jeudi 3 mars 2011

Planning Christian Youth Group Activities

By Valerie Sondheim


Lately teenagers have been showing a lot interest in getting more involved in youth group related programs. In fact, a lot of youth pastors have embraced more contemporary methods to reach the hearts and minds of teenagers. These methods include videos, interactive games, concerts and other activities that capture their attention. There are several Christian youth group activities that are planned that are focused to both the Christian and non-Christian alike.

A popular one is what is known as a lock-in. All the kids arrive at location like the church activity center, gymnasium, or other large area. Then they are required to stay the entire evening until the next morning. The whole time they are there is filled with games, food, contests, bible studies and devotions and prayer time. Sometimes there may be a band or other special speaker present as well.

Teens have big hearts and are great examples of the old saying that it's better to give than to receive. Any program that involves mission work is always beneficial. When kids give their attention and time to those in need it enables them to achieve a feeling of self-worth and pride. Mission trips can be local, regional, national or even global. If your youth group has never done anything like this, perhaps start locally with homeless shelters or soup kitchens.

Community outreach is another program that is well received. There are battered womens shelters and other social and community organizations that really need donations or volunteer work provided. Many kids enjoy helping others and have a lot of energy to carry it through.

Drama, skits and multimedia videos are very popular. With drama and skits kids can dress up, act silly and have fun. With videos, you can either use actual clips from movies combined with your bible study or devotion to drive a point home, or have the kids create one themselves.

No matter what you are planning, always assure safety of the kids. If anyone takes something too far or gets too wreckless, be sure to address it and end it quickly. You really don't want to stop or cancel your event or have someone getting injured.

Many of your programs can be accomplished at little or no cost. Usually a small participation fee can be charged to the youth coming to the event, or you could ask for donations from the church. They are typically very supportive of youth related activities.




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