Ask & receive

How do I involve families in youth ministry? I just planned a retreat for parents and teens, and no one signed up! The kids didn't want to go with their parents, and the parents let the kids decide for the family.

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YOUR RESPONSES

Perhaps a retreat was too threatening for parents and for youth. Start smaller, asking parents to provide transportation, refreshments, or equipment for activities. We have a parents' night before each large outing to share information about the upcoming event We then invite parents to stay and share in a discussion or activity.

Larry Leland

Manchester, Pennsylvania

A great way to involve families in youth ministry is through the use of lead teams. This gets parents and teens working together to plan events. This way parents are involved in the nuts and bolts of youth ministry. Teens get to experience what it takes to do youth ministry and get to work with adults on a more adult basis.

Josh White

Bartlesville, Oklahoma

We bus in over 75 percent of our kidstheir parents don't attend church. Probably the most successful thing we've done is to have a picnic and softball day where parents play against kids. It takes some time to get the parents interested in coming to church, but having nonthreatening activities like these seems to be the most successful way of getting parents to get involved.

Vondel Stevens

Canyon, Texas

A way we involve families in our youth ministry is to have a blessing service. The idea is to have parents come and pray Prayers of Blessing for their teenagers. In the middle of a lot of negative things in this world, parents telling their kids "I love you, care about you, and pray that God's best be yours" is a powerful statement to teens. Our service included candlelight and soft music, and it was powerful! It truly impacted the lives of our youth group.

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WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

I'm really battling this one with my group right now: How do you get rid of cliques in your youth group?

Kevin Earnst

Woodhaven, Michigan

THEIR OWN BACK YARD

For the sixth summer in a row, the youth group at First United Methodist Church in Muskogee, Oklahoma, created their own Backyard Bible School for neighborhood children. About 35 teenagers pulled off the whole event with the help of only their youth director and two sponsors.

Youth group members publicized the Bible school by knocking on doors and handing out fliers and candy. They invited children to a twonight, fun celebration on the church lawn. The program included crafts, songs, Bible skits, and refreshments-all in a very safe and visible environment

Youth director Sandi Rosson says she's proud of her kids. "We want our church to be a warm and inviting place for all people to know they're loved, and Backyard Bible School sent that message loud and clear."

ENDS OF THE EARTH

This summer teenagers from the Acts 1 youth group at Kalewali Chapel in Kihei, Hawaii, will travel to Eastern Europe for the seventh consecutive year. What started out as a 10-day missions trip in 1992 has expanded over the years to a three-month outreach funded by the proceeds of yearround garage sales and swap meets.

Traveling by van and staying in youth hostels or with host families, the teenagers will follow an itinerary that takes them through Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, and Romania.

They make both scheduled and impromptu stops along the way to present musical outreach skits and Camp Aloha, a vacation Bible school.

WE GOTTA HAVE YOUR STORY?

We want to know what phenomenal things your young people are doing. And if we use your story, we'll give you a free Group resource. Sned you reports to "Good News," GROUP Magazine, P.O. Box 481, Loveland, CO 80539-0481.