Need Some Ideas Helping Youth Group

Michelle - posted on 11/26/2009

Can you not get a voluntary dance teacher??? once/twice a week for an hour is not much to ask of anyone...
Could you get the church choir to come in and entertain on 1 evening a week? Helping to get the children joined in with the church this way?
Ask your local council if thats what you have for a grant for sports items..you can play things like indoor rounders and dodgeball (we used to love this).
When I was 13 i joined my local church youth centre called Xtreme. I loved socializing and mum new i was safe there. They did:
- indoor games
- had a voluntary live band who spoke the word of God through music which was great cus they also came into school a few times too.
- tuck shop
- chill out area
- board games
- music played (gospel and RnB etc..) all night so it was kinda like a disco too.
- prayer sessions

I loved it but you had to leave when you turned 16 so then I ended up on street side with my school friends...luckily I praise God for his intervention in my life as I was never led towards tempatation unlike my friends who smoke, drank did drugs...and now...at 21 Im still Praising God for that intervention in my life. My family arent Christian (my partner side is though) . It was really hard to express my love for God with my mum and dad and others, so my youth club was a way in which I could connect with people who believed too.

Get some flyers printed and send them into schools...youll catch all the children that need God in thier lives and give them somewhere to praise him. If it wasnt for my church youthclub I dont know where Id be today.

Linda - posted on 11/24/2009

Rebekah, you said what I was going to say. Having them reach out to the community is a great idea. There are also "free" concerts, events, etc. Find out when larger churches are doing things and invite friends and neighborhood kids. Go where the kids hang out, around here it's the town "lot" and get to know them. Be around when there are things going on at school and introduce yourself. Have a "coffee house" type of night....get together and play board games, have hot chocolate and play music. Find local christian bands that are just getting started that might want to come to your church and invite all the kids you can....hope that helps!

Jenifer - posted on 11/22/2009

Thank You!!! If there is anymore ideas please let me know. It is a little harder then I thought.

Rebekah - posted on 11/22/2009

With youth the easiest way to reach them is by being REAL with them. Don't sugar coat, tell them how it is, be real. They are searching for how to fit in in this BIG world of ours and how they can be an impact. Show them ways they can impact - even in the smallest of ways.



My church is small and in low-income area as well. The way we grew our youth group was by serving the community. We started out with only 10 teenagers and we would meet once a month for a time of prayer, music and reading in God's word. Then once a month on a Saturday, the teens committed to going out in the community and serving people with needs in our area. We went one block at a time through neighborhoods and asked people if they needed help with lawn care, snow removal, raking leaves, trimming bushes, etc. We would pick up trash in the streets. We'd help plant flowers or bushes for people. We'd help wash their cars. Families saw this and saw the impact we were making in just a small way, it made other families want to come to our church and even teens so they could help out too!



Teens want to be a PART of something and they want to know HOW they can make a difference! Give them that opportunity. Christianity is about LOVE - give them ways they can portray LOVE! :)

Teresa - posted on 11/22/2009

Games and music! :) Are you talking about activities or fundraisers or...hmmm...? Let me know! I think it would be a ton of fun helping you come up with ideas!