When it comes to religious youth group activities, the internet contains many ideas and activities to keep youth engaged and inspired. But what makes a great youth ministry at a spiritual center or house of worship like yours?
A youth ministry is more than just fun activities, ice breakers, and team-building games. Instead, a great youth ministry also needs a designated place to meet, organization, general safety rules, a partnership with the center of worship, patience, and creativity. Most importantly, religious youth groups need to empower the youth to step into their given gifts and be strong in their faith.
A Place to Meet
Organizing religious youth group activities is difficult without a common place to meet. Usually, the house of worship will designate a room, wing, or floor for youth activities.
A great way to get the youth group involved in the youth center’s design is to find old furniture at thrift shops, in storage at your facility, or even on the side of the road and host a youth group activity to rehab the furniture. Giving your teens a say in designing a place to meet empowers and encourages them to participate in your group. Having a comfortable place to meet with couches, comfy chairs, or even bean-bag chairs is one of a great youth program’s qualities.
Religious Youth Group Activities Organization
Another quality of a great youth group is a well-organized program. Teens are going through a unique phase in life. A lot of changes happen to them during this period. A stable and well-organized plan for religious youth group activities gives them a reprieve from an ever-changing world.
Try to imagine what type of youth group you want to have. Will it be a drop-in place to get kids off the street and give them a safe place to be themselves? Or perhaps your youth group will be more structured with routine activities in large groups for an allotted amount of time. Either way, a well-organized youth program is one factor that takes a mediocre group and makes it one where kids want to participate.
General Safety Rules
This quality may go without saying, but a great youth group also needs some safety rules. Religious youth group activities can sometimes require participants to play physical games, so there must be some general guidelines to keep a safe environment. You should always get parental permission before engaging in religious youth group activities. Participants also need to follow the rules, like obeying instructions, no fighting, cursing, or bullying, treating property and others with respect, and no yelling.
Other rules you may want to consider making are ones around the dress code, cell phone usage, and a disciplinary chart for those who break the rules. General safety rules provide a haven from the world for the youth at your center and make a great youth program.
Partner with House of Worship
The fourth quality of a great youth group is one that partners with the house of worship. Having young adult volunteers to help organize religious youth group activities, either in small groups or large groups, will help your teens feel more comfortable since they are closer in age.
A well-partnered youth group can connect with congregation members who may require assistance. Perhaps they need a roof fixed, a ramp built to go into their home, groceries delivered, or just some general company. Your youth ministry could provide a service project for these members to help them.
You may also need to partner with the house of worship for budgetary reasons. A strong partnership between the religious youth group and the parent place of worship makes a great youth ministry.
Practice Patience
Running a youth ministry isn‘t for the faint of heart. It can be mentally and physically taxing on the youth group leader. However, you can‘t let that part of a youth ministry cause you to lose patience with the teens seeking comfort, wisdom, an escape from the world, and fun from your group. Keep in mind the challenges these teens face daily. Having a strong faith, instilled by the youth group and its leaders, will keep these teens ready to face the world.
You can lead by example and pray for patience for you and your teens. Remember to mentor your youth group members and step away when needed. A patient youth group leader is one of the qualities that make religious youth group activities great.
Creative Religious Youth Group Activities
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of ideas on the internet for religious youth group activities. From ice breakers to team building for large and small groups, there are many ideas to be borrowed from other religious youth group activities.
Some ideas to get creative with your youth group include highlighting Christian musicians, sports stars, and movie stars. Teens also really love music, so don‘t forget to incorporate some Christian music into your program as a form of prayer and worship.
Other ideas to make a youth group great are to plan retreats for the youth, transform familiar religious stories into modern lessons, attend sporting or concert events as a group, host a paint night, and more.
Don’t be afraid to get creative and incorporate your faith into the activities. For a list of unique ideas, check out this post from WeHaveKids.com! Keeping the teens engaged and providing fun, creative youth group activities will help make your youth ministry great.
Empower Your Youth
The final attribute of a fantastic youth group—and perhaps the most important one—is to empower your youth.
The most critical job of a youth center is to minister to the teen. In a world that tells teens that they are never enough, your youth group needs to be the place where they feel whole, secure, and most importantly, empowered. Many religions believe that God gifts each person with individual talents. Allow your youth to explore those talents in your youth group. Encourage, minister, mentor, and remind the teen of their worth.
One way to empower your youth is to form a leadership team with some of the older teens. Give this leadership team a say in the religious youth group activities, including everything from organizing the activities, getting proper permissions, setting and sticking to an activity budget, and mentoring the younger members. Prepare today‘s youth for the world of tomorrow by instilling strong religious beliefs and empowering them to use their God-given gifts. This attribute is one of the best ways to ensure a great youth ministry.
Call New Holland Church Furniture Today
As you work to make your youth program a great one, don’t forget about the services offered by New Holland Church Furniture that can assist you in rejuvenating your worship space . Contact New Holland Church Furniture today to learn more about the types of seating available for your house of worship. We specialize in church and synagogue furniture and provide design assistance, creative reuse of your current furniture, and installation.
Call us today to see how we can help you elevate your house of worship to enhance its beauty and provide a safe environment for all to worship.
When it comes to making a great youth ministry, having a safe place to meet with an organized program that partners with the house of worship is essential. Don’t forget to practice patience and get creative with the youth group activities. You’ll empower your teens to take their faith to the next level.
