve got to act like a teenager.”
There is a difference between being child-like and being childish.  One of my youth ministry heroes, Duffy Robbins says, “Teenagers don’t need adults who act like teenagers.  They need adults who don’t freak out when teenagers act like teenagers.”  If you can act like an adult and not “freak out” when teenagers act like teenagers, then you’re a great candidate for volunteering in the youth ministry.


Myth #4 “You’ve got to a Bible scholar.”
Sure, we want you to know something about the Bible, but we don’t expect you to have all of the answers.  In John 9, the man born blind gives us a great example of how to respond to questions we don’t know the answers to, “Whether Jesus was a sinner or not, I don’t know.  One thing I do know, I once was blind but now I can see!”  If you are willing to help students discover answers to their questions, you’re a great candidate for volunteering in the youth ministry.


Myth #5 “You’ve got to know everything in teen culture.”
It’s okay if you don’t listen to Justin Bieber and you still listen to Abba on vinyl.  Students want you to be you.  Many of them would even love to hear stories about the time you were in a KISS cover band!  If you don’t know who Justin Bieber is, you’re the perfect candidate for volunteering in the youth ministry.


If these aren’t the things that teenagers are looking for, what do they need in an adult volunteer?


Reality #1 “Students need adults who will live a life honoring to God.”
Students are searching for adults who are authentic in their walk with Christ.  If there is one thing that teenagers have a keen ability to spot, it is fake people.


Reality #2 “Students need adults who are interested enough to learn their name.”
Students want to know if adults care enough to remember their names.  When I first came to Christ Community Church over ten years ago, I had a middle school girl ask, “Do you know my name?”  To my embarrassment, I had no clue.  I told her that if she reminded me of her name one last time, I would make sure that I knew it the next week.  I will never forget Alice.


Reality #3 “Students need adults who are interested in their life.”
Students need adults who will spend time with them, pray for them, say an encouraging word, believe in them, and simply laugh with them.  Students want to know if you are willing to come into “their world” and discover who they are.


Reality #4 “Students need adults who are consistent with their attendance.”
Students are familiar with adults who come in and out of their lives like a revolving door.  Teachers change from semester to semester.  Parents change from alternating weekends.  Teenagers need to know which adults are going to be consistent in their life.  This is one of the reasons that I have committed to youth ministry for nearly twenty years.
Students may ask it this way, “Do you care about me?  Do you know my name?  Will you be here next week?”  If you are willing to show teenagers you care about them, willing to learn some names, and be consistent with your attendance… YOU are the perfect youth ministry volunteer.