4. Youth-Led Challenge
We often give teenagers the “last word” in our teaching time by offering an “open mic” opportunity. We might ask someone to offer their take-away from the teaching, or their own spin on it. It could even be something they’d like to push back on. Or we might simply open the mic to anyone who’d like to respond. After all, we want to invite dialogue, not quash it.
5. Community Time
We maximize and broaden relationships in our small-group ministry by pairing two teenagers together for 15 minutes before we break into groups. During this time they eat, chat, and play an icebreaker or discuss a question we’ve given them.
6. Leader Prayer Time
Every week, our leaders gather 30 minutes before the program kicks off. During that time, we share personal praises and pray for the night. Early on, it was like pulling teeth to get them on board. But now everyone looks forward it.
Community building that ventures outside the expected may not show up in your stats. Yet we know these ideas build trust and openness in the youth group. They also are key methods for how to get closer to God as a teenager.
I’d love to learn from what you’re doing, too! In the comments, offer up your innovations and ideas.