Insight

Christmas unwrapped

Two Christmas icebreakers and a youth talk on giving gifts and God's greatest gift in Jesus. Help young people look afresh at the Christmas story and reflect on the real meaning of Christmas.

This Christmas resource can be used as part of a youth night, youth club or Christmas presentation. It works well with 11-14's but please adapt according to the knowledge and age of your group.

Gifts are an important part of Christmas for everyone. We all like to receive gifts, but Christmas also provides an opportunity to give gifts to our family and friends. What kind of presents are you buying this year for your mum, dad, brother, sister or best friend? Discuss.

Introduce the two icebreakers by explaining that we are going to practice wrapping a gift - but with a few differences!

TEAM WRAP

 Preparation: two large cardboard boxes, Christmas wrapping paper, two pairs of scissors, tape, two ribbons or bows and a whistle.

Select two teams of six young people who stand at one side of the room. At the other side is placed a large cardboard box for each team with wrapping paper, scissors, tape, ribbon and a bow. Explain that at your signal the first person runs across the room to the box and begins to wrap it. After 15 secs a whistle will blow and they must run back to the other side of the room and tag the next team member who continues the wrapping process. End the relay when the box is wrapped or everyone has had a turn. Encourage everyone for their efforts and award a small gift to everyone for taking part! Come on its Christmas!

Christmas - what's in a name?

A Christmas icebreaker and youth talk reflecting on the name and titles given to Jesus.

This Christmas resource can be used as part of a youth night, youth club or Christmas presentation. It works well with 11-14's but please adapt according to the knowledge and age of your group.

How was your first name chosen? Usually it's by our parents, who choose names they like or names from within the family. Sometimes it might be from someone they admire, or a famous person or a celebrity.

Ask the young people if they know why their first name was chosen. Was it after someone older in their family? Do they know what their first name means? Give time for responses.

Explain that many of our names today have been passed down through history and often originate in other languages. In Europe many names are derived from Latin or the Greek and Hebrew languages. Most originally described something about the person who was given the name i.e. Timothy (from the Greek) which means 'one who honours God.'

The real meaning of Christmas

A Christmas icebreaker, quiz and talk helping young people to look afresh at the Christmas story and reflect on the real meaning of Christmas.

These resources can be used as part of a youth night, youth club or Christmas presentation. They work well with 11-14’s but please adapt according to the knowledge and age of your group.

 CALL MY BLUFF

 Explain to the group that they have to guess the correct meaning of each word. Only one description is correct. Read out or display the word and then give the three different meanings. Have the group divide into three smaller groups according to which description they believe is correct.

I'm sure you know all the answers! However, just in case, the correct answers are given at the end of the article! If you wish, choose your own words and add your own creative descriptions.

People of Prayer - an evening of creative prayer for young people.

Although 'People of Prayer' is part of my series on themed youth evenings, there are no icebreakers or games. 'People of Prayer' is a creative evening for your group to pray for each other, their friends, your church, and for the body of Christ in your city, nation and throughout the world.

This guided evening of prayer contains a number of simple activities and visual prompts to teach and engage your young people in prayer. There are four sections to the evening - Focus on God, Focus on myself, Focus on friends and family, Focus on the wider world.

I have used this outline with many groups and it should take between 60-90 minutes. However, use your own judgment to pace the evening, as every group is different. You may also like to have the Bible passages viewable as a PowerPoint presentation and add a relevant video clip for the final section on the persecuted church. The links will take you to useful resources. Make sure you have a suitable and comfortable room for this evening of prayer.

Parachute Night - a themed night of co-operative games and reflection.

Parachute games provide an opportunity for co-operative, non-competitive activities and are good for generating a group spirit and togetherness. They can be used with all ages and abilities and work really well with 11-14 year olds. Parachute games can be used in groups of all sizes and I've found that even young people who might normally opt out of 'sport activities' are attracted by the 'novelty' and usually get involved.

Try to get the biggest parachute you can and if possible one with reinforced grip straps. Purpose made nylon parachutes are almost indestructible and a great investment for youth evenings, special events and camps. Recommended users for each size are 6m (20ft)-12 users, 7.3m (24ft)-16 users, 9.15m (30ft)-20 users.

OK Grahame, where on earth do I get a parachute? Play parachutes are available from a number of online educational, youth and sport suppliers. For readers in the UK, try Sports Warehouse, or call on 0800 783 5011. For readers in the USA and worldwide, try S&S Worldwide, or call on 1-800-288-9941. If you Google 'play parachute' or 'rainbow parachute' you'll discover other suppliers. Prices vary, but the two I've suggested represent good value.

Jesus-Style Youth Ministry

Dave Livermore and Steve Argue from Intersect have kindly allowed me to reproduce this article. I hope you find it thought-provoking and helpful as you reflect on the kind of youth ministry you want to develop to serve your young people.

Should the 'youth' in our youth ministry be our primary focus? Wherever we go these days, we're introduced as guys who really have a heart for today's generation of young people. And of course we do. We love teenagers, are quick to defend them, and are passionate about understanding them. But we think the 'ministry' side of youth ministry is sometimes unrecognizable in the shadow of the 'youth' side.

Ask the kids we work with—we're not total killjoys. We love a good time and a good laugh. But what does it mean to authentically demonstrate the love and mission of God to the 'people group' he's entrusted to our care? What do they see valued as they watch the things we prioritize?

Let's take the 'youth' out of youth ministry for a moment. Ministry is the biblical description for what we do—we're ministers who happen to be called to youth. Consider Paul's ministry imperatives to young Timothy (2 Timothy 2):

Daily prayer - more food for thought

'I have so much to do that I spend several hours in prayer before I am able to do it.' John Wesley

'Talking to others for God is a great thing, but talking to God for others is greater still. We shall never speak to people for God with real success until we have learned how to speak to God.' Anon

'The Church has not yet touched the fringe of the possibilities of intercessory prayer. Her largest victories will be witnessed when individual Christians everywhere come to recognize their priesthood unto God and day by day give themselves unto prayer.'  John R. Mott

'When I pray, coincidences happen, and when I don't pray, they don't.' William Temple

'Pray, and let God worry.' Martin Luther
 

Record Breakers - a themed youth night!

Set your youth group some fun challenges. Who can eat the most jelly with chopsticks in one minute? Who can eat the most doughnuts in three minutes? Who can text message the fastest? Who can hold the most live rattlesnakes in their mouth? Er, perhaps not the last one, but all are genuine Guinness world records.

For this youth evening you will need a copy of Guinness World Records 2008. This global publication is available in 100 different countries and 24 languages. Guinness World Records contains listings of the largest, heaviest, smallest, longest and fastest things on the planet, and a collection of epic human endevours and fantastic feats! It also contains a mind-boggling selection of unusual sports and bizarre human records. November 8th 2007 is Guinness World Record Day where many more records will be smashed around the world.

This is a great theme night to advertise widely and encourage your youth group to bring their friends. The aim is to have fun trying to break some simple but unusual feats of human achievement listed in Guinness World Records 2008. The challenges can work on two levels;

1. Young people 'competing' against each other to see who will hold the youth group record.
2. Trying to see how close they can come to the actual Guinness world record.

Newspaper night - a themed youth night!

The amazing Newspaper Night is great for younger teenagers. Encourage your group to invite their friends to a suitable venue for a night to remember. Make sure you have a large supply of old newspapers collected in the preceding weeks.

Read through the games carefully before you use them. Many are based on common party games and adapted through generations of youth leaders. It's probably impossible to say who first thought up any of these games, but whoever you are, thanks!

Although most of the games feature friendly competition, please don't emphasise 'winners' or 'losers', emphasis the fun! Award a small prize for each game, as many of the young people could gain several during the course of the evening. The 10 games that follow are some of my favourite newspaper games and have worked with many different groups.

Foot Party - a themed youth night!

Here's a fun youth night with a challenge and only using your feet! Great for smaller groups and small spaces. Advertise the event and emphasise that bare feet will be required. Don't explain too much, build the anticipation! Girls should be wearing jeans or trousers.

Remember that in some cultures this themed evening cannot be used. As always, be enthusiastic and join in yourself. Ask everyone to remove their shoes at the beginning of the evening.

FOOT SIGNING

Give each young person a felt tip marker and tell them they have one minute to get as many signatures on one foot as possible. When the time is up, go around and count them, to find the winner. Remember not to emphasise the winning but the fun. Interaction, building relationships, co-operation, working together are the goals of the themed games, leading to a linked time of teaching and discussion.

Leading by example - more food for thought

'We learn by example and by direct experience because there are real limits to the adequacy of verbal instruction.' Malcolm Gladwell

'Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.' Harold S. Geneen

'The youth worker is not primarily a talker or organiser, he is a model, a person who by the power of his Christian example motivates a dedication to Jesus Christ.' Lawrence Richards

'Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.' Albert Schweitzer

'We must become the change we want to see in the world.' Mahatma Gandhi

Balloon Bonanza - a themed youth night!

Make your youth night go with a bang. All you need are LOTS of balloons. A few years ago I was leading a weekly church youth night for a lively bunch of 11-14's. We played some games together before a time of teaching, or as the kids called it 'The God Slot'.

I wanted a more unified and purposeful 'feel' to the whole evening, so I decided to try and theme some icebreakers and games together with a clearer link to the teaching. The result was several themed evenings including Balloon Bonanza.

This is a great evening for lively groups and can be played in a large room or outside on a calm day. It can be used as a youth club night, holiday club session, camp night or bring-a-friend night. Although some of the games feature friendly competition, please don't emphasise 'winners' or 'losers', emphasis the fun! What follows is not an exhaustive list of balloon related games, just ones which have worked for me. Please add your own games to my selection.

Breaking more ice - 10 more icebreakers for small groups

This is a follow up article to 'Breaking the ice-using icebreakers in small groups'. It contains games you can use with a small group in your home without feeling a tornado just came through!

Carefully prepared icebreakers can provide a positive momentum for small group Bible study and discussion. They can help new members to integrate into a group, encourage participation and cooperation, build a rapport with the group leader and help young people to feel comfortable with each other and in their surroundings.

The 10 icebreakers which follow are some of my favourites and more importantly, ones I've used successfully. They can all be used across a wide age range and you only need a few props. Many are based on common party games and adapted through generations of youth leaders. It's probably impossible to say who first thought up any of these games, but whoever you are, thanks!

Breaking the ice - using icebreakers in small groups

I've already posted articles on leading youth bible studies with ideas to promote discussion and participation. You can also download the eBook 'Creative Bible Study Methods for Youth Leaders.'

But even with creative discussion starters and teaching methods you may still need to break the ice! Do you have a new group of young people who don't know each other well, or they may be nervous about contributing to a discussion? This is where some carefully placed Icebreakers can get things moving and encourage interaction.

 WHY ICEBREAKERS?

Icebreakers (and games in general) are no substitute for a prayerfully planned programme of discipleship, linked to opportunities for young people to live out and express their faith. BUT Icebreakers can enhance your teaching by helping to stimulate friendship, cooperation and participation. They can provide positive momentum for small group study and discussion by:

• Helping a new group get to know one another.
• Helping new members to integrate into a group.
• Helping young people feel comfortable together.
• Encouraging cooperation.
• Encouraging listening to others.
• Encouraging working together.
• Encouraging young people to break out of their cliques.
• Developing social skills.
• Building a rapport with leaders.
• Creating a good atmosphere for learning and participation.

Bible study methods for youth leaders - the eBook

Three previous 'Insight' articles with bonus material, compiled into a free pdf eBook.

Download Bible Study Methods for Youth Leaders and keep these resources at your fingertips.

It's written especially for volunteer youth leaders and small group bible study leaders who, in my view, are the 'unsung heroes' of Christian youth ministry around the world. However, I hope there's something here for everyone who has a passion for discipling young people to know more of Jesus.