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New Youth Leader looking for guidence - 1/10/2010 7:28:36 PM
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taylor.lee
Posts: 3
Joined: 1/10/2010
Status: offline
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Hi there. - first of all, im new to this site... so i dont really know how this thing goes.... but im going to give it a whirl.
I am a new youth helper at my church. this week I'm in charge of the wednesday youth group... - im looking for lessons, or tips or something to help me with leading the youth--- mainly looking for lessons/topics and such...
anyways- a few minor details to help - There are about 15 kids that could potentially come ... however the past few months we've only had 3 kids show up.... i know numbers dont matter... but im looking for some type of study that these kids would want to do... some sort of lesson that is short--- these kids are bouncin' off the walls-- they're 14, 15 and 16 yrs old... i dont want anything drawn out and boring... they've been sitting in class all day, the last thing that they want to do is hear me drone on... i did a lesson last week... on prayer- did a 15 minute lesson-- few verses, had them participate, and i answered questions to get them going, then we did an activity (made a prayer bulliten board, and hung it on the wall so we can continuously put up / take down prayers)
anyways i want something that they can directly relate to and something that they can get up and do....
thank you very much
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RE: New Youth Leader looking for guidence - 1/11/2010 4:31:02 PM
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cynthia
Posts: 7748
Joined: 3/31/2005
From: Beautiful Puget Sound Region
Status: online
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About 80 years ago, my grandmother took over the youth group at her church. She had the teens write a question on a piece of paper and hand it in. She used these questions as the lesson and went over each one. I don't know if she did it right then or used ones from one week to prepare for the following week. Her youth group grew very quickly. The students were able to ask questions and have them answered from the Bible. They felt that what mattered to them was being addressed and kept coming back. The group was relevant to the needs of the students and they were being fed Truth.
This concept could be used today and would probably be just as effective. It would be especially good if you had to the kids turn in their questions to be answered the following week. This would give you time to search the word, plus they would want to come back to find the answers to their questions. Of course you would have to have a message for the first week, so you could start out with talking about how relevant the Bible is to our lives today. You could base your sermon on Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (NJKV)
_____________________________
Often times the battle is the worst right before a breakthrough. In order to get us to give up, the devil wants us to think we are losing, when in fact we need to fight on to victory.
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RE: New Youth Leader looking for guidence - 1/11/2010 8:06:53 PM
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taylor.lee
Posts: 3
Joined: 1/10/2010
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Thank you very much. We have a box for the kids to put in their suggestions in it... and we have monthy meetings with parents and youth about lessons/activities.. But i will try to get them to write questions this week so i can prepare. thanks!
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RE: New Youth Leader looking for guidence - 1/12/2010 1:31:34 AM
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cynthia
Posts: 7748
Joined: 3/31/2005
From: Beautiful Puget Sound Region
Status: online
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If you give the kids a few minutes to quietly write a question, even if you only get a couple, you could use those questions to build on. You could even have them e-mail questions to you. You could have them send questions and let them know that you will answer as many as possible, but how many will depend on how in-depth an answer is required.
_____________________________
Often times the battle is the worst right before a breakthrough. In order to get us to give up, the devil wants us to think we are losing, when in fact we need to fight on to victory.
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RE: New Youth Leader looking for guidence - 1/12/2010 10:42:57 PM
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AlwaysR8chel
Posts: 3150
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: my computer to yours
Status: online
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..... our youth pastor breaks up the monotony with some Nooma DVD's. The kids are riveted when they watch them! The discussion questions are cool, too.
oh.... I also ran into an interesting website today while doing some research: youthpastors.com
Maybe you can find some ideas there, too!
_____________________________
צוּר On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
Psalms 62:7 NASB
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RE: New Youth Leader looking for guidence - 1/13/2010 10:00:23 PM
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jn1010lf
Posts: 588
Joined: 4/20/2005
Status: offline
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Hello taylor.lee
I really don't think that teens need lessons per se. Neither do they need activities as ends in themselves.
Essentially, they are like all people. They need Jesus in their lives. In human terms, teens don't have to much to look forward to. But once they get God's plan into their hearts, they have hope.
I would personally start by trying to get them to share their hearts which would uncover their hopes, dreams and fears.
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RE: New Youth Leader looking for guidence - 2/1/2010 1:31:58 AM
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trelawrence
Posts: 77
Joined: 1/2/2009
Status: offline
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My advice? Pray and network! 
Find resources... fellow ministers, online and in person. Never assume an idea is stupid.
Stay blessed!
_____________________________
Between Realities
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RE: New Youth Leader looking for guidence - 2/2/2010 12:05:20 AM
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Gloryandgrace
Posts: 783
Joined: 1/15/2006
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: taylor.lee
Hi there. - first of all, im new to this site... so i dont really know how this thing goes.... but im going to give it a whirl.
I am a new youth helper at my church. this week I'm in charge of the wednesday youth group... - im looking for lessons, or tips or something to help me with leading the youth--- mainly looking for lessons/topics and such...
anyways- a few minor details to help - There are about 15 kids that could potentially come ... however the past few months we've only had 3 kids show up.... i know numbers dont matter... but im looking for some type of study that these kids would want to do... some sort of lesson that is short--- these kids are bouncin' off the walls-- they're 14, 15 and 16 yrs old... i dont want anything drawn out and boring... they've been sitting in class all day, the last thing that they want to do is hear me drone on... i did a lesson last week... on prayer- did a 15 minute lesson-- few verses, had them participate, and i answered questions to get them going, then we did an activity (made a prayer bulliten board, and hung it on the wall so we can continuously put up / take down prayers)
anyways i want something that they can directly relate to and something that they can get up and do....
thank you very much
Taylor:
A couple of things. My opinion of course.
You need a new way of looking at things
A. Dont assume youve got a single saved kid in that room with you.
B. Dont waste your time preaching discipleship to unsaved teens. Give them the gospel
C. If you dont understand the gospel or cant preach it, then you need to find out quickly.
D. Build upon the gospel and upon the active Christian life that you live as well as any converts that God may give you.
E. Jesus is exciting, but if you think you drone, you need to repent and seek God to give you a message.
F. Jesus is worthy of hearing about after work or after school or after anything that we do during the day.
G. Teen can directly relate to sin, directly relate to problems they encounter, directly relate to pressures from the world and from other teens, they directly relate to needing help, wanting security, hope in the face of hard trials they go through.
H. Stay away for the pit-falls of trying to make the gospel fit a teen-relevant sport, hobby, clothing, venue.
I. There is nothing more relevant to their lives than Jesus Christ. If you cant see it, they surely wont see it and will want you to fill in the hole with activities, adventures, outings, hobbies, music etc.
J. If youre not a man of prayer they wont pray. If you dont really love that bible, they wont either. If you fill your time with useless distractions, video games, music and sports they will only add Jesus or add 'christianity' to their already dead spiritual lives and create a pseudo-Christianity that they will jettison as soon as they are free, in college or go to work.
K. If you have boiled the gospel down to 3-4 simplistic points that bores you to tell them, rest assured they will pick this up and ignore your message, they will know that it doesnt mean much to you, why should they care. Do your gospel-homework.
You have no hope whatsoever of actually doing these kids any good unless you are a man of God yourself and have a message from God Called - The gospel. The last thing those teens need is another teen leader that is as misguided and spiritually empty as they are.
Youre seeking to involve yourself in a work that is completely supernatural. Yet, your approach stemming from your questions makes me think you are ill equipped to do any of this kind of spiritual ministry. Dont feel bad...NOBODY is equipped out of the starting gate to do spiritual ministry. God trains us on the job. Every youth leader that has any success knows this.
But my exhortation back to you is decide now who is most important to you, What is most important to be known, why do you even want to create a teen group and do this ministry?
Here's a message that might get across to you what Im saying.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdArdf-NmzQ&feature=related
John
_____________________________
Isa 42:6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles.....
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RE: New Youth Leader looking for guidence - 2/3/2010 2:28:54 PM
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Sarcastic1
Posts: 1
Joined: 2/3/2010
Status: offline
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Hi taylor, how are you doing? Look, I read your question and the other posts to it. I want to tell you, as a former Youth Pastor myself, that the best advice you have gotten came from cynthia. If you meet these kids where they're at and show them the concern Jesus has for them and their needs, as well as the concern you have for them you will reach them. Not all of them, but I would say most of them. Don't get discouraged, it will take some time. If you have any new Christian music D Ds (TFK, Toby Mac, Plum etc. ) bring them in and get a discussion going about the music and the message in the christian music as opposed to the rest of what's out there.
God bless you
I wish you success
Bill
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RE: New Youth Leader looking for guidence - 2/18/2010 10:55:23 AM
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SteelCurtain
Posts: 152
Joined: 3/20/2007
From: Virginia
Status: offline
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Welcome!
I'm not sure that any of your responses were from former youth pastors but I was a youth pastor for five years. Here are a few thoughts from someone who took a youth ministry of 8 and ended up with 70 after 2.5 years.
1. As one of the posters stated, pray and network, first and foremost.
2. Simply build relationships with those kids. Your Wed. night service does not need to "feel normal". For example, many services start of with praise and worship, an ice breaker, the message, and then altar call. That may happen as you grow but don't put yourself in the "normal" box.
3. As you do your Wed. night service, think of also doing a small group on another night of the week. We found that this was a great way to connect with kids outside of the normal wednesday night service.
4. Find leaders within the church, who have a desire to hang with youth, and connect with them. You can't do this alone.
Simplyyouthministry.com is a great site that can give you some ideas for teachings and for small group topics.
Hope that helps!
_____________________________
Pray simply, wait sometimes, stick to the path.
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RE: New Youth Leader looking for guidence - 2/18/2010 5:32:33 PM
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therooster
Posts: 13
Joined: 2/18/2010
From: Bismarck, ND
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: SteelCurtain
Welcome!
I'm not sure that any of your responses were from former youth pastors but I was a youth pastor for five years. Here are a few thoughts from someone who took a youth ministry of 8 and ended up with 70 after 2.5 years.
1. As one of the posters stated, pray and network, first and foremost.
2. Simply build relationships with those kids. Your Wed. night service does not need to "feel normal". For example, many services start of with praise and worship, an ice breaker, the message, and then altar call. That may happen as you grow but don't put yourself in the "normal" box.
3. As you do your Wed. night service, think of also doing a small group on another night of the week. We found that this was a great way to connect with kids outside of the normal wednesday night service.
4. Find leaders within the church, who have a desire to hang with youth, and connect with them. You can't do this alone.
Simplyyouthministry.com is a great site that can give you some ideas for teachings and for small group topics.
Hope that helps!
Right here is the key. Not to sound un-spiritual or anything, but you're not an evangelist, you're a youth pastor. Pounding these kids with a salvation message that they've likely heard for years will only make you seem old and boring (even if you're 23!) or out of touch with what they're looking for.
It's true that Jesus is the best thing you can give them, but you need to give them that in the form of your life lived out alongside theirs. 9/10 students say that the number one factor that brings them back to a youth group is a youth pastor/adult volunteer who cares about them and seems to "get" them.
This isn't to say you shouldn't teach spiritual matters and talk about the Bible and God--that's the reason you're there, and them too--but it does mean that you won't be able to say anything that will have a deep impact on their lives if you aren't a part of their lives. My youth professor was fond of saying "You must earn the right to speak into someone's life."
So build relationships. Love them. Show them examples of a life devoted to Jesus (which can only be done by doing life alongside them, not in "cool" messages). Love them. Be relevant. Love them. Be their friend without being the lame adult trying to be a teenager...and love them.
It's the slow road, to be sure, but do you want to plant seeds that sprout quickly then wither in the sun, or good seeds that produce a harvest? One is easy and looks great (and pets our ego) but is worthless in the end. The other takes time and care...so get to it, and be happy that you can do less book work and actually be doing more for God.
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RE: New Youth Leader looking for guidence - 2/20/2010 3:16:54 PM
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RJR_fan
Posts: 801
Joined: 4/12/2005
From: RTP, in sunny NC USA
Status: offline
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quote:
Pounding these kids with a salvation message that they've likely heard for years will only make you seem old and boring (even if you're 23!) or out of touch with what they're looking for.
One advantage of a truly Reformed eschatology is -- it sees every legitimate vocation as a sphere of Christian ministry. Your kids can reshape their world for the glory of God in many ways -- as writers, as musicians, as artists, as artisans. See Eph. 2:10 -- find out what each kid is really passionate about doing, then help him or her do it for the glory of God. Find them mentors from the real world of work and life. Help them sort through the possibilities, weighing the costs and benefits.
_____________________________
Blogging my way through the Turkish New Testament
Meet my beloved mentor, RJR
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