help please with a youth group

September 18, 2005

I am working with our high school youth group and planning a fall retreat for them.

Does anyone have any good ideas for a retreat? We are going for a weekend (friday evening until Sunday afternoon).

I want the group to grow closer as a whole but also grow much closer in their personal relationship with Christ.

There will be no more than 20 teens and it is a weekend retreat.

Any ideas and topics for discussions would be greatly appreciated (activities, lessons, programs, etc...).

I am working from scratch! No schedule as of yet or anything!

Our church is small and has no money to bring in guest speakers.

Thanks so much!!

September 18, 2005

where are you from? which high school?

apothanein kerdos · September 18, 2005

Go boating. Have fun on the lake tubing and/or jet skiing.

Not very "spiritual", I know, but it is a form of relaxation by enjoying God's creation.

Then in the evening, split the guys and girls and instead of doing the typical praise and worship followed by a message, have them talk about their struggles, frustrations, and anger towards anything, including God. Let them vent it out and say what they struggle with. Let the adults and youth be open and honest before God and admit they are a mess. Work from that.

Also, if you don't have any members with a boat or if it's just too cold to be on the water (just remembered it gets colder in the winter earlier in some parts of the US)...play war games outside. Seperate them each into groups of 10, have them invite their friends to come do it. Just seperate whoever comes into two armies, give one team blue flags and the other team red flags to put on their body (it could be towles that have been dyed those colors) and then give them a team flag that they can hide anywyere within a set perimeter. Imagine capture the flag, only if your individual flag is pulled you have to be a POW for 15 minutes.

If it's a retreat, if the purpose is to rest and restore, then create activities that do that.

nebula · September 18, 2005

SJ has some good ideas.

Activities for teens are important. If you want the group to grow closer, you need acitvities that "encourage" them to do so.

If you can find a place with a Confidence course, that always helps. One bonding experience my youth group had was when one night we broke out into a water battle (it just so happened enough people brought water guns). Are there any youths regarded as "leaders" you can ask for ideas from - sometimes the youth can come up with their own bonding experience ideas.

Letting the kids talk about their struggles and stuff is a good idea, too.

Maybe before the retreat, have the kids slip a note into a box with some struggle they are facing they want addressed. This will give you and the other leaders to prepare specific answers in advance.

Blessings!

irishcowboy · September 19, 2005

YouthMinistry.com <info@youthministry.com>

ChildrensMinistry.com <info@childrensministry.com>

these two places have email news letters and have ideas for different things.

mike

DaBronx · September 20, 2005

Camping is always fun...You can schedule games and hiking for during the day and bonding at night by a campfire making s'mores...and if it rains, get a Bible trivia game where you can play in teams inside... "Bible Outburst" is LOTS of fun!

Leonard · September 20, 2005

We would have an all night prayer meeting for the youth group some Saturdays....not a bunch of snacks and music, but PRAYER! And wow! How the fire would fall on Sunday morning!!!

PwrInTheBld · September 21, 2005

You might find something you like here

The Source For Youth Ministry

Gee, can I be a kid again?

Giaour · September 21, 2005

Why not discuss how youth can minister to others in their age groups?

irishcowboy · September 22, 2005

Why not discuss how youth can minister to others in their age groups?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

just being there for them...

be a friend to the ones that no one else will befriend....

be a friend to the super quiet ones....

invite some one over to the house....

if some one is having a hard time with homework ( everyone seems to know who is making the lowest grades on tests and in class ) offer to help them either at their house, or yours....

get a stack of different tracks and keep them in the locker at school, and use them, ( becareful not to be disruptive by handing them out in class, between classes are ok.... )

here is a site where you can order the Gospel of John ( a stack of them ) to be used for witnessing and handing out ( free )

www.pocketpower.org

it may take several weeks to get your first order ( up to 60 a month )

go to the Bible book store, and get a bunch of different " miss you " cards or other types of greeting cards and post cards and use them to send to the other kids from your sunday school class or your church service or youth group when they miss.... get some that are " Your Invited to...... " cards to send to some of the youth in the area of the church, inviting them to attend a see you at the pole, or a youth ralley, or a concert with the youth group....

there are many things that can be done for ministring to others....

mike