How This Worked for Us
I saw a few things happening.
1. Moments didn’t have time to breathe. When kids felt God’s Spirit or needed more time to respond, it was already time to leave. Some kids wanted more time to pray.
2. We dipped into everything for a few minutes but didn’t dig into anything for longer, more-impactful amounts of time.
3. Three minutes of fun isn’t enough.
4. Three minutes of prayer isn’t enough.
5. Modeling teaching and singing as the only ways to practice spirituality isn’t enough. Kids need more. They’re wired to feel, experience and express. I wasn’t seeing enough spaces to do that.
So I applied the rule of worship to our youth ministry. (Thank you, Chris Tomlin!)
We asked: How do we give significant moments a chance to breathe when they need to breathe? How do I customize our youth ministry in a way that makes it malleable for us as leaders? When we see that something is needed more, how do we change the pattern?
I tried a rotation approach that gave us a better feel for youth ministry. Celebration, compassion, and community work together and are emphasized in greater, more-impactful moments.
Here’s a sample of what our team implemented:
Wednesday nights still have a program, adjusted to make more time at the back end, with a rotating emphasis each week. We still do the program but might shrink the game to 1 or 2 minutes if we’re planning on playing games afterward. We might add songs and cut the talk time.
If small groups need extra time, we might make the message longer or shorter. I cut my talk down to 10-15 minutes and began relying on small-group leaders to cultivate community. They also have become spiritual guides and “fun captains” for the kids in their circle.
Shortened Youth Ministry Program (45-60 minutes)
Rotation Program (30-45 minutes) by Week:
- Small Groups
- Games (30 minutes of insanity)
- Small Groups
- Spiritual Formation or Prayer Spaces
- Small Groups
We physically transition to another room or space. But if you have just one room, it still can work with some help and creativity from leaders.
Our small-group leaders organized and fueled everything we did. This is how we let things breathe. Sometimes we changed it up and did another week of small groups. Some months we established two fun nights instead of just one. We’d circle up as leaders and pray. We’d ask, what makes sense? When was the last time teens really connected with God in silence or in creativity?
The Importance of Flexibility
The school year is unpredictable. Life is unpredictable. Think about when a teenager dies and your entire group is mourning. Staying flexible gives us an ability to respond and adjust in the moment. It means actively listening and not being afraid to try something new.
How are things working for your youth ministry? Is there space for things to breathe? Are you having fun? Are you growing deep? All of it is possible.
This article about fun and youth group originally appeared here.
