Evangelicals Now
<< May 2006 >>

Monthly youth leaders column

Outside help

Our work as youth leaders has a weekly pattern. We have plans (hopefully) for each term but we meet our group week by week either in the regular meetings or in small groups.

One of the most often asked questions on training days is about available resources for our ministry. Off the shelf sessions are handy and there are countless books which help with all the activities you could possibly need. There are resources on games, dramas, role-plays, etc., etc.

Using the resources

Along with the plethora of resource books are a long list of house parties, camps and holidays. Many larger churches opt out of these as they have enough young people to do their own thing. Smaller groups appreciate them as they give them a means of meeting in more than the small group. But how should we use resources which are generated outside our group as, inevitably, the author or organiser of such material is creating something from her/his own experience.

Any youth group has its own characteristics and personalities. Before you think about ‘going outside’ you need to take a look at your group and assess their needs. Questions need to be asked about the level of their maturity in Christ, their background and the way in which they are capable of learning. They may not be ready for an off the shelf book on Ezekiel or, if you use it, it will have to be adapted. In fact that’s the key principle — adaptation. Before you go near your group with any material you need to look at it with their eyes. Do the games work? Are the role plays anything to do with their lives? Is the language used in the teaching blocks appropriate for them? Quite simply — will it work? It’s often good to keep a note of what has worked well in the past. Look back at your previous meetings and ask your team to look at the things that have worked well and ask yourself why they worked. So sift any material through the filter of your understanding of the group you lead.

One other point. I get really worried when I see people teaching the Bible from published resources. If they are teaching their group in that way they have probably not spent time preparing the passage or theme themselves. There are no short cuts here, even if you use ideas from other sources, the need to understand the passage yourself is crucial if you are going to teach your group with any conviction. There are many good resources out there but that is what they are — resources!! They are to be used to serve the needs of the group you know well. I know there are time constraints for preparation time, but your sessions will work best if you start with the way your group operates and gear your teaching session around that understanding. Even such a great resource as the new Good Book Company’s Click series for 5s to 11s may need adapting to your own needs.

Camps and house parties

How do you assess whether taking or sending your young people to a camp or houseparty will benefit them? First thing is to gather all the literature which organisations put out and see if there is anything that would suit members of your group. Summer camps have been a wonderful means of letting the young people hear the gospel. But there are also some sad stories of young people who didn’t have a happy time and that often happens because the event isn’t right for them. Sailing on the Norfolk Broads can be a nightmare if your main interest is computer games. Sometimes it’s good to send children on these holidays to broaden them, but it has to be something which they might enjoy.

It’s good to ask around about the emphases of the different weeks, and don’t be afraid to talk to the sponsoring organisation so that you know what is on offer.

Most of the holidays ask for references from the local church — give as much detail as you can as it helps the camp leaders know something about the young person you are sending, and make sure you get some report from the house party to see if any spiritual progress has been made.

Outside your group there are re-sources to be had. But you are still the leader of those young people and you need to use resources with care. There is a lot of good material out there and, used carefully, it can really help your group — it’s called discernment.

Dave Fenton