Help me with the kids from church?

Question

Every so often, members of the youth ministry host a gathering for the youth at their home. I attend a baptist church, and it's now my turn to host the youth. Im trying to figure out some activities to do with them. I dont want to make it all fun and games. I also dont want to force GOD on them. I just want them to leave feeling like they learned something useful, and they also had fun. The kids are high school and middle school students

Answer 1

Have a scavenger hunt....

We did that with our youth group once....really fun.

If you need details of how it can work....e-mail me.

Answer 2

Hi,Sweety, Maybe ask people to dress up as their favorite Bible Character and make a little speech about what the character would say to the people at the party. It might be a tad more difficult for the girls because there are not that many women in the bible.

You can base it on the customs during the time of Jesus and hold a foot washing - That is what they did.

If you can get some palm fronds or leaves you can decorate with that. You can bob for apples like Eve. Have a strong person contest like Sampson and think of some other activities.

You can help you Mom or Grandma make Scripture cake:

http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/christian/scripturecake.html

Serve White Grape Juice Punch (like wine but doesn't stain)
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,163,145170-240197,00.html

Make something with Carob (St. John's Bread) as most scholars believe it might have been the actual Manna the Israelites ate when they wondered in the desert.
http://www.infowest.com/business/g/gentle/carob.html



Play pin the Cross on the Roman.

Answer 3

Give them a cause.....Youth ministries are hard and the push to be in the mainstream of things complicates things as well.
Too many times we think we have to have a program or to keep them entertained...
I don't simply mean by cause as in having a car wash for camp or running a food drive...I mean ask them what they hope to leave behind for the next group of young people what will they leave as a legacy....They chose to leave a living legacy and took an active part in their community..One of the most fulfilling times in my life was when the kids at my daughters high school started there own youth ministry in school.Without the bonds of denomination or race..They became a driving force in their school and 12 years later their little group is still making a difference and has grown stronger than I ever imagined.Today not one of these kids has been left behind and many went on to be a very vital part of their churches and ministry.They changed their world.

Answer 4

First, you would not be forcing GOD on them. They are members of a youth ministry. They are going in with the expectation that God will be a subject taught...if not wholly, at least on the periphery.

As for ideas, one I find meaningful is to have a few classic "ice-breakers" followed by a showing of The Matrix.

Ice breakers:
Pretzel arms - everyone stands in a circle (no more than 10 people, else form more than one circle) and grabs hands with others across from them (each hand to a different person). Then, without breaking any grip, untangle.

Wrap - everyone stands shoulder to shoulder, facing the same way, and holds hands. The person on one end turns in a circle towards the line, and all follow, forming a giant "cinnamon roll" of people. Then, without breaking any grip, and without unwrapping the same way they began, untangle.

Truth Trade - everyone sits in a circle of defined seats, with one person standing in the middle. That person says something true about themselves, in the form of an "IF" statement (such as, "If you wear glasses," or "If you have ever walked into a room, and forgotten why you were there."). If those sitting find it is true about themselves, they must find a new seat. Some "IF's" will get only a couple, but others will get everyone.

And the Matrix:
Most of the kids will have already seen the movie, but after your event they will know it as something completely different. Tell them to look for religious messages, thoughts, and ideas in the movie. After it is over, ask the following, and try to encourage these responses:

Who is Neo?
- The One, the Christ-figure.

What events in Neo's life are similar to Christ's?
- He is born of the world that he is chosen to protect
- He must die before he can fully save his world
- He is baptised (flushed, really) before his mission can begin (look for Neo in the cross-form as he is taken up from the water)
- After baptism, Neo must fast (surgery, recuperation, and learning) for 40 days (a long time).
- His faith is his true power ("He is beginning to believe").
- He is called the savior (early on, when the guy buys a program from him).

Who is Morpheus?
- John the Baptist, the one who calls out in the wilderness that the One is coming who is greater than all.

What is Zion?
- analagous for Heaven. Last refuge of humans.

Who is Smith?
- agent of the system. The opposer. The anti-christ. Hates the world and all humans.


After that, let the kids make the rest up from what they saw and know. You will be surprised at what they can gleen from this movie. After, they will never be able to watch it without remembering these Christian themes.

Encourage them to watch every movie as such, looking for the themes that echo the Bible.

Answer 5

thats a very hard age to try to keep kids interested in God and church, when the world is making things so much more exciting with sex, and alcohol, and drugs, but in the end its a disaster.
Maybe try the new age gospel music have it loud and lit up like a new years eve party have non-alcohol drinks. Make them feel that they are not freaks and they can enjoy music dancing and fun and still be in Gods will.
I think that you could even find a good clean romantic love story that is religious based and cut the lights back and pop popcorn and have a movie all kids like theater

Answer 6

Oh, I used to love those types of gatherings.
First make sure there is lots of food and good christian music for them.
Buy some prizes for game winners and wrap them up (also buy gifts for all losers).
Young people have lots of energy, so start with fun games, that break the ice and help them make friends. The games don't have to be bible games, trivial pursuits and other games are fun and the kids can play in teams together (in case you have some kids that are sharper then others). I always talk to one of the well liked kids first, to find out what is popular, so I don't blow it with a dumb game nobody wants to play.
After that you can serve food, and let the group settle down.
While they are eating, is a good time to tell a bible story that is relevant to them and what they are facing at their age.
After let them talk and enjoy each other.
Offer group prayer, and individual prayer for anyone who would like to stay later.
Bless you for giving your time.

Answer 7

Have you ever taught about the Tower of Babel, Nimrod, Semiramus and Tammuz where all the evil began after Noah's flood. Nimrod is Noah's grandson.

Also Galatians 5:19-21 lists the works of the flesh.

Jeremiah has the old queen of heaven that Israel baked star cakes for and fell into idolatry. The old queen of heaven is another branch of Semiramus and Venus, goddess of love all fall under Nimrod's wife Semiramus and her many gods and goddesses. Nimrod's name means "Let Us Revolt."

The Book of Revelation - they get a blessing just for reading it.

The Word of God is very interesting. To save a soul I would cram the Bible page by page down an unbeliever's throat if I thought I could save that person from eternal hell. Don't worry about forcing God on anyone. Speak the truth, God's Word, and let God handle the person.

Answer 8

Scavenger hunts always go over well.

If you want more of a discussion try going over a bible story with some questions.

Teenagers tend to like debates, but do worry about saying the wrong thing, thus the discussion topic should be carefully prepared.

For example, the story of the Samaritan woman with six husbands in John 4.
Some example questions are:
Describe her physical appearance? (She had six husbands, chances are she was quite attractive, or quite worn out)
Describe the emotional condition of this woman
What did Jesus offer as a solution to her problem
Is His solution relevant to the needy people today?

It is important to encourage discussion by complimenting people for their insights and trying to draw out the quieter members.

Answer 9

Dear Baptist,

You can help by get the beam out of your eye first.
For it's preposterous order to teach first, learn after.
http://www.godshew.org/BiblicalDots.htm

You don't have to 'force' a God of all comfort on any.
Pst - "the God of all comfort" is no dis-comfort at all.
http://www.godshew.org/GodShew2.htm#Allness

Speaking of "force", check out "force" Hebrews 9:
for grace to be of force, make law a dead testator.
http://www.godshew.org/RevelatorySermons1.htm

Other wise your gatherings won't be fun & games;
Rather they'll be OUCH from "Law worketh Wrath".
http://www.godshew.org/lawphoto.htm

BTW, God doesn't have 'kids' = baby 'goats'.
Higher God doesn't even have any "children".
Exhortation unto adults: "be no more children".
http://www.godshew.org/GodShew.htm#nomorechildren

Fore-Warning to all Adults: "forbid(law) them not".
Why not? Yer end will be worse than a mafia drowing.
The mention of "millstone" should ring a bell for you all.

The GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ with you all. Amen.

Answer 10

skits and other act-out type informal drama is fun for kids that age. Requires some planning in advance, but it's worth it. Good question, you're a good person for thinking about this and doing this planning.

Answer 11

Here is a really neat game with a spiritual application…

Host a “Bigger and Better Contest.” Each student gets a penny and goes out into the neighborhood and/or surrounding neighborhoods and goes door-to-door with the penny. Here’s what they do: they go to the door, and tell the people: "I am in a 'Bigger and Better Contest' and I have this penny; I am supposed to trade this in for something bigger and better."
So, at one house, they may trade the penny for an unmatched sock. At the next house, they may trade the sock for a shoe. Then at the next house, they might trade the shoe for an old telephone, etc. etc. This is very interesting and fun. When we played it at my church, one kid came back with an old junker of a car in tow (the kid had traded an old washing machine in for the car, and the man offered to tow it to the church). Obviously, they will need a cart or even a truck or something to get around in, but its usually manageable.

The spiritual application: When we come to God, we are worthless. But, when we get saved, God takes us as His own and cares for us. He asks us to give up our sins (the penny). But, we enjoy our sins, and don’t want to give them up. But, any time we give them up, God always gives us something Bigger and Better. And the more we give to God, the more He gives back to us. It’s like this: we shovel our money, our belongings, and our lives to God, and He shovels back to us, only His shovel is a lot bigger than ours. And the more we grow in God, the closer we are to Him.