Monthly column for youth leaders: virtual reality youth leading

At last! After years of waiting, we finally have the technology to offer to you the first ever Evangelicals Now Interactive Youth Column. Simply start at number one, and then go to whichever paragraph your choices take you to. Have as many goes as you like, but no cheating!

1. Your minister asks if you would consider taking over the running of the youth group. Do you agree enthusiastically (go to 5), say that you need to pray about it (go to 10) or say that you are too busy and you don't think that youth work is where you are gifted (go to 8).

2. Your group are just as keen as ever, but somehow their faith never really grows the way it should. They are enthusiastic, but when they get into situations that they don't know how to handle that enthusiasm wanes and you're left with a discouraged group with no sense that God can change their situation. Sadly, most of them give up and leave the church over the next few years. To try again, go to 1.

3. You have resolved to be less controversial and settle down to a programme of discussions on music, Christian responses to politics, and why the minister's dress sense is so bad.
Go to 27.

4. The minister reminds you that numbers in church halved in his first six months, but since then have slowly grown and are now half as much again as when he came to the church. He also points out that whenever Jesus produced his hardest hitting teaching he lost followers too. He tells you not to worry and to keep on as you are. To follow his advice and press on go to 24. To keep teaching the Bible but avoid controversy go to 21.

5. Time to prepare your first meeting: Decide what you want to do: fun and games so that you and the young people can get to know each other (go to 20), a hard-hitting Bible study on discipleship (go to 17), a less controversial Bible study (go to 21) or a discussion on a topical subject, such as abortion (go to 14).

6. Even though you know that you didn't say anything that could reasonably be taken personally, you apologise, showing great humility and graciousness. The mother seems to be placated and everything is OK. What do you do next? To Keep going with controversial topics go to 23. To change tack and do some bible teaching on commitment go to 17. To get to know the group better by concentrating on socials go to 20; and to steer clear of controversy go to 3.

7. Good for you! And good for your group. You quickly establish a solid core to your group who are excited about learning more from the Bible, and who want to apply it to their lives. You learn about their successes and their failures, and slowly but steadily they grow to maturity. Go to 31.

8. You should know better than that - there is no point in arguing with the minister, he always gets his way. Go to 5.

9. A couple of weeks later it is clear that the group has shrunk dramatically. Several of the young people have been put off by the content of the teaching, and their parents are beginning to complain about your leadership of the group. To go to see the minister go to 4, to brazen it out with more tough teaching go to 24, and to keep teaching the Bible but avoid the more controversial bits go to 21.

10. It's decision time. If it's a yes, go to 5, if it's a no go to 8.

11. There are rumbles of discontent from parents, who are worried about how much time their children are spending on church things when they have so much school work and other clubs to go to. To meet with the worried parents go to 22. To speak with the minister go to 26.To just put your head down and keep on with the Bible studies go to 7.

12. You arrange to meet the minister and explain what happened. He suggests a little more tact in future, but tells you not to worry about it. You've still got his backing, whatever you want to do with the group. To carry on with more controversial topics go to 23; to arrange to see the parent go to 25; to do something less controversial go to 3 and to resign go to 29.

13. Sadly you tell the group that the midweek meeting is going to have to stop. They are very disappointed, but take the message from you that school work and finding a job are far more important than God. Go to 30.

14. The group discusses the issue heatedly, and everyone enjoys it. You go home with the warm glow that comes from knowing that you've done a good job. Go to 19.

15. The young people understand all about the things you are teaching them. Well, almost all about them. They don't see why they should make the effort, so they never apply any of it to their own lives, at least not the bits that are inconvenient. To resign in despair go to 29. To hit them with some challenging stuff on discipleship go to 17.

16. She hits the roof again! Sometimes when you hit a raw nerve, people just don't function on a rational level. She calls you several rude names (some so rude that you don't know what they mean until you ask your youth group) and you never see her child at the group again. If this makes you resolve to do something less controversial with your group go to 3; to carry on with the hot topics go to 23; to resign in despair, go to 29.

17. You prepare well and present an interactive Bible study on John 10. You explain what it means to take up your cross and finish with a challenge to live life to the full and follow Jesus. The group listens intently and you go home mightily encouraged. Go to 9.

18. You hold your first Bible study meeting and about half of the group come along. They seem to be enjoying it and growing as a result. Go to 11.

19. Some of the comments made during the meeting - including some made by you - seem to have hit a raw nerve with the mother of one of your young people. She is very upset. To arrange to see the mother go to 25, to arrange to have a chat about it with the minister go to 12, to resign go to 29, and to carry on with more controversial discussion meetings go to 23.

20. Great. You have started to get to know them, and some of them even seem to like you. What are you going to do next? For more of the same go to 28, for the topical stuff go to 14. For Bible study on discipleship go to 17, and for less controversial Bible study go to 21.

21. You prepare a series of activity based Bible studies on bread and butter topics - prayer, service, giving, stuff like that. The group seem to enjoy them and there are no complaints from parents. The group seems to be slowly growing in number and all is well with the world. Go to 15.

22. You spend lots of time with various parents explaining what you are trying to achieve and encouraging them to support their children's spiritual growth as well as their education. Ultimately some see your point and others remain unconvinced. To bow to the pressure and stop the meetings go to 13; to press on go to 7.

23. You pick another tricky and emotive topic, and what do you know, you touch another raw nerve. Another parent complains. Go to 19 again.

24. You may be losing members, but the ones you are left with are keen, committed and raring to go on with God. What they need is some meatier teaching to get their teeth into. To start up a midweek Bible study to go into things in more depth, go to 18. If you feel the time commitment is too great and you want to carry on as you are, go to 2.

25. You go to see the mother. She is very upset at what she sees to be the things you said about her personally. What do you do about it? To apologise go to 6, to carefully explain what you actually said as calmly and rationally as possible (while not backing down from it in any way) go to 16.

26. The minister says that he understands the parents' worries, but thinks you've got the priorities right, not them. He says you shouldn't be put off, but should keep offering the Bible studies to those who want them. To speak to the parents as well, go to 22, to just press on with the bible studies go to 7.

27. Well done. You have raised a group of young people who are well informed, thoughtful and fascinating conversation at dinner parties. Sadly, they have no idea of how to get to heaven when they die. Feel free to go back to paragraph 1 and have another go.

28. You're hugely popular with the young people, the group grows and thrives and everyone has a fantastic time every week. Sadly it makes no difference whatsoever in the lives of the young people, and as they grow older they one by one fall away from any interest in God. Feel free to go back to number 1 and try again.

29. It's tough isn't it. Whatever you do it's hard to keep everybody happy and to produce fruitful youth work. If you aren't too battered from your experiences, go back to 1 and have another go.

30. Your group started well, but never established a firm foundation to base their faith on. In time they either drifted away from the church or just settled into church life as passengers who never get stuck in and get their hands dirty with God's work. Shame. If you want another try, go to 1 again.

31. Well done, good and faithful youth leader! You have recognised that if you want to do worthwhile youth work, there will always be opposition - often from the least expected sources. Obviously it isn't as simple as this game makes out, and there is a lot of value in making use - in moderation - of the different approaches on offer in 5, as well as many others not mentioned. But at the end of the day our job is to make disciples. If we don't encourage our young people to be disciples, and if we don't help them to actually understand the Bible and apply it to their lives, we can't expect them to survive. Jesus never promised that it would be easy, but he has promised to always be with us as we struggle. Keep it up.

Monthly column for youth leaders: virtual reality youth leading

An interactive guide to the perils and pains of youth work

10. It's decision time. If it's a yes, go to 5, if it's a no go to 8.

Steve Couch

Main Articles

Other articles