GETTING PAST THE PAST 1. Yellow Passport—(You’ll need a TV, a VCR, a video copy of 1998’s Les Miserables, water-soluble markers, and white blindfolds.) Start by showing a clip from Les Miserables, beginning at 3:20 when the woman says, “Knock on that door” and ending at 6:16 when Valjean sits up (00:00:00 studio logo appears).…
The Story of Creation (Genesis 1)—Why did God create the world? Supplies: You’ll need Bibles; pencils; colored pencils; pieces of poster board; three to six movie posters (or DVD covers); and a box of random items (one per participant). Also, create and photocopy a handout divided into three columns: atop one column, draw a triangle; atop the next, draw a human stick figure; and atop the last column, draw a circle.…
This youth-led worship service is perfect for a lazy, hazy summer day or night. Your kids learn what it takes to hear God’s voice by experiencing Elijah’s story. This worship service doesn’t require a special location; the youth room will be fine.…
You only have so much time with students every week. Should you give them an on-ramp… or take them to the highway? Should you begin a youth night with dodgeball or a discussion? Should you end your message with pizza or communion?…
What’s the feel of your youth ministry? Why does our ministry exist? If you’ve never asked yourself that question, you should. Knowing why you exist as a ministry will help you draft a mission/purpose statement that can guide most of your leadership decisions.…
Neither of us grew up in the church, but it didn’t take long to learn there was plenty of room for me (Tim), but not quite as much room for Tasha. The lesson was often subtle, but occasionally it reared its head in a backhanded comment or clear statement.…
I’m an evangelist at heart. I like planting seeds. And while I’m not the guy who is eagerly looking for an opportunity to share the Romans Road with my barista or hang out at the skate parking looking for the chance to drop a spiritual law or two on unsuspecting hoodlums, I do have an innate desire to expose as many teenagers as possible to the good news of Jesus.…
We have to do better than this. We can do better than this! These two sentences formed in my mind and pulled at my heart as I watched students come in the door confused and ready to turn around and walk right back out the door.…
I love stats, I am not a huge sports fan but my ears perk up when I hear a conversation about who has the most homeruns, or the longest winning streak, a hole -in-one, and so on. I am not a basketball fan, but I loved watching Michael Jordan.…
As summer is quickly coming to an end and fall is quickly approaching, I like to think about how the events or programs I oversee can be better. I also like to brainstorm new ones. My goal is to learn from my failures with summer events, so I don’t repeat them in the fall.…
