One of my biggest challenges in ministry has been keeping a high standard for the spiritual direction and focus of our student ministry small groups. When you have different leaders with various opinions and personalities, getting them all on the same page can be a trying adventure.…
It’s happened to every youth leader. The lesson plan called for “discussion,” but instead of the stimulating chatter you’d planned there is only The Dreaded Silence. Your youth are looking at you and you, suddenly feeling quite incompetent, end the lesson and call for a game of hide and seek.…
How to Save a Live You’ll need: Bibles sheets of paper, cut in quarters pens flip chart or newsprint marker Overview: Luke 9:23-25-The path to life leads through death to self. Open by playing Telephone Pictionary. Sit in a circle. Give every person a pen and a stack of quartered pieces of paper equal to the number of participants in the group (if you have eight people in your group, give each person eight sheets of paper).…
“I don’t get up in front of people, I don’t teach, and I definitely don’t lead small groups.” Ahhh, the words every new youth pastor loves to hear from an Adult Leader! It immediately became obvious that Jason (the Adult Leader who was so eloquently quoted) and I held very different views of youth ministry.…
Challenge kids to believe the unbelievable by taking them on this biblical journey that will challenge their thinking from this strange but true department! MIRACLE PIG RETURNS FROM THE DEAD LONDON, Ky.-Dr. Campbell Mercer figures there’s something that happens at least once in every doctor’s career that he can’t explain.…
Photocopy and cut apart these cards so every two people will have a full deck of cards. My favorite sandwich is… My favorite TV show is… After school I like to… Before school I like to… A book I really like is… I like to listen to… It really bugs me when… I love it when… I’m scared of… I like a friend to… I wish I could… I make friends by… What I most like about God is……
10. Share hot cocoa in front of the fireplace. 9. Snowball fight. 8. 24-hour Star Wars trilogy marathon. 7. Dress up like pilgrims and have a Thanksgiving feast. 6. Build a snowman in the form of your favorite Bible character. 5.…
Think small. I don’t care how large your group is, think small . Frankly, students are not as impressed with a large youth group as adults are! Students have a need to feel a sense of belonging more than they have a need to be identified in a large youth group.…
There are times I don’t really like my small group. Don’t get me wrong, I really like my 8th grade guys, I just don’t always look forward to small group. My guys are on the over-active side, they usually forget their Bibles, they rarely share a prayer request of greater consequence than ‘pray that my team wins our football game Saturday’ and I’m fairly certain that none of them has been introduced to a deodorant stick.…
When it comes to small groups, there are lots of variables: Should they meet on campus or in homes? Should they be co-ed or same sex? Should they all study the same curriculum or be allowed to pick their own? Should they meet all year round or take the summer off?…
