Giving youth pastors the tools they need to make and shape disciples.

3 Ways To Keep Youth Ministry Momentum During The Holidays

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3 Ways To Keep Youth Ministry Momentum (2)

 

The one thing I don’t love about the Holidays is missing meetings with our students. Missing one meeting during Thanksgiving and two weeks during Christmas can create a momentum challenge to a youth group. I guess it’s all in the way you look at it. If you see September through December as a story arc you create then December is a perfect chapter to close with a time of rest before the next story arc begins. If you see your programming year as one continuous story, that if interrupted, is hard to get back into then you may have some momentum issues. Here are some ideas if you are looking to keep connected with kids during the Holidays that are not invasive and will not rob you or them of much needed family time.

1. Go to the movies with them 

This does not have to be an organized event you put out to everyone but an opportunity to select a few kids you don’t get to spend much time with or student leaders you want to invest more time in. A bunhc of students said they were going to see the Hobbit after youth group this past week and i tagged along. Note to sef: Do not sit near students who talk or kick my chair.   A few movies I’d recommend would be

Unbroken

Selma

The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

2. Use Social Media to inspire, promote, and/or engage

Most of my kids use Instagram, Kik, and Snapchat. I choose Instagram as my platform of choice for communication with our kids. This year I chose to celebrate Advent using the Instagram Advent Calendar sold on DYM (Download Youth Ministry) to engage with students. It’s not that every one comments or likes it but they see that I am giving them small insights into Christmas when we are not together For some students it’s their devotion of the day.

Another way you can engage is my creating an online youth service. I did this at Thanksgiving and many of the kids watched and enjoyed it.

Here is the youth service I created for Thanksgiving

Here is me explaining how I put the online youth service together.

 

3. Prayer Calendar

Take the next two weeks, divide your youth among those days,and tag them on the social media platform your kids use most that you are praying for them.

 

Your Turn

What is your biggest concern about taking a break from youth group meetings during the holidays?

How do you engage with students during the holiday breaks?

 

Leave me a comment and I’ll use your suggestion in a post update soon.

 

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