5 Ways to Re-energize Your Youth, by Bonn Garrett, Music, Tent Revival, Memorial Garden

5 Ways to Re-energize Your Youth Ministry

Is a bored, dulled-to-death middle or high schooler sitting in the pew twiddling his or her thumbs an omen to a slow death in the life of a worship center? Probably not, but if you can think of 50 ways to use a church bulletin by simply observing, then it might serve as a sign that your worship services re-learn how to engage an ever-changing youthful landscape.

The following ideas aren’t the total revolution, as some of the best ways to take our young teens back are simple get-back-to-basics. But as any youth ministry deals with its own nuances, the following offer some alternative activities that are both new and old school.

Keep it simple and be sure to always ask your group for suggestions and ideas. But overall, instill courage, invite risk-taking, and accept failure, and both the teen, parent, instructor can reignite the desire to achieve.

Beyond Bowling

Think outside the box when it comes to planning teen activities. Of course, you will have to consider the development level of the group you are supervising, but you don’t have to go bowling every Friday night. Mix it up. What about a concert, college football game, or even a local form of entertainment that supports a mom and pop business and thus enhances the local economy. And large cities have contemporary visual art museums. But be sure to make connections. Tour the facility and relate the art or style of art to a favorite CD cover or book cover design. Pop art. Andy Warhol. Romanticism. Van Gogh. Fashion. Mossimo. All of these are represented in some form in a city or university visual arts museum. Again, making connections to everything you do is always a best practice.

Curb Appealing

Involve your youth in everyday functions of the church. While it’s nice to have free labor to mow the lawn every week, make the event something extra. While a pizza party is the going rate, why not take it a step further and allow the team to incorporate a memorial garden or transform any outdoor nook and cranny that invites peace, prayer and meditation. Have them create unique plaques with names of late church honorees, passed loved ones or spiritual quotes and verses to adorn the garden or space. And if you’re feeling really creative, have them develop some unique form of yard art from pieces that are contemporary and clean to those that have a more folksy curb appeal. Of course, they may want to match the church’s architectural style to blend in more appropriately.

Create and Craft

Design savvy and creative appeals don’t have to be at odds with a congregation of an older generation. At my Methodist church in Virginia Beach, Va., we are often blessed with some creative slide shows and presentations from our youth groups. Organize a youth media team and allow them to create the service’s media pieces from designing and writing the basic Sunday bulletin to creating audio and visual appeal during the main worship service. Have the team design an up-to-date looking bulletin that incorporates new layout ideas that puts some spunk into the hands as they walk through the sanctuary doors. Of course, teaching a design 101 course to your teens isn’t a bad idea, either. First lesson: never use more than two, three at tops, fonts on a single page or in an entire bulletin. Have them bring in copies of Web pages or magazines and discuss why they like what they like. Again, make connections. Many churches use a visual appeal with slide shows behind the pulpit that correspond with the Sunday morning message. Why not have the media teams create them? With a little guidance, the youth media team could create some visual appeal that parallels the tone, style, and mood of the message.

Engage Them: They Will Come

Have your own tent revival. Have the church support a rental or purchase of a large outdoor tent to keep up for summer and fall festivals. If you have an auditorium, are you booking bands that espouse your faith? Churches across the nation are a beacon for new and established rock and folk acts. And many, including the Methodist’s church’s Upward League, offers spectacular team play at all age levels and they are open to anyone, not just church members, of the community. Guest speakers can be a lively addition to any event. But this isn’t grade school, and there’s no need to invite Mr. Narcotics officer out to the fray to explain the dangers of drug use. Invite a local musician (a young guitar player seems to always work well) to not just play some original music and explain the craft of songwriting, but also offer advice to those yearning to become teen idols. What about asking a professional skater in town to come and peak? A tennis shoe collector or graphic design artist? An award-winning journalist or editor? The possibilities are endless as long as you are willing to dream them up, are open to suggestions, and ask for ideas.

Share with your older groups that, as their high school years approach and end and they begin set their sights on a career or college life, they must always remember that both college and job market recruiters are looking especially for those who have leadership experience. And volunteer and leadership functions experienced in a youth worship function are a great way to enhance any young person’s new start into the world of adulthood. And they look really good on resumes.