How To Have An Exciting Youth Group

How To Have An Exciting Youth Group

This article is written for Teens...
who want to have fun and enjoy the Youth Group in their church more.

This article is written for Youth Pastors / Workers...
who want teenagers to love and enjoy the Youth Group more.

This article is written for Parents...
who want their teens to be more involved in church, but don't know how.

How can I make my Youth Group more exciting?

1.   Participate

When there is a Youth Activity scheduled, BE THERE. The only way you can enjoy the Youth Department is to attend the Youth Department. If you go to the activity, participate!
The surest way to be bored at a Youth Activity is to not participate. Whether the activity is something you really enjoy or something for which you don't care; just being a part of the activity will help you and all of your friends to have fun!!!

2.  Sing

If attending a Youth Rally, Conference or Church service where there is a song service-  SING!
Sure, maybe you are not the greatest singer in the world, but this is not a solo; this is a group. It is a proven fact that happy people sing and singing makes people happy, not to mention our God deserves all of the praise and glory we can give Him. If you are not attending service, but are taking a trip to the zoo, ski lodge or baseball game, SING in the van or bus. Get happy before you even get to the activity.

One of my favorite times with the teens of CMRBC is on the bus or van coming back from a trip. They will sing and sing and sing. I love hearing them and watching them enjoy singing.

3. Listen

I encourage every Youth Pastor / Worker to have some sort of a spiritual truth to share at every activity. Rallies and conferences are easy, but even a trip to the zoo can contain a time for spiritual growth. I once preached about "Falling" coming back from a ski trip, and about "Guardrails" on the way home from the zoo. As leaders, let's use every chance we have to make a positive spiritual impression.

As teenagers, you should listen to the teaching / preaching of the Word of God more intensely than you play any game or contest. Your Youth Pastor or workers are not just there to entertain you. We have something we want to share with you spiritually as well. Please don't miss the main reason God has put your Youth Pastor in your life- to lead, teach, guide and direct you spiritually.

4.  Bring FUN and Friends with You

When I was a teenager, at camp or conferences my youth group always kept to themselves, were reserved and quiet. NOT ME! I decided I was bringing the FUN with me. Whether the cool guy and cute girl in our youth group were interested or not, I was going to have fun. Whether the games were cool and exciting or lame and boring, whether the preaching was short or long, whether the church was big or small... I had already decided I was going to have FUN. Why? How? Because I brought the FUN with me!!! Also, if you have friends that are not currently involved in the Youth Group, bring them along. Be an encourager and supporter of the Youth Activities. Get involved, laugh, sing, play and have a blast as a teenager.

5. Make Decisions

This goes back to the point on listening. Often times at Youth Rallies and Youth Conferences, we get so caught up in games, contests and giveaways that we miss the most important part of the conference-  the altar call. All of the games, decorations, prizes and fun were done to bring us to the preaching and the altar call. At every altar call we should ask ourselves, what was preached from God's Word that I need to work on in my life?  What can I do better? What can I stop doing? An exciting youth group is one that is growing spiritually.

On those bus rides I mentioned, I love sharing testimony of how the Lord spoke to our hearts. I will share first how God spoke to me (BTW- if Youth Leaders wont share how God spoke to them, don't expect the teenagers to share) then the teenagers will one by one talk about how God pointed out something in their life. This is by far my favorite time of every youth activity.



I don't know when your next Youth Activity is... but the next time you and your Youth Group get together...

Participate
Sing
Listen
Bring Fun and Friends with You
Make Decisions

Watch and see if you wont create a more exciting Youth Group for your Church.

#fuel