Adults

Group, Sep/Oct 2003 by Aten, Jamie, Johnson, Tricia, Kilgore, Nathan, Roes, Courtney, Stephen, Tom

unusual suspects ADULTS

Empty nesters and senior adults in your church community may not be interested in a long-term commitment to youth ministry, but many would make ideal short-term youth group "missionaries."

Seek out temporary leaders with areas of expertise. For example, worship leaders, artists, counselors, or spiritual directors. Look for mentors who can share their experiences about developing a relationship with Jesus and becoming a person who's respected by others.

Be sure to have your long-term leaders engaged in working with the "missionaries." Students will love having their leaders learning alongside them, and the short-term leaders will appreciate having leaders present who support them and already know the teenagers.

PARENTS

communication circles

Because the composition of a youth group usually changes from year to year, it can be a challenge to build a sense of community between parents and adult leaders. Here's a discussion-starter exercise that can begin to create connections.

Have parents and adult leaders form groups of three to five, depending on the overall number of those attending. Begin by identifying one volunteer in each group to go first in the exercise. Next, explain that as you go through a list of fill-in-the-blank statements, you'll respond first and then each group's members will respond within their circle. Have each person take 30 seconds or so to complete the statements.

You can touch on as many topics as you like or target one specific topic. It's helpful to start by sharing surface-level stories and then gradually move into more personal areas. Some possible statements include. . .

* In my free time I enjoy. . .

* The favorite place I've visited is. . .

* Something that's old and valuable to me is. . .

* The first memory I can recall is. . .

* What I hope to accomplish as a parent/adult leader is. . .

PARENTS

parenting toolbox

Do the parents of the teenagers in your youth group perceive you as a partner? If you'd like a creative way to show that you want to work together as a team, bring along a toolbox and use it as an introduction for your next parent meeting.

Begin by saying that every parent has many useful tools for raising teenagers-then illustrate your point by holding up various tools and connecting each one to a parenting resource.

For example, pick up a hammer and remind parents that the Bible is a powerful tool that instructs parents on how to raise children. A screwdriver can represent resources such as books, tapes, and conferences about parenting. Hold up a pair of pliers and make the connection to teenagers' schools, which offer not only education but also opportunities for involvement in sports and extracurricular activities. Then hold up a wrench and speak to parents about your desire to be a useful tool in helping them to teach and disciple their teenagers.

Conclude by making the point that sometimes we mistakenly rely on one tool to do all the work or grab for the handiest tool, even though it might not be the right one for the job. For example, we might depend on sports and school to do the major work of developing our young people. But if we want to get the job done right, we've got to take full advantage of all the tools that God has given us.

FAMILIES

family 14-er

As you begin planning for the year ahead, consider designating a two-week period as The Family 14, a time when your youth ministry highlights activities that get families eating, working, playing, and praying together.

Plan special outings such as family trips to a recreation center, amusement park, or sports events. Bring in family-oriented speakers or entertainers, have a family picnic or dinner, and hold a family game night. Sponsor a local mission project for families to work on. Bring families together for a special worship service.

have I told you lately? ADULT LEADERS

Teenagers often have a hard time saying thank you because they don't know how. Help them express gratitude to your adult leaders, who may sometimes feel they're doing a thankless job.

At least once a year, have an unannounced Leader Appreciation Night. For each youth leader, place a poster on the wall of your meeting room and attach a marker on a string. As students come in, tell them that they're free to write a note or message to the leaders on their respective posters. Encourage the adult leaders to add their notes to other leaders' posters, too.

If the size of your group permits, have each leader take a turn in a specially designated chair. While each leader is in the "hot seat," anyone can speak up and say something positive about that person. It might be a story about something fun that the leader did or about a way that the leader has shown care for someone.

At the end of the night, the teenagers walk away in high spirits because they were able to express themselves, and the leaders walk away realizing that the little things they do with the teenagers really do matter.

Contributors: Jamie Aten, Tricia Johnson, Nathan Kilgore, Courtney Roes, and Tom Stephen