A Youth Minister’s worst nightmare is a scheduled youth group meeting with nothing planned as an event. There are ten, twenty, even thirty or more students gathered in one place, expecting excitement, and you have nothing with which to entertain or teach them.
Between counseling, visiting, teaching, and planning, the life of a Youth Minister is never easy. The youth of today are depending on you for guidance through this wonderful, terrible world, and you are at least partly responsible for their spiritual development. The values and morals that you instill in them are counteracted daily at school and in extracurricular activities, and you count on the hope that they will listen to you rather than to their friends and other less reliable sources.
Youth group is meant as a way to bring children and teenagers of the same faith together in learning and fun, giving them an opportunity to build camaraderie with one another and to go to you for advice and guidance. Planning youth events should incorporate both fun and learning, because the students’ parents expect that they build knowledge as well as friendship.
There are several books dedicated to Youth Ministry and its hardships. One is called A Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry, which is an edition of the Purpose Driven Life series. Another is A Youth Minister’s worst nightmare is a scheduled youth group meeting with nothing planned as an event. There are ten, twenty, even thirty or more students gathered in one place, expecting excitement, and you have nothing with which to entertain or teach them.
Between counseling, visiting, teaching, and planning, the life of a Youth Minister is never easy. The youth of today are depending on you for guidance through this wonderful, terrible world, and you are at least partly responsible for their spiritual development. The values and morals that you instill in them are counteracted daily at school and in extracurricular activities, and you count on the hope that they will listen to you rather than to their friends and other less reliable sources.
Youth group is meant as a way to bring children and teenagers of the same faith together in learning and fun, giving them an opportunity to build camaraderie with one another and to go to you for advice and guidance. Planning youth events should incorporate both fun and learning, because the students’ parents expect that they build knowledge as well as friendship.
There are several books dedicated to Youth Ministry and its hardships. One is called A Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry, which is an edition of the Purpose Driven Life series. Another is Planning for Youth Ministry by Arnold Zarich, which gives plenty of advice on planning and scheduling youth ministry events.
What I want to provide here are several ideas for Youth Events at your church, divided by age and category. All of these ideas are ones that I have used in the past, and that work wonderfully for that particular age group.
AGES 0-5
This is a tender age, and one where learning is not necessarily a focal point. The idea here is to get children together with their parents, and allow them to start to understand what Christianity is all about.
Scavenger Hunt – Let parents do this with their children, but encourage them to let the kids do most of the work. Hide eggs or small balls all over the churchyard, and put pictures or objects inside the eggs that represent some symbol of the church (I.e. crosses, crucifixes, candles, baby Jesus in the cradle, heaven). Again, these don’t have to be the actual objects; pictures will do fine. Give prizes for whomever finds the most objects, then sit around and talk about each of the symbols. Then perhaps sing songs that correlate with the symbols.
Water Party – This is a great activity for summer. Have water balloons, small kiddie pools, water slides, etc., and have a picnic in the churchyard. The parents can act as additional chaperones, and the kids will have a wonderful time. Afterwards, talk about what water represents in the Bible (parting of the Red Sea, water into wine, Jesus washing the feet of his disciples). Even though they won’t understand a lot of it, they will get the gist. Sing songs (very important at this age).
Mommy & Me – this is an excellent program for children, especially during this age. Get together once a month for Mommy & Me, and have a short church party. Serve ice cream, popcorn, small sandwiches, or other snacks, and have an arts and crafts project. Let each of the children be a team with their mother, and they can do the project together.
AGES 6-9
These are the ages when children are beginning to understand religious concepts. They have begun to take communion (or will soon) and they know who Jesus was and why we worship him.
Movie Night – You don’t have to show a religious movie, but be sure that it is age appropriate. Drag a T.V. into the common room of your church and let the kids lie on the floor or sit on furniture as you watch a movie. We usually do this once a month, and the kids vote on the movie the week before. At the end, discuss the movie and talk about how it relates to the spiritual world (i.e. sins, forgiveness, etc.)
Walk In The Park – Take a day and walk in the park with the kids. Choose a park that has trails and a picnic area, and let everyone bring a dish of their choice. Spend some time discussing nature and God’s creation while eating, and then take a nature hike.
Gone Fishin’ – This is an old favorite of mine, and even though it sounds simple, it’s a great time for everyone. The kids can bring their fathers or mothers if they’d like, and go fishing at a local pond.
AGES 10 – 13
Ah, the Junior High years…This is one of the most difficult age groups to please, and often the hardest to guide. They don’t know what they want, they’re experimenting with their friends at school, and they are racked by feelings they don’t understand. At this tender age, your involvement in their lives is extremely important.
Dances – Valentine’s Day is a great time to plan this, and it gives students an opportunity to go to a “grown-up” dance with adult supervision. Just don’t invite the parents; the kids really hate that. Plus, you can use of the lines that my Youth Minister said when I was growing up in church – “Remember, when you dance, keep Jesus between you!
Scavenger Hunt – This is not the same as with the pre-school age children. Take your students to the local mall, and break them into groups. Give them each a pre-written list of items to find in the mall, and send them off in search of their items. The first group back to you gets a prize, and the pre-teens get to do what they’ve all begun to love (especially the girls): hang out at the mall!
NOTE: They don’t need to buy the items, just record the exact price of the item on a sheet of paper. This can also be incorporated into a lesson on materialism.
Bowling – A fun, safe event that inspires just the right amount of competition. Kids love to bowl, and you can sit back and watch the fun take place. If you want to make it interesting, award the winning bowler a prize, but it isn’t necessary. Have each child bring a predetermined amount of money to pitch in, if needed.
AGES 14-18
The high school years are tragic, enlightening, stressful, and promising. Teens are beginning to think about possible careers and applying for colleges, and they are spending more and more time with their friends. Many kids involved in Junior High Youth Group will have stopped attending by now, but be sure the nurture the ones you retained! They have also grasped a higher level of understanding, and can comprehend more difficult theology.
Talent Shows – It sounds cheesy, but it can be a lot of fun. Many kids are involved in band, choir, art, and theater, and have amazing talent to display. Let the kids know a few weeks in advance so that they can prepare, and let the Junior High group act as judges. Get ready to laugh – teens are very creative!
Youth Service – Get together with your pastor and set up a Sunday where the youth leads the service. Spend two or three weeks prior to the event in preparation – assigning roles, choosing scripture, and memorizing parts. Let the kids decide which roles they want to play – Pastor, Assisting Pastor, Choir Director, Scripture Reader, Acolyte, etc. – and if there is a dispute, let them pick from a hat, or allow the other kids to vote. This can be a great learning opportunity, and a lot of fun.
Volunteering – This idea might be met with a chorus of groans, but they honestly will enjoy it. Set up a night where you visit a soup kitchen, a nursing home, a building project, or some other service project, and take the group. They will learn what its like to give back, and get a chance to do something new and different.
Youth Group can be an amazing journey, filled with both fun and learning. Take the time to adequately prepare for youth group, and you will be rewarded with happy children and satisfied parents.
Reference:
- Purpose Driven Youth Ministry by Doug Fields Planning for Youth Ministry by Arnold Zarich
