Tag: recommendations

Our Picks: Royal Servants

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As a student ministry leader you have probably led your own mission trip or partnered with a mission agency at some point in your ministry career. We all know that mission trips are important in the lives of students because of how they impact their hearts and relationship with Jesus. We know that when they are in a focused environment, building relationships with people, and serving others, they will begin to grow as a disciple of Jesus.

If you have led your own mission trip before you know how much work goes into planning and leading the actual trip. There’s setting the schedule, organizing service projects, figuring out meals, scheduling travel, arranging sleeping assignments, handling debriefs, managing conflicts and stressors, and all the other things that pop up. Leading a mission trip that you are putting together takes a lot of preparation, planning, and intentionality as you not only lead but also care for your students, leaders, and the people to whom you’re ministering.

If you’ve found a partner agency to go with that meets your needs and focus as a ministry, you know how beneficial this can be. Our ministry typically looks at running our own trips or partnering with the different mission arms of our denomination. This allows us to make sure the vision and mission of our ministry align with those of the partnering organizations. But, I also love to find additional opportunities for our students that embrace our vision and actively engages in discipleship.

That’s where Royal Servants comes into the picture. Royal Servants is part of Reign Ministries and offers summer-long trips for all students including middle school, high school, and college age. These are trips that take place all over the world and are focused on reaching people with the Gospel and helping students to engage and grow in the discipleship process.

Like many youth workers, I found out about Royal Servants from a phone call. Hank Dahl, one of the mission trip leaders for Royal Servants, reached out to connect and to simply share his heart. What I instantly respected about Hank is he wasn’t looking to make a sales pitch or offer me something in place of what we do as a ministry. Instead, he wanted to offer an additional option but only after pushing our students toward our own trips. Hank’s and Royal Servants’ heart is to be an additional option for students with the express desire to help them grow in discipleship and missional opportunities.

The first time we had Hank join us, he asked if he could speak to our students. He didn’t ask to share his own lesson but instead offered to teach on whatever our series was focused on. Being a youth ministry veteran, Hank instantly connected with my students and did a superb job sharing that evening. At the end of his lesson, he gave a brief synopsis of who Royal Servants is and what their trips were for that year. He then encouraged our students to go to small groups and find him afterwards at a table in the lobby. Hank didn’t try to pull our students away from time in their small group but instead pushed them into their discipleship time and encouraged them to take initiative in connecting with him afterward.

Hank’s heart, that of his team and Royal Servants overall, is to partner with student ministries around the country and to help them provide additional avenues for their students to engage in discipleship and missional opportunities. We have had several of our students participate in trips with Royal Servants and all have come back changed and strengthened in their faith. When many of them returned, they took leadership roles and began to reach out to people in their schools and communities. They also began to push students in our ministry to serve in their spheres of influence and to go on mission trips with our student ministry. It wasn’t focused on just encouraging their peers to join Royal Servants, but to instead serve where God is calling them. This again highlights the way that Royal Servants equips and trains students and is why I will continue to invite them to our church and encourage my students to participate.

If you’re looking for a great partner organization, one that seeks to reach the lost and equip students as disciple-makers, then Royal Servants is the organization for you. I highly encourage you to reach out to Hank–let him know I told you to :)–and see what this ministry can do to help your students grow and flourish.

7 Tips for Preaching in Church

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This past Sunday I was able to preach on the church of Thyatira from the book of Revelation. For many of us serving in student ministry, we are able to preach periodically in our churches. Sometimes it is on “national youth pastor preaching day,” the Sunday after Christmas. Others may be asked to preach more often. And still others may preach whenever the senior pastor falls ill.

I think sometimes congregants can have a specific vision of what a “youth pastor preaching” looks like. They believe they know how you will dress, how you will speak, and what you will say. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We are all gifted and called to minister, and we have been uniquely placed to shepherd and teach our people. Instead of falling into a mold or category, we should seek to utilize the gifts, personality, and calling that God has placed on our lives to reach others. We shouldn’t be a “typical youth pastor,” but instead show the church who and what a real youth pastor looks like.

As we think about preaching in church, I wanted to provide you with some tips I have learned throughout my time in ministry.

1. Be yourself.

One of the things I see younger pastors do often is try to replicate the mannerisms, style, and ethos of other, more seasoned and prominent preachers. When I was in undergrad one of the things my profs continued to drill into us: be yourself don’t try to be someone else.

I get it, those seasoned vets have a platform, they’ve honed their style and delivery, and they seem to have it all figured out. But trying to be someone you are not isn’t helpful. Our communities are looking for authenticity and the best way for you to deliver the Gospel is by being yourself as you share it. The more you are yourself the more comfortable you will be and it shows your people that you are transparent and relational. Don’t doubt or discredit yourself and your gifts; lean into who God created you to be and use what God has given you to reach your people.

2. Don’t be the typical youth person.

One of the things I really dislike is when youth pastors are typecast. People assume how we will look, how we will act, how we will speak and preach, and what they are expecting from us. What I would encourage you to do is help to shatter those stereotypes. Don’t show up in a hoodie and shorts. Don’t try to use slang. Don’t try to be cool or over the top.

Instead, approach Sunday morning and preaching with respect and reverence. Understand that you’re attempting to reach multiple generations and that your job is to clearly articulate God’s Word to them. By approaching it with humility and awe you will highlight that youth pastors aren’t just backup preachers who babysit kids. Instead, they will see that youth pastors are just as equipped and capable of expositing Scripture.

3. Put in the work.

In order to communicate well, we need to put in the effort and time to diligently study and engage with God’s Word. We should be doing this even and especially when we communicate to students, but since you’re communicating to multiple age ranges and educational stages you will need to apply more time to study and process the passage. So study hard. Engage with commentaries. Seek guidance and wisdom. Look at scholarly research. The more time and effort you put in, the more effectively and clearly you will communicate.

4. Champion students and families.

This is one thing I love to do when I preach: I highlight students and families through stories. I talk about our volunteers and how awesome they are and try to use them as examples of living out our faith. I try to discount some of the stereotypes and narratives that surround younger generations by showcasing their hearts and faith. These aren’t the only things I talk about, but I do try to bring these moments into everything sermon I preach. Doing this well will help others see students in a better light while not necessarily placing yourself in the stereotypical youth pastor bubble.

5. Have fun.

Don’t get me wrong, we should take preaching seriously. We are in fact sharing God’s Word and that carries a lot of responsibility. But at the same time, we serve a God who delights in joy and fun, and I believe we can both demonstrate and share that fun while we preach. Have fun sharing God’s Word with the church. Have fun by telling stories and utilizing humor. Encourage people to laugh and respond to the Word of God. And lastly, remember that while yes there is responsibility, you can also enjoy yourself and not add additional pressure on yourself. Trust God to work in and through you, and enjoy the experience as you preach.

6. Practice.

Practicing is a big part of preaching no matter your audience. We should be practicing for our youth group gatherings and for when we preach. It isn’t just reading through your notes or manuscript; it’s actually engaging in a dry run. I love to do this in the space where I’ll be teaching. Whether in the youth room or the stage in our sanctuary, I want to get a feel for the room. I want to know the space, the range of motion I’ll have, and even the direction I should be preaching. This allows you to become comfortable with the space and with how you present your message. Practice speaking, practice moving, practice stage presence and you will see the delivery of your sermons grow and develop.

7. Get input.

Before you get up to preach you should seek guidance and input from spiritual mentors and leaders in your life. When you seek out godly input you’re going to get creative insight and helpful critique for your sermon, which will allow you to better communicate God’s Word. It will also help you to grow and mature as a preacher as you’re guided and directed by more mature believers.

How to Create a Proper First Aid Kit

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Have you ever had a student get injured playing a game? Or maybe you’ve been at camp and desperately need Advil for a leader after they slept on the camp mattress that was anything but built for lumbar support. Perhaps you were on a mission trip and needed to have medicine when someone got sick.

Regardless of where you serve or how big your program is, a proper first aid kit is a must. Sure you can buy a pre-stocked kit from Walmart or Target, but my experience with those kits is they often don’t have all you need and their items are not always the best quality. To ensure that you have all you need, it is helpful to build your own by purchasing the items you need and putting them in a central kit for your team.

As the leader of your ministry, you are acutely aware of what your students and leaders will be participating in and what you will need on trips and at programming. What we want to do with today’s post is to share items we have in our first aid kits to help you think through what you can include in yours. We want this to be a springboard to generate helpful thoughts in building first aid kits for each of our ministries. Here are some items we always want in our kits.

Bandages.

Often we pack band-aids in first aid kits, but it’s also helpful to have different types of bandages and accompaniments. Having bandages of different sizes and shapes, along with butterfly sutures and gauze is highly important as it will allow for you to address multiple cuts and wounds. Also included with bandages should be various types of medical tape and wraps. These will allow you to secure bandages better as well as utilize them for other parts of first aid like splints.

Ointments.

Having different ointments is a must in a first aid kit. Think about adding antibiotic ointment, Cortisone Cream, and other products like alcohol wipes. I would also recommend having a package of wet wipes to utilize for cleaning wounds before applying to the needed area. Another ointment to have would be Vaseline in the event of dry or irritated akin. Along with Vaseline I would encourage you to have some aloe to treat sunburns especially if you are going on a summer trip.

Medicines.

Having different medications will allow you to help your team for a variety of ailments. Some of the more common products to have include ibuprofen, Tylenol, aspirin, electrolyte tablets, sugar pills, Pepto-Bismol, antacids, anti-diarrhea pills, Ex-Lax, and Benadryl. This is not an all-inclusive list, and depending on where you are going and what you are doing, you may need different items or you may need to add additional items to this list.

Splints.

This is something that is often overlooked in packing first aid kits. Having a variety of splints for fingers and thumbs, wrists and ankles, and a few other small ones will be highly beneficial. Another good resource for splints is having popsicle sticks to help splint fingers or other appendages as needed.

Electrolytes.

Heat exhaustion is very real and happens to students quite frequently because they can be stubborn about drinking water during summer trips. Typically we think about having Gatorade or Propel packets in our kits for trips. However, these tend to have a lot of sugar and it may take multiple packets before people start to feel better. Another option that I have come to love is either having electrolyte tablets or Liquid IV. Both of these tend to have a faster recovery rate and less additives that don’t help in the long run.

A pocket knife.

This is something I have always seemed to need in different moments. I would suggest a good multi-tool and a regular pocket knife in your first aid kit because they can be utilized in different settings. Having a reliable multitool will help you to fix and repair things as needed, where a regular pocket knife can come in handy for various activities and needs.

Scissors.

Having a quality set of scissors is a must for a good first aid kit. If someone is injured and you need to cut through clothing, strong scissors are your best friend. Look for quality scissors that can be utilized for a variety of circumstances.

Tweezers.

If you’ve ever gotten a splinter that you can’t get out with your fingers, you know how important it is to have a good set of tweezers. Thinking of students and all that you do as a ministry, there are multiple opportunities for students to get stuck by something that tweezers can pull out. So having these on hand is a must.

A tourniquet.

You may not think that this something you will need on a youth trip but it’s always better to a have something and not need it than to need something and not have it. We may never need to use one of these but it’s better to have it especially if you’re at a camp with no nurse or even on a mission trip. If someone nicks an artery or sustains a bad injury, it is best to have one of these ready to go.

Feminine products.

I’ll be honest, this is not something I would have thought of on my own. It was actually while I was working in collegiate security that I noticed them in our first aid kits. We had them on hand for nose bleeds, but as youth workers we must understand that having these items on hand for our female students and leaders is not only important but also a way to love our people well. If you a guy who’s unsure what to get, talk to your spouse or a female leader and have them purchase the needed products for you.

Sugar pills or candy.

I referenced having sugar pills earlier in the post, but I wanted to mention them in their own bracket because of their necessity. If someone goes into hypoglycemia, having sugar pills or candy is highly important. Candy is a quick fix if someone just has low blood sugar, but if someone’s blood sugar crashes due to hypoglycemia, sugar pills will be the most helpful.

Eyewash.

If you’ve gotten an eyelash in your eye, you know it’s uncomfortable. If you’ve gotten dirt or a splinter in your eye, you know that the pain is unbearable. Having a bottle of eyewash will allow you to help your people who get stuff in their eyes. Just make sure to get eyewash and not contact solution as they are different.

Ice packs.

These are a must-have for any trip. You can purchase the types that you pop to induce a chemical reaction so you don’t need to think about refrigeration for your packs. These types also come in a variety of sizes so you can choose which ones will be best for your group and your kit.

What are some essentials you include in first aid kits?

Ways to Care Well for Leaders

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We are all aware of how important volunteer leaders are to our ministries and the people we care for. Our leaders are the glue that hold the ministry together and they are often the ones who do life-on-life with our students. Leaders give up so much to disciple students and, let’s be honest, it can be a lot. It’s taxing, time consuming, emotional, and at times difficult.

In order to help support our leaders, it is important to care for them. Now as we think about caring for our leaders, it is pivotal to think about how each leader receives things. Thinking through their love languages and what they value and appreciate will help you to care for them in the best possible way but also in a way that is meaningful for them. So what are some tangible ways you can care for your leaders?

Send them a handwritten note.

We are in a technology-driven age, which is why receiving a handwritten note or card is so important. It shows such intentionality and a desire for community that it truly builds a greater connectivity between you and your leaders. A handwritten note shows your leaders how much you care about them and can truly be a highlight for them.

Ask them how you can pray for them and follow up on the request.

Praying for and with your leaders is a deeply personal and spiritual way of caring for your leaders because it shows them you care about them as a person. It shows that you don’t just see them as a volunteer but someone you truly care about and want to see thrive in all capacities. Spend time asking how they are doing, how their families are doing, what’s going on in their lives, how they are handling work, and what they need prayer for. By doing this, you are showing them how important and meaningful your relationship with them is. In doing this, make sure to follow up with them on their requests and check in to see how they are doing.

Call them.

Reaching out to your leaders with a phone call that isn’t work or ministry based will mean a lot. When the focus of your connection isn’t simply checking in on them from a ministry context, it allows you to strengthen your relational equity with them. Call them and ask how they’re doing. Check in with them and how you can care for them. Have a casual conversation and see them as more than a volunteer. This type of connection will strengthen your friendship with them and also help them to grow closer to you as they see your heart and passion.

Take them out for coffee or a meal.

One of my favorite things to do with my leaders is take them out to a local coffee shop and just share life. It allows us to build rapport and community together and it’s in a comfortable setting. However, doing something like this means working around your leaders’ schedules. I think we can get in the habit of doing things on our time table, but ministry timetables are often different. So we need to remember that to care for our leaders well and to go out with them means doing so when it works best for them.

Invest in them and their families.

Caring for your leaders means investing in them and their families. Leaders often sacrifice time at home to be with students, especially if they serve weekly and/or go on trips. So investing in your leaders by being involved in their lives and knowing how their families are doing is huge! Know if their kids are engaged in sports or other extracurriculars. Be aware of how their spouse is doing. Acknowledge how their jobs have been going. Be there during the hard moments. Care about them and love them where they are at. These are moments when your leaders will feel cared for because they see it is bigger than just them as you love and care for their families.

Praise them personally and publicly.

I love to do this! I love praising my leaders in front of my students and in front of the church. I want everyone to see how awesome my leaders are so I praise them whenever I can. We also highlight different leaders at our training sessions and thank them at key gathering throughout the year. It is also important to thank them privately. There are many moments we can thank our leaders for that may not be for the public setting. And those are moments that leaders will remember because you are being intentional and approaching them individually to praise them.

Share life with them.

Inviting your leaders over to watch football, going to a trivia night together, hosting a BBQ, or doing a movie and game night are all fun ways to engage with your leaders in everyday life. You can simply invite them to share in normal moments where you can laugh and have fun together.

Send them a gift.

We ask our leaders each year to fill out a brief questionnaire that has questions like, “What is your favorite candy bar?” Or, “If I got a gift to (fill in the blank) I’d be really happy.” And, “My favorite place to shop is (fill in the blank).” I know not every ministry can afford to do this type of thing regularly, but being able to surprise or bless your leaders with a gift card or gift is a special and tangible way of showing them you care.

6 Tips for Designing Your Space

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Typically there are two responses to this type of an article: I don’t have a designated space or I already have my space set up.

Those responses highlight a mentality of frustration or completion and I can fully resonate with both. When you don’t have a space that is specifically for your ministry due to multipurpose usage it can be really discouraging and frustrating. On the other hand when you have your space and it is fully set and designed how you like, your response may be to continue with the status quo, because why change what is working?

But may I suggest to you that neither of those responses are helpful nor beneficial? In fact both of those attitudes can lend themselves to complacency and an unwillingness to adapt and change. That is not a helpful place to be because it leads to tensions, frustrations, resentments, and bitterness. Instead what we should should be doing is thinking creatively and identifying ways in which our space can be most utilized to reach and impact the communities we serve. The question then is how can we design and utilize our space to that end?

1. Know your ambiance.

What is the vibe that you want your ministry to have? Is it a classroom setting? Do you want it to feel more like a party? Or is it a coffee shop environment? It may be none of these or a hybrid of a few different options. Regardless of what you choose, how you embrace the ambiance and build your space to reflect that is key. So know what you are going for and commit to it.

2. Consider your lighting options.

Our space is pretty set with lighting options because it’s a multipurpose room. This means we can’t add or change anything unless it is something the entire church agrees on or the items must be able to be removed after each event. For us, that means that either we use the lights that are in the room or we get creative. We chose to get creative and we have purchased floor lamps and market lights to change the ambiance of the room for our youth group nights. While yes, they do make set up a bit longer, the change of lighting and the effect it has on our environment has been more than worth it.

3. Think about seating.

Here’s the thing: chairs and tables aren’t always necessary. They can add to an environment but they can also detract from it. Deciding how you want people sitting may sound like it isn’t important but it can shift the the entire ambiance and purpose of your space.

When I started at our church, Sunday mornings were a little dull and lifeless. Students would come and sit in rows and there wasn’t a reason for why we had rows. So I shook it up, and we moved to round tables with chairs to foster conversations and discussion on what we were teaching. Changing seating will switch up the ambiance, the energy, and even the purpose of what you’re seeking to accomplish. So think through how you want your seating to be and make sure it matches your vision and purpose.

4. Intentionally set up your room.

We just talked about chairs and tables but it is important to think through your room setup holistically. Where do you have your TV or your projector? Where are you putting snacks? Does your room setup convey a welcoming environment? Where and how will you incorporate games and activities?

Like I said above, we utilize round tables and chairs but that really inhibits us from being able to do active and mobile games. We knew that with our current set up we would need to be creative, so we utilize PowerPoint games that are usually in an all-play style.

We should also think through how our rooms bring people in and what we are conveying. Is it welcoming? Does it feel warm and inviting? How are students engaging and interacting? These questions will help us to think critically about room setup and if it is what we need for our program.

5. Incorporate student elements.

This is something I would love to do in our main spaces, but unfortunately cannot at this time. Instead I’ve encouraged students to bring in paintings and drawings, poetry, photos, stories they wrote, sculptures, or any other artistic elements to decorate our Leader Hub. Allowing students to contribute not only highlights their gifts and skill sets, it also helps to encourage your leaders as they see their students growing and flourishing.

6. Utilize food and music.

Music and food are two amazing elements we often don’t consider but just have at our gatherings. But why do we use them and how should we use them? Food is a natural barrier breaker. Have you ever noticed how often Jesus had conversations around food? I believe it is because when you share a meal, people’s walls start to come down and it allows us to engage in community. So as you think about designing your space, think about where you’ll be incorporating food and if it is truly helping your group engage in community. If food is at the back of the room and difficult to get to, you aren’t helping your cause. But if it is readily accessible and in a place students see, it will help you succeed in your vision for your program.

Music is hugely important when it comes to designing your space. Have you ever gone to a coffee shop or a supermarket and there’s no music playing? It’s a little creepy right? We begin to wonder why there isn’t music, it feels awkward, and we pull inward. The same is true for student spaces. You could have the most beautiful space but if there’s no excitement and nothing filling the dead air, students will not want to be there. So play music but also think about what kind of music you want, and how it is rounding out the environment you are seeking to create.

How to Create a Place for Leaders

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Years ago I read a post called “Think about the tea drinkers,” which was all about remembering to care for leaders who don’t drink coffee. But the heart of the article was about caring well for your leaders. If I am being honest, this is something that has grown and evolved during my time in ministry. It started with hosting Christmas parties and giving gifts, then incorporating leader bags for trips and retreats, and finally with creating a leader hub for our volunteer team.

Even in saying “leader hub” I know it can sound unattainable for some, but believe me when I tell you that this can and should look different based upon your ministry, your community, and your budget. And that is okay! Simply put, I believe we should have a place, a hub, where our leaders can know that they are loved and cared for while also being equipped. Today, I’d love to share what that looks like and give some helpful tips for how to build this idea out.

Have a designated space.

Typically when we hear “space” we tend to envision a specific room for leaders similar to a lounge. While that may be an option for some churches, for other ministries it isn’t. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a space for leaders. Consider turning your office into a space for leaders by adding coffee and snacks and a place for them to get their needed resources. Our space used to be a filing cabinet drawer with snacks and a coffee area before we opened our leader hub.

If you don’t have an office, think about setting up a table with leader resources and leader-only snacks. You could explain what that is to students to help elevate and recognize your leaders while you set parameters. Your space doesn’t have to be large and over the top, it simply has to be a place that shows your leaders they are loved and cared for. Having a space set up just for leaders helps to value and appreciate them for all they do.

Name the space.

While naming the space may sound like something that doesn’t really matter, I believe it does. It not only validates what you’re doing, it also highlights the importance and necessity of having quality leaders. We chose to call our space the “Leader Hub” because of what it offers. It has a place to pause and rest along with snacks and various refreshments, and we also have resources for our leaders. We want to highlight that our space is more than just a place to relax. It is also a place of equipping and resourcing. Whatever you desire you space to be, name it so that it reflects that to your team.

What should you include?

For our space we include snacks, drinks, resources, programming items, announcements, and anything else our leaders may need. Some snacks that we have are granola and protein bars, microwaveable soups, instant oatmeal, snack packs of pretzels and cookies, pop tarts, and peanut butter crackers. Most of these items or comparable ones you can find at any supermarket including Aldi, where their store brand items are just as good or better than the name-brand items.

Outside of food, we include our small group questions, any announcements for our leaders, and a schedule. We also have a QR Code for our guest students on postcards that they can utilize for their small groups. Their lanyards with name tags are hanging up in the hub for them to grab as they pick up a cup of coffee or a snack. Finally, the hub features first aid items, Bibles and devotional guides for students, and books and resources for our leaders. All of these are items we’ve accumulated over time but have now placed in a centralized area where they are labeled and organized for leaders to easily grab as needed.

How to budget for a leader space.

Some ministries have a budget for things like this while others don’t. I want to speak specifically to the ministry leaders who don’t have a budget for this because it’s often in those moments when you read something like this that you feel you can’t bless your leaders in the ways others do. Let me first say this: don’t think less of yourself or that you aren’t a good leader because of that. The very nature that you’re reading this and trying to think creatively about how to do this validates how great of a leader you are. But the question still remains: how do you budget for this and care well for your leaders?

If you don’t have this built into your budget, or don’t have a budget, consider what you have at your disposal. Can you print out name tags for your leaders and make them stand out in how you theme them? Can you utilize a space where you meet and theme it or decorate for your leaders to help emphasize their value and worth?

Consider asking parents or elders and their families to donate funds or baked goods or a meal for your volunteers. This will help your leaders feel valued and seen by the church as a whole. If you’re able to purchase different items for your leaders, look to extend that budget by shopping at stores like Aldi or Grocery Outlet where your funds go further. Or you could even look to bake treats for them each each as well. Buying off-brands or even purchasing items for simple chocolate chip cookies can be easy on your budget but also show your leaders how much you love them. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box.

At the end of the day it isn’t about how big your budget is or how amazing your space is for leaders. It’s all about caring well for your leaders and showing them that you see their value and worth. Think creatively about what you can offer them and how you can create a space where you love, bless, and equip them.

Theme Night Ideas: Prizes

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Our theme nights often have some type of competition between small groups. That may be entire small groups competing against one another in a scavenger hunt or an “Amazing Race” challenge, or it may be a representative or two competing for their group. Regardless of how we structure it, we frequently offer prizes for the winners.

Here’s the thing: I think for some youth groups offering prizes is normal and a good chunk of their budget can be apportioned to it. But there are other youth groups that the thought of prizes is something they can’t even consider due to constraints or lack of a budget. What I would love to do today is share some prizes we have utilized that I think should be applicable to any youth group regardless of financial standing. This isn’t meant to say one is better than the other, but a way to highlight the intentional and relational approach we can take with giving prizes to our students.

Food.

For some youth groups this may mean treating the winners to Chick-fil-A, for others it may mean giving them an ice cream party or cupcakes, and for others it may mean the prize is something that you or one of your leader makes for the group.

Gift cards.

You may be thinking, “Hold up Nick, you said these are applicable to any youth group.” You’re right, I did. I think when we hear “gift cards” we default to the belief that we have to pay for them. No, I’m not advocating that we steal them. But what I am suggesting is to be creative. Do you have a cafe you sell food from? Create gift cards your students can use there. Connect with local businesses and ask if they’d be willing to donate some gift cards for your event. Local businesses tend to have bigger hearts and want to bring in locals, so an opportunity to bless students is a great way for them to advertise.

Dinner out.

This is similar to the one above. We default to going out to dinner at a restaurant, but that doesn’t have to be the only option. What if you lined up a list of people within the church and their “menus” and let students choose where they want to eat? You could ask staff, elders, or volunteers to donate their time, home, and a meal for the winning team. Dinner out doesn’t need to be a restaurant but instead can be more about a memorable experience students can have with people who care about them.

Start a tradition.

I have seen youth groups do this in different ways. Some utilize a random item students get to sign if they win, which is displayed in the youth area or youth pastor’s office. You could also purchase imitation Emmy awards online that are fairly cheap but are something students can take home and display. How you theme, emphasize, and champion these traditions will help students be excited about them and desire to win them at each event.

Something personal.

This past year I decided to try something different as a prize. I’ll be honest, I lumped this idea in with three other prizes students could choose from and honestly they all chose the one I tried out. It was a huge hit! What was it? I offered to bake whatever they would like (within reason and my skill set) and bring it to their Home Group and spend the evening with them. I couldn’t believe how successful this was. My students loved it and we will continue doing it for prizes this year. I also enjoy making candles as a way of decompressing and we have offered a candle making class for winning groups and that was another successful prize. Creating a prize that is personal and relational is something students will desire because it’s meeting needs and offering them something they are craving: authentic relationships.

Theme Night Ideas: October Celebration

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Notice what we didn’t title this post: Halloween party, harvest festival, fall celebration, costume party, or reformation gathering. I’m going to let that sit for a moment because some of you are laughing, others are cringing, and still others of you may be frustrated.

The reality of the matter is any type of celebration in October can be inflammatory and challenging for youth ministries as we seek to work within the guidelines and parameters of our church while also navigating the cultural tensions that exist among church goers and communities. I mean how many of you have heard something like, “Halloween is the devil’s holiday” or, “Why would you wear costumes? God tells us to come as we are!” Or maybe you have even been told that bats and the like represent hell and we should never have them in the church.

Been there, am I right? Even as I am writing this, different conversations and interactions are coming to mind and I have a flurry of emotions and reactions. There will always be strong reactions to a theme night in October, but if we are looking to utilize theme nights as a means to invite new students and engage with our community, we need to understand that this is an opportune time to do so.

I am not saying we compete with Halloween or different cultural elements because you probably won’t see success in doing so. Instead, I’m suggesting that we find a way to engage our community in fun, relational, and missional ways that reach our students and their peers. But what does that look like? What can we do as we navigate this tricky time of year?

Pick a theme that works for your environment.

It’s easy to look at what others have done and want to create that for our groups, especially when we see what people post on social media. We see what larger churches and programs do and we want to replicate that. But before craving to imitate, let me encourage you to think about your environment and what will work for it.

Think about your people and what they need. Think about your space and what it will allow you to do. Think about your church and its culture and what will be acceptable. Think through what will reach your students and their peers. After you’ve done the ground work of examining what will work, then pick a theme. It could be as simple as calling it a Halloween Party or maybe you could theme it as a Fall Tailgate. Whatever you pick for your theme, make sure that it will be the best for your students and their peers.

Utilize games and activities to embrace the theme.

Whatever theme you choose, make sure to incorporate games and activities that embrace your theme. If you choose a theme but then just utilize your normal games or keep the format and feel of a typical program, the themed event will fall flat. Not only will it make your students feel devalued, it will also make it appear as if you don’t care. If students believe you don’t care about the event that you put together for them, they will believe that you don’t care about them.

You can incorporate different elements from your theme into your activities. If you are simply going for a fall theme think about doing apple bobbing and maybe taking it up a notch by bobbing for various fruits and veggies or even different foods like sandwiches. Choosing a Halloween theme doesn’t mean you need to do a haunted house, but instead you could have activities like pumpkin carving or pumpkin bowling. You could also utilize games with strobe or black lights like 9 Square or dodgeball. But make sure to tell your students if there will be strobes because they can affect people differently. There are also costume competitions to which you can assign different categories of judging. You can also incorporate eating activities like a pumpkin pie eating contest or have a make-your-own-s’more activity with a prize for most creative.

Make sure to utilize different decor.

When it comes to a fall-themed event think about decor like pumpkins, hay bales, apples, and fall leaves. If you want to do a more Halloween-themed event think through what won’t necessarily be inflammatory for your church community. You could use different colored lights, cobwebs, and hanging signs.

But what if you can’t bring in all the things? What if your space and/or budget is limited? Think about getting different colored tablecloths for the food area from a dollar store, get creative with the plates, cups, and napkins and see if you can acquire ones that fit your theme. Think about hanging lights around doorways or the podium you may use. Or consider hosting the event outdoors and asking local farmers to donate straw bales (not hay, I learned that one very quickly living in Iowa) that you can incorporate into your outdoor design.

Don’t be limited by your space but allow your space to generate creativity and utilize it in unique ways. This is also a great opportunity to ask your students and leaders to design it and see what they come up with. If you’re passionate about it and give them responsibility, they will be passionate as well and run with the theme.

Theme your food options.

When you can theme your food for events it just makes the event that much more fun. I’ll be honest, I’m not super creative when it comes to decorating food items for different events. But I can make things that fit the feel of the event. My point is that you don’t have to be able to design popcorn balls that look like spiders, but instead can utilize caramel popcorn for popcorn balls because it is a snack that has the feel of fall.

So for a fall event, consider having snacks and food that fit the theme. Think about pumpkin snacks, popcorn, candy corn, caramel apples, puppy chow, apple cider, hot chocolate, and whatever else feels fall-ish to your group. Or consider asking parents or different groups within the church to prepare and run a fall-themed dinner for your group.

Don’t fudge on your vision and mission.

This is more of a reminder to us as leaders. It is always fun to put on an event our students will love and bring their peers to, but we need to remember that regardless of what we do, our vision and mission should always be a part of and shape our activities. Simply put, we shouldn’t do things just because they are fun or different, they should embody our vision and help to emphasize it.

What’s In Your Back Pocket?

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“Feeling about his pockets, he finds the ring he had found earlier and had forgotten about, and asks out loud to himself, ‘What have I got in my pocket?‘” – The Hobbit

Sorry, I couldn’t help but dig into my nerdy side with this title. This isn’t a post about The Hobbit but instead is about being prepared at any time. Throughout my time in youth ministry it has been impressed upon me the importance of always having a backup plan. Or something in your back pocket. It’s essential to have something ready to go in case of the inevitable shift in plans, weather, attendance, or any of the hundreds of changes that happen during ministry.

This has often happened to me on mission trips. You go to visit a church in the community you’re serving in and they ask you to come and share, and what they really mean is give a sermon. Or you may be asked to go on visitation to a nursing home and they ask you to run the chapel that day. Perhaps you are put on the spot in a tragedy. Or maybe the main youth leader is out sick and running the night falls on you! What do you do? Are you ready to go? Should you just wing it?

I think for many of us, those are somewhat terrifying moments and situations. I can honestly say that I have experienced all of them. And having walked through them I have realized the necessity of being prepared and having messages, games, and questions you can default to. This isn’t to say you should live in fear wondering when you’ll be called on next, but rather to be prepared should you have the opportunity to step up. I want to share with you a few ways you can be prepared and have something your back pocket whenever you need.

Have easy no-prep games ready to go.

We have written on our favorite little- or no-prep games before, and having games that you know how to run that don’t need any supplies is a must. A favorite of mine is pull up which you can find by clicking the link to the earlier post. And manhunt or capture the flag are also super easy because it just involves people, space, and maybe a couple quick objects for a game. If you don’t have the space or the weather outside isn’t cooperating, think about playing spoons or mafia. Anything can be utilized to take the place of spoons, except sharp things, and mafia requires only a deck of cards.

Always have generic small group or discussion questions.

Small group questions are the norm for many programs but they often come from the lead person for that ministry. If you were asked to take over for an evening or an event, do you have small group questions you can utilize? Having generic questions will allow your students or team to engage with the lesson or material and better seek to apply it to their lives. Generic questions typically won’t work every week, but in a pinch these are a great way to ensure conversation in large and small groups.

Here are some general questions that we incorporate each week alongside our specific questions that relate to the lesson:

  • What is one good thing and one difficult thing that happened this week?
  • What stood out to you from the talk?
  • What challenged you from the talk?
  • What were some of the key topics and themes from the message?
  • What was the big idea from tonight’s conversation?
  • What is one part of the message that you want to explore more?
  • What is one thing you can practically apply to your life this week?
  • What prayer requests do you have?

Always have a message or two that you know by heart.

This is something I learned on my very first mission trip as a student. We were told we may need to share a devotion at some point on the trip, but what we didn’t know was that devotion would be shared in front of a church and was actually the Sunday message. I had volunteered to share prior to the trip and was shocked when I found out I’d be in front of the church. I don’t remember what I said but I remember the pastor coming up afterwards and thankfully expounding on it.

I wish I could say that mission trip was the only time that happened but I can’t. I’ve been asked to preach multiple times on mission trips when we enter a church building. I’ve also been asked to share a message of hope to a large group of students and families when I arrived as a grief counselor to an unexpected tragedy involving a student. I wasn’t prepared for that but I knew I needed to be able to offer some sort of comfort and hope to a hurting group of people. I know it’s not always easy to be prepared in the moment. But if you have a hand full of messages for a variety of circumstances memorized and ingrained in your mind and heart, you will find yourself better prepared to tackle those surprise moments.

A few messages I have in my back pocket include a general one on God’s grace and gift of salvation; one on grief, pain, and hope; and two based off of my favorite passages of scripture from Psalm 1 and Ephesians 3. These are all messages that have personal connections to my life and are ones I have worked on for years to make sure they have been honed and internalized. By utilizing personal connections and practicing them, they become ingrained and part of us, which means they are ready to go even when we are surprised to learn we will be teaching.

We want to know: what are some things that you keep in your back pocket?

Theme Night Ideas: Christmas Parties

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“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!” It’s colder out, Starbucks has debuted their holiday drinks, radio stations are blasting their Christmas selections, and your hoodies and gloves are becoming a common clothing staple.

Don’t look outside thinking you’ve slept away the summer, it’s still July. But Christmas is fast approaching, it’s only 147 days away. Some of you may need to catch your breath because it feels like we just saw our seniors graduate and summer is only halfway over. But before we know it, Christmas will be here and we will be trying to formulate a plan for a Christmas party for our students, our leaders, and maybe even one at your home. So why not get a jump start on things and begin preparing now for Christmastime so you are better prepared when it comes along?

Today, I want to share some helpful tips and ideas for hosting a Christmas party either for your students or your leaders. My goal is to help you make it the best it can be and to help take some of the stress of planning everything off your plate. So what are some key elements that we’d encourage you to include?

Games.

Incorporating various games at a Christmas party is a great way in include excitement, fun, and engagement. Depending on your group dynamics your games may look different. With a smaller group you might want to make it more interactive and maybe include “all play” style games. Some games include the plastic wrap ball game, a Christmas themed “Find Me…” game, a Christmas carol rap competition, or a decorating game where students each have to decorate a person in a specific style.

If your group is larger you may need to look for games that are small group-styled PowerPoint games or ones that invite an individual or two up from each group. You can find a bunch of these games at DYM and many other ones you can utilize for any sized group.

Celebration.

Christmas parties should include an element of celebration and feel different from other youth group gatherings. This can be accomplished by having a themed party like ugly Christmas sweaters or dress up as your favorite Christmas movie character. It can be done through a hot chocolate and Christmas cookie bar, or through the decoration of your youth area.

These events should be celebratory and different so your students get excited about coming and want to bring their friends. That is also true for leaders. If you can add some festive elements and share a theme for the party, it turns a simple gathering into a really special day. Consider doing table decorations and centerpieces, having Christmas music, leveling up your food game, and community.

Stories.

For both student and leader Christmas parties, taking time to share stories of what God had done over the last year is a really cool way to celebrate God and to encourage those in your ministry. These stories should and will look different based on which party you’re hosting, but you could ask people to share how they’ve seen God move or to share their favorite memories from this year.

If you want to have things a little more polished and planned out for the student party, consider asking students to record a brief video sharing their stories that you can edit and show at the party. My encouragement for leaders would be to allow them to share live at the party whether in front of the whole group or at their tables.

Team competition.

One of the things I love to do at our student and leader Christmas parties is to have some sort of team or group competition. In years past we’ve done gingerbread house competitions and they have gone over very well. We broke students up by small groups and our leaders we divided by the table they sat at.

Depending on your group, and their propensity to follow or not follow rules, you can adjust the competition and rules accordingly. You could also do a karaoke-style competition or a group-style trivia game. There’s also Christmas Pictionary or charades. These are easy and fun opportunities to help the whole group participate in a game.

Gifts.

We always try to incorporate gifts into any Christmas party we do. We celebrate and bless our leaders by getting Christmas gifts for them as a way of saying thank you. Putting intentional thought and effort into getting a gift that your leaders will not only enjoy but also use is a great way to make Christmas parties special.

When it comes to our student parties, we do a white elephant gift exchange. We ask students to bring a new or gently used wrapped gift that is no more than $10 to utilize in our gift exchange. However, we know that some students may not be able to provide a gift or a friend may come to our party and didn’t realize they needed a gift. So we provide additional gifts for our students so everyone can leave with a gift at the end of the night. Typically we also tell our students that if they receive a gift they didn’t like they can swap out with one of the gifts we purchased which we make sure are things students will enjoy.

Worship.

Incorporating worship into Christmas parties is a great way to keep everyone focused on the true reason you are gathered together. Now before I go any further, I want to emphasize that I don’t simply mean music when I talk about worship. I mean holistic worship. So think about singing and music, reading and teaching the Christmas story or another passage of Scripture, prayer, and different responses. We don’t always sing Christmas carols at our parties but we do carve out time to talk about Jesus and why He is the reason we are gathering.

When it comes to our student parties we try to keep our lesson time to 15 minutes or less for two reasons: we know we have lots of first time guests who haven’t been to a church setting before and we will be giving them ample small group time to dig deeper into the Christmas story. For leaders, we love to read the Christmas story to remind all of us of how great God’s love is for us and then to spend time in prayer together. Sometimes we also sing Christmas carols together even if it’s a capella. Whatever way you choose to incorporate worship, it is an essential part of keeping the focus of Christmas parties on Christ.

Small group time.

Our student ministry is a discipleship-based program which means we allot ample time for our small groups each week (45–60 minutes). When it comes to events and theme nights, we know that these are highly relational and invitational. Because of that we know that extended small group time can feel awkward for our newcomers, which means we include small group time but only for around 30-35 minutes. That way groups can gather to talk through the reason for Christmas, to talk about their plans for the holiday, to do any gift exchanges for their small group, and to pray together.

For leader parties we take time to pray together at our tables during the party and to celebrate what God has done and to pray for any requests that we may have whether personal or focused on our students. This time of prayer and community is typically how we end our parties as it allows for us to engage in interpersonal relationships and be for one another.

What are some must-have elements for your Christmas parties?