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What's Working RIGHT NOW In Youth Ministry - 6 Student Ministry Trends UNCOVERED · Ministry Coach: Youth Ministry Tips & Resources

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Youth group games.
• 0:01
  Speaker 2: I think they are one of the most important elements of youth ministry.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: No weekend services for youth ministry.
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: I think it's a really bad impression for first-time visitors.
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: Small groups Overrated, underrated or properly rated.
• 0:17
  Speaker 2: I don't know if everyone sees the importance of them.
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: Volunteer handbook.
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: I don't think everyone's going to like this answer.
• 0:23
  Speaker 2: Today we're going to talk about and rate six trending topics in youth ministry.
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: Welcome to the Ministry Coach podcast where every week we give you actionable and practical tips to help you in your youth ministry.
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: My name is Jeff Laskola and this is Kristen Laskola, and today we're going to talk about some trends for this next year of youth ministry and we're going to well, I'm going to say they're overrated, underrated or properly rated.
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: And you're going to interview me.
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: And I'm going to agree or disagree.
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: Okay, okay, all right.
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: Okay, here we go.
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: Let's just jump right in.
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: The first thing we're going to tackle is small groups Overrated, underrated or properly rated.
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: Well, I guess I would have to go with underrated.
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: I don't know if everyone sees the importance of them, and I used to think that that was just a staple of youth ministry, no matter where you were in the country or what church you were at.
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: I just I guess I don't understand how discipleship can happen or what your discipleship model would be, if you don't have small groups.
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: The only way I could see it is like unless your whole youth group is a small group you know, however, it would be very unlikely that all your members are all boys or all girls, and so I think like at that point, even just having a guys and a girls small group would be better than nothing.
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: I mean, I just know there is a certain only a certain level of closeness we can get in a mixed gender group.
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: So I think that they're underrated, in the sense that I don't know that every youth pastor sees that as the primary discipleship model, but I think, like Jesus sort of modeled that same idea with the 12 and then the three, and it was just sort of like that.
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: There were the crowds and he did ministry and but like who was he forming and shaping and calling out and challenging?
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: It was the people he was doing the most life with.
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: And I think that's a great model for small groups, a great foundational reason why that's the most effective form of discipleship.
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: I agree that was kind of an easy one.
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: That was a softball.
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: They're going to get harder as we go along.
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: Ooh, scandalous.
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: Let's go ahead and add a sub point to this one.
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: Let's go ahead and add a sub point to this one.
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: Small groups, but where they break it up every week with different students.
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: Like every week you got to get in a group of people you've never been in a group with, or something like that.
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: This is a thing.
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: Not all youth groups do this, but a lot of them that do.
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: Small groups do this, where it rotates, and you kind of change it up every week.
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: Overrated, underrated properly rated.
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: Well, if they do it and love it, I would say they're overrating it.
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: Right, it's overrated.
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: You should not do that.
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: Yes.
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: Wait.
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: So you're saying, if they're doing it and the kids love it?
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: Like I'm saying they're like no, like the youth pastor's, like we love this, I love this.
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: I would say, well, you must be overrating it.
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, like I don't think it's a good idea.
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: Wait, let me think.
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: Overrated, underrated, yes, yes, yes, because you know, I just know from experience, like growing up in church, I've been in a lot of Bible study, life groups, small groups, cell groups, all the groups you know, and one of my biggest pet peeves would be where it was a rotating door and you never knew from week to week who was going to be in there.
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: And I just felt like, while that might create some relational breadth, it will never create relational depth.
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: And I remember being so frustrated as like, okay, now there's four new people in this group.
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: Do I start all over Like all right?
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: So the thing I've been talking about, that I'm struggling with, and here's the situation that I've been walking my team or team group through and they've been praying for I don't know, it just felt like you know what.
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: Never mind, let's just talk about the Bible study, because this is too exhausting to have to reintroduce myself every single time, every single week.
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: You know when it was a little more open door in some Bible studies in the past.
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: So I guess it depends what you're looking for.
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: I think the heart behind it is good, in the sense that I know youth pastors really want everyone to get out of their cliques and get to know new people, which there's nothing wrong with that.
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: I just don't know if small groups are necessarily the best catalyst for that.
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: I think do that for a game or something, but like for where you're hoping people are going to do.
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: Life on life, keep it consistent, because that builds trust and depth, and if that's what we're supposed to do, I mean, Jesus walked with the same guys for three years, you know, and it was like they built a foundation of honesty and truth and love and rapport and all of these things, just this.
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: Probably we can't even fathom the intimacy and closeness between some of them and I just don't think you get that.
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: If you're like speed dating, small groups you know, I can see the idea, like you were saying, behind it, being a good one and that everyone gets to know each other, but again, yeah, I agree that it's overrated in a sense.
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: I think there's better ways to do that.
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: I think if you were to the two groups of people that I think that you'd be more most likely to share your heart with might be those you're super close with, as in you're in a small group and you're with those same people every week and you really get to know each other, or a person that you're like.
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: I feel like this is the in between where I don't feel like sharing my whole heart because I don't know you that well, but I will kind of be near you and see you again.
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: I don't know.
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: That's just how I feel about it.
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: Well, it's not like some anonymous stranger where you could just, yeah, I get what you're saying.
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: So we don't like that idea.
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: Overrated.
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: Okay, A lot of people with their volunteers, with their leaders, wherever you call them.
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: They love the idea of putting out like a volunteer handbook of like training Sure.
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: Overrated, underrated or properly rated.
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: I don't think everyone's going to like this answer.
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: I think it's overrated, overrated, and here's why.
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: Have you ever read your employee handbook?
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: Maybe when you got hired norma, please plug your ears for this she's the head of our hr department.
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: We have an employee handbook.
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: I do not care what it says, but if somebody is talking to me about it like, hey, you know when you need to send a permission slip, here's how we really like to do it.
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: If you could go ahead and save it as a PDF and then blah, blah, blah and here's why I would be a lot more likely to listen than it was like section five to one of the employee handbook how to send attachments and why I would just be like you know and I'm not going to retain that.
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: So I don't think a handbook is a good idea, but it's not that I don't think training is a good idea.
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: It's just your method.
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: I feel like training in a ministry context, so that it doesn't feel like some HR presentation is a lot more done in the context of relationship.
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: I would much rather do it two ways Drip it in at my weekly meeting.
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: Hey guys, we really need to make sure we're keeping accurate attendance.
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: And here's why If a kid doesn't exist in our system, they're getting no communication from us, which means they're going to miss out on events and they could slip through the cracks.
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: We really don't want that to happen.
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: We want parents to be in the know.
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: We really don't want that to happen.
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: We want parents to be in the know.
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: So here's these junior high info cards.
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: I'm going to put them in your folder.
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: If you have any new kids tonight that aren't on your roster, make sure they fill this out and we will take care of the rest.
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: All right, anyways, how did your small group go last week?
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: Like that was training and I didn't hand them a handbook.
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: That felt so sterile.
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: It does take time because you have to sit and like talk with them and, you know, add it in, and it's easy for certain things to slip through the cracks.
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: You're like, oh my gosh, I never told you guys about that, but like it can happen at onboarding.
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: So like when a brand new volunteer starts in your ministry, a great thing to do.
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: I love taking them to coffee or lunch and getting to know them.
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: But then like, hey, here's a few things, just as a church, that are like non-negotiables.
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: I'll just run through them with you real quick and that would probably be things that are more policy related.
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: Like, keep in mind, we're all mandated reporters and you know, if you ever need assistance with that, just give me a call and I can help, you know, walk you through that process.
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: You know, here's the kind of humor that we do or don't use with kids.
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: You know we never make fun of a kid or use R-rated humor or reference a bad movie or blah, blah, blah.
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: So you know, do those non-negotiable things, you know, through a conversation, but I don't know, there's just something very sterile about handing them a handbook.
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: And I just don't think for your effort because that does take time to prepare and write and research.
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: I just think for the effort it takes it's a very low impact.
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: I don't think they're going to read it remember it or care.
• 10:08
  Speaker 2: So I have just noticed the best way I got trained at North Coast was on-the-job training, like they gave me the parameters that were like those hard lines, but then we kind of just trained as we went, like, oh my gosh, I have this girl who just won't stop talking in my small group.
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: Ok, let's troubleshoot that together.
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: So here's some methods of how you can navigate that, and I just think it's better when it comes up naturally.
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: Then let me tell you a thousand potential scenarios that you need to be ready for.
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: You know, I just think it feels weird.
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: So and if you have the two leader small group model, there's always going to be somebody there.
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: Well, there should be somebody else there that has done it before.
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: I don't think you're gonna throw two new newbies or yeah, that's a great one person who's never done it here you go figure it out, you know, on the fly like you're saying, but you're kind of learning on the fly with another person, kind of coming under their wing, and obviously you are dripping it into them as well.
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: I also think it's overrated.
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: I think the spirit behind it may be underrated, where I think maybe for your sake as the youth pastor, it might be a good idea to have all those things written down, but maybe not so much something like here you go, study it, I'm going to quiz you on it, but maybe just as a checklist for yourself it might be a good idea.
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: I need to make sure I go through all these things yeah with my leaders and drip it in and talk about these things over time and there's some things that you'll notice with your leaders, like this, like some of it felt insulting to some of my leaders, like, well, don't ever watch a rated r movie with a kid, you know.
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: But then for some, like younger leaders, I'm like I need you to look me in the eye when I say this.
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: Like your social media cannot have this, this, this, you know, and so I think a lot of times too, it's I like to tailor it to who I'm talking to and emphasize different things based on, maybe, their age, station in life or their age, their lifestyle, how I know them to be, or the kind of personality they have.
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: It's just like I know it's going to be real tempting for you to post blah, blah, blah, but you know, here's why we're really careful with our social media as leaders.
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: So something like that, I just think, a little more organic training, and it takes wisdom on your part and it takes time on your part, but I think it's more effective than a handbook yeah, and I've had several different jobs where it required somewhat of a handbook, like a manual, training manual, and people would always get it wrong and I would always think it's in.
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: It's in the handbook, it's in the manual.
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: It's clear that nobody really pays attention.
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: It just doesn't feel relevant.
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: Like it didn't feel relevant in the moment.
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: It's like okay, so if I ever am in a car with a kid and they I just felt like these scenarios are like I don't know, worry about it when we come to it.
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: And that's why the youth pastor is there to help, right?
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: Hey friend, I just wanted to interrupt this episode for a second to let you know about an awesome opportunity for you and your youth ministry.
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: So last year we launched our course and coaching program called Youth Ministry Growth Accelerator and the response has been amazing.
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: So we've helped tons of youth pastors grow the size and health of their youth ministry and we want to invite you to be a part of that as well, because maybe you're just sort of feeling stuck in a rut, maybe you don't know what to do next, maybe you just have a vague plan in your mind of what you're doing and you want some real help to get you from where you are to where you want to go.
• 13:45
  Speaker 2: So if that sounds like something you've been looking for, go to growyouryouthministrycom and check it out for more details.
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: All right, let's get back to the episode.
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: All right.
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: Next one is and you're coming off the heels of one right now all-nighters slash, overnighters, slash lock-ins.
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: Overrated, underrated or Overrated overrated.
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: I just got home from one this morning.
• 14:09
  Speaker 2: I probably got the best sleep I've ever had at one.
• 14:13
  Speaker 2: So I have changed both of mine to a sleeping portion.
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: I don't go all night.
• 14:20
  Speaker 2: We don't play games all night.
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: I think this girl mistook it last night for one of those and she's like showing me this teeny tiny basically towel that was supposed to be her blanket.
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: She's like I didn't realize we'd be sleeping.
• 14:33
  Speaker 2: Luckily, I packed two sleeping bags for our daughter and so I'm like you can have one of hers, because I was gonna have her like lay on one, like a pad or yeah, and then use the other one.
• 14:44
  Speaker 2: So I'm like, here you go.
• 14:45
  Speaker 2: She's like, oh, no, it's okay.
• 14:47
  Speaker 2: I'm like, no, you're gonna freeze, you know.
• 14:49
  Speaker 2: So I don't like them, even though I just did one, and I'm like why am I doing this?
• 14:55
  Speaker 2: I have a better idea.
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: Here's why I think they're overrated Because I don't even know if you have to go into it.
• 15:02
  Speaker 2: I think everyone probably agrees, Okay it's more than just because I'm tired.
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: Okay, why can't we pack the same amount of games?
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: It's Friday night.
• 15:11
  Speaker 2: People could get there at five o'clock, go five to nine.
• 15:15
  Speaker 2: That's four hours.
• 15:16
  Speaker 2: We went 7 pm to 8 am but we started the movie at 1030.
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: So that was three and a half hours only of we played four games, we did four just dances, we had pizza and we had a half an hour break in there to just go, hang out, go to the snack shack, whatever you needed to do.
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: I could have done that just as well from 5 pm to 9 pm, which is a reasonable hour for your parents to pick you up.
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: They would have even picked you up at 10 pm if, if I wanted to go that long.
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: So here's why I think it's a diminishing return at some point Meaning, once midnight hit, I was trying to get them to go to bed and I had to take off my youth pastor hat.
• 16:07
  Speaker 2: Like I'm fun, we're buddies To.
• 16:10
  Speaker 2: I am a warden at a prison.
• 16:14
  Speaker 2: And I hate being that person.
• 16:16
  Speaker 2: But they get really disrespectful.
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: There's a lot of opportunities for shenanigans.
• 16:22
  Speaker 2: The leaders are disrespected.
• 16:24
  Speaker 2: So one of my girls directors had asked super nicely twice like hey, girls in the corner, like you guys have to settle down.
• 16:30
  Speaker 2: Like they were just being obnoxious and rude and loud and I had to get up.
• 16:34
  Speaker 2: Like hey, like they were just being obnoxious and rude and loud and I had to get up.
• 17:00
  Speaker 2: Like hey, she's asked you twice Now.
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: You're bordering on blatant disrespect to her.
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: So now.
• 17:03
  Speaker 2: I have toism, or trying to door dash something to the church you know true.
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: Um, nothing wrong with a little taco bell at two in the morning.
• 17:08
  Speaker 2: Oh, sounds really good right now.
• 17:10
  Speaker 2: Um, and so I just I'm like why do I keep doing this to myself when we would have had a perfectly fun night all left being best friends?
• 17:20
  Speaker 2: There is, I think it was three years ago they, the girls, still talk to me.
• 17:26
  Speaker 2: Remember when you yelled at us?
• 17:28
  Speaker 2: I'm like, yep, I do, Because you guys were so rude.
• 17:35
  Speaker 2: And it was 6 am and I finally was just like forget it, do whatever you want, because nobody listens to me anyway you lasted all the way to six before you said that.
• 17:45
  Speaker 2: That's pretty impressive and then I stormed out, and that was that I quit well, I didn't storm out of the church, just just out of that room.
• 17:54
  Speaker 2: I'm like fine, cause they kept turning on the lights and they're like I'm done.
• 17:59
  Speaker 2: I'm like just cause you're done.
• 18:00
  Speaker 2: Sleeping Doesn't mean everyone else's.
• 18:02
  Speaker 2: We had an hour and a half left to sleep and I'm not entertaining you at 6am in the morning get in your bed.
• 18:08
  Speaker 2: So I just feel like it brings out the worst in them and me.
• 18:13
  Speaker 2: And it was like we're on this high, we're all having fun, we're all dancing, we're all doing games, laughing, hot pizza.
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: And then it was like we are enemies now and then we leave as enemies.
• 18:28
  Speaker 2: I mean, we were fine in the morning, but I don't know.
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: It just doesn't feel necessary.
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: And what are we doing?
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: It's not like any relationships are getting built.
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: We're literally laying in a dark room trying not to giggle.
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: Right, like I don't know, it's just dumb.
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: Would it be better if you stayed up all night?
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: No, would it be better for them if you stayed up all night.
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: They wouldn't make it.
• 18:49
  Speaker 2: I've tried those and they're usually complaining and falling asleep they're usually complaining and falling asleep, and they never remember that part of it, though.
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: Right, so nope, I'm gonna write myself a big sticky note.
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: I'm gonna leave it on my desk all year, so that when I go to write the calendar for 2026, I'm like, oh yeah, let's do this five to nine, and they'll still come, and some kids get picked up anyways.
• 19:13
  Speaker 2: They're like oh, I want to come, but I don't want to spend the night, like I'm like I do not blame you, Take me with you.
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: I think most people would agree it's overrated.
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: I think for the sake of the students it's underrated.
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: That is something that they love, For whatever reason.
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: Staying up late or all night, they just love that idea.
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: Maybe it's because they're never allowed to do it yeah, and I think they're.
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: It's just something that they really look forward to.
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: So in that sense it's underrated I agree.
• 19:43
  Speaker 2: But even for a junior hire staying out till 9 or 10 pm on a friday night, that's still a little risky out of their element and here's the thing go to each other's house and spend the night afterwards.
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: There you go, pawn it off on the parents.
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: There's a sleepover if you want one, so bad.
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: What about youth group games?
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: Overrated, underrated or properly rated?
• 20:05
  Speaker 2: Well, I think a lot of youth pastors underrate them.
• 20:10
  Speaker 2: I think they're most of the time properly rated if you come from a fun church, but I think sometimes youth pastors just see it as like a necessary evil of youth ministry, but I think they are one of the most important elements of youth ministry because I don't think I I they can never be overrated.
• 20:36
  Speaker 2: So it's either they're underrated or properly rated, depending on your church.
• 20:40
  Speaker 2: I don't think you could ever overrate a game you know, because here's what games do?
• 20:44
  Speaker 2: They create the energy that you need to connect, and I think that goes for adults too.
• 20:51
  Speaker 2: I'm like I know not everyone is a game person, but even the people who aren't playing still benefit from that energy in the room and they like maybe will watch it or whatever.
• 21:02
  Speaker 2: But it just creates an energy that I feel like is kind of the conduit of connection and it's really important because, like, it fulfills, I think, a spiritual need of human connection.
• 21:17
  Speaker 2: It's a method of human connection beyond something that feels churchy, which is really helpful for a kid, who A who's a kid, but also for someone who's looking to connect and that might be their only way.
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: Like, think about a brand new kid or a really young Christian or somebody who's checking to connect and that might be their only way.
• 21:36
  Speaker 2: Like, think about a brand new kid or a really young Christian or somebody who's checking it out, and they might not be able to connect through worship, they might not be able to connect through the small groups, yet we want to get them there, but at the very least they felt a part of things while we played the game and that's really important, because you know that phrase belonging before you believe.
• 22:00
  Speaker 2: I think that's a really important step, especially in adolescence, that they need to come and feel a sense of belonging and then we move them toward belief and then now, hopefully, the tables will turn at some point and the game will take a back seat and they will be like oh, I can't wait to worship, or I can't wait for the message, or small groups or whatever.
• 22:21
  Speaker 2: But I mean the game, I just think, is such a beautiful energy creator, connection creator, having shared experiences, laughter, a way to interact.
• 22:35
  Speaker 2: You know, because you know they always say like girls connect through talking, guys connect through doing something together.
• 22:42
  Speaker 2: I think I'm like a hybrid of both, because I connect with people over games, over activities, over competition over something fun For me.
• 22:55
  Speaker 2: I feel more likely to want to talk, make small talk, after we've done something like that yeah, you know, like it just brings a closeness in a way that just going up and like hey, so how was your week?
• 23:09
  Speaker 2: You know doesn't really do, but we just did something together, we laughed together, we were human and I think that is spiritual.
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: So I think there's a I mean, we've done episodes on this, but there's real art to games.
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: It's not just like okay, fine, Then let's all play Monopoly.
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: And that is where I think they are highly underrated is if it's like if a youth group game to you is dodgeball every week, or is just some simple, just a really short.
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: Okay, we did a game, you know moving on but I think that in that sense they're very underrated.
• 23:41
  Speaker 2: Well, and that kind of piggybacks off of what we were talking about last week where it's like, well, if you just do a service project to do a service project, you're actually in a deficit right because it's the.
• 23:53
  Speaker 2: The bad experience is worse than not doing it at all.
• 23:56
  Speaker 2: And I kind of feel like that with games.
• 23:59
  Speaker 2: If they're a constant bad experience, then just either we need to figure that out or just don't do them because, it actually can have a negative impact.
• 24:10
  Speaker 2: It's not just do it to do it, it's like strategic what kind kind of group do we have?
• 24:15
  Speaker 2: What would be really fun for them?
• 24:16
  Speaker 2: What would include everyone?
• 24:18
  Speaker 2: What fits our space the best way?
• 24:21
  Speaker 2: What is the highest potential for connection?
• 24:23
  Speaker 2: You know, just stuff like that of just asking yourself is this actually a good fit?
• 24:29
  Speaker 2: right in a lot of ways.
• 24:30
  Speaker 2: I mean, this is not the episode to dive into each one of those.
• 24:33
  Speaker 2: But yeah, games are like you should put a lot of your time and attention toward them and not an afterthought exactly.
• 24:42
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's what I'm trying to say yeah, I think it's.
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: Youth group games are, like you're saying, underrated or properly rated, depending on how you value them.
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: I do not think they're overrated, unless that was your entire service, but I think what they do provide is this really extended on ramp to your youth ministry, where it gives people a chance to kind of merge into it as they feel comfortable Picture, not panicked, you know, I got to get over, you know, and so I think that it does a really good job of doing that.
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: And also people bond quickly over experience, kind of what you're saying got to get over, you know, and, and so I think that it does a really good job of doing that.
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: And also people bond quickly over experience, kind of what you're saying.
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: And I mean, think about if you're ever in a group of strangers and something happens whether hilarious or scary or all that all of a sudden you guys connect.
• 25:29
  Speaker 2: I mean did you see that?
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: oh my gosh can't believe the guy said that and it just instant bond and so it's the same idea with youth group games and that it's fun and we're enjoying things, we're having fun together and all of a sudden my teammate I become really close to because we're just thrown into this competition and we're on the same team.
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: So anyways yeah definitely okay.
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: So the next one is no weekend services for youth ministry.
• 25:57
  Speaker 2: Ooh, I was going to say that's overrated, meaning you definitely should have, uh, youth services on your weekend.
• 26:04
  Speaker 2: I think it's a really bad impression for first time visitors that there's no place for their family to go.
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: Well, a lot of people would argue well, they should be with their family.
• 26:16
  Speaker 2: Okay, I'm glad you brought that up because I have an answer for that.
• 26:19
  Speaker 2: So I think, yes, but you should be planning family worship nights then, because if your only option for a student is to come in with the adults, the messages are somewhere in limbo.
• 26:38
  Speaker 2: Either they're too advanced or inappropriate almost for a 12-year-old or they're really watered down for the adults.
• 26:52
  Speaker 2: I've been in services that were meant for both and I'm like thinking to myself this pastor is talking to me like I'm eight years old and I can deal with that on Christmas Eve and I can deal with that once in a while for a family friendly service time.
• 27:11
  Speaker 2: I'm not going to do that every single week.
• 27:13
  Speaker 2: And then, in the same way, I feel like when students are in there it curbs like what adults are allowed to talk about.
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: Yeah, very surface level.
• 27:24
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and I think it's inadvertently sends the message like church is not totally for you yet.
• 27:31
  Speaker 2: You're kind of warming up and then you'll be one of us someday, so just hang in there through the boredom until you're one of us Do I like the idea of families worshiping together, of course?
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: I do Right together?
• 27:45
  Speaker 2: Of course I do.
• 27:45
  Speaker 2: I think that it could be really great to launch something at your church like a once a week family worship service where there's communion and worship and like a Devo and where families get to come together.
• 27:59
  Speaker 2: Maybe you have a barbecue outside afterwards and it's kind of a community night that spans all ages.
• 28:06
  Speaker 2: I think that's a really good idea.
• 28:07
  Speaker 2: Another thing to be mindful of that I actually run into a ton is kids showing up without parents.
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and I've heard people say well, the church body should just accept them and bring them next to their family and I think, and you're probably going to agree, that the idea is wonderful.
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: There's a lot of shins.
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: It's probably not going to agree that the idea is wonderful.
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: There's a lot of practicality.
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: It's probably not going to happen, right because they don't know.
• 28:32
  Speaker 2: They're like well, maybe that that is their parents, maybe they're sitting next to their like.
• 28:37
  Speaker 2: You know, that is that's putting a lot of onus on people.
• 28:41
  Speaker 2: To a notice this kid b go out of their way to be like hey, buddy, come sit with us, it'd be kind of creepy if I was a kid it would be.
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: I also don't.
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: If I was a kid and I don't want to speak for all students paint with that broad of a brush, but I feel like there's no way.
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: I probably would have gone to a church service that had nothing for my age group.
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: Yes, I would have been like I don't want to sit with a bunch of strangers.
• 29:05
  Speaker 2: Yeah, you will only attract nuclear families or families that attend church together on the weekends.
• 29:13
  Speaker 2: That will be your one and only demographic and I don't think churches think that far, but like we have kids who will walk to church or skateboard to church or get dropped off because their parents aren't stepping foot in this building but would not do it.
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: They want to go.
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: There was no youth service exactly.
• 29:31
  Speaker 2: So this kid's like yes, I'm going into the adult service here I go sitting amongst all these adults, but when they get in my room it's like ah, here I'm home, yes, my people and then their parents pick them up now eventually, would I love those parents to park that car and come in themselves, absolutely.
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: And it happens.
• 29:51
  Speaker 2: A lot, you know.
• 29:52
  Speaker 2: But if I have nothing for a student then my missional outreach on the weekend is really limited and I'm only meeting family, I'm only reaching actually parents who have junior hires instead of junior hires who have parents.
• 30:09
  Speaker 2: Oh, that was good.
• 30:13
  Speaker 2: Feel free to push that 10 second back button and watch that again isn't that what it's called?
• 30:21
  Speaker 2: A 10 second back button?
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: I guess, yeah, just just repeat it over and over again.
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't know.
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: Anyways, that's, I don't know how many we went through, but that was a lot of them and we do have episodes on most, if not all, of these small groups Definitely have it on that.
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: Volunteer training, overnighters we just did one about overnighters I think last week was that one, so and then youth group games, all that.
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: So make sure you guys check those out.
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: Question of the day today is going to be if your coffee mug could talk, what would it say about your caffeine habits?
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: if it ain't from matcha, I don't want it I didn't know it would have so much attitude it does, because something about the caffeine and matcha does not affect me negatively.
• 31:12
  Speaker 2: If I have coffee, espresso, anything like that, I get really bad heart palpitations and I can't have it.
• 31:19
  Speaker 2: But then I have this beautiful hot matcha in the morning and I feel spectacular.
• 31:23
  Speaker 2: So if the caffeine ain't for matcha I don don't want it.
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: My coffee mug would say you know, you want this.
• 31:33
  Speaker 1: And then my bladder would say no, no, we don't.
• 31:36
  Speaker 2: We don't want to spend all day in the bathroom.
• 31:38
  Speaker 2: So the other side would be yeah matcha for me as well Brain, bladder the old brain versus bladder problem.
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: Put in the comment section below what would your coffee mug say to you about your caffeine habits?
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: This is a community comment of the day.
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: This comes from Christian Tonkins, who is a member of our youth ministry growth accelerator program.
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: Tonkins yeah, that's pretty cool.
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: He says I love the practicality of the ideas and things you offer for youth group.
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: I found out about DYM from this podcast.
• 32:09
  Speaker 2: You're welcome, DYM.
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: Yeah, doug, josh, you're welcome and that has helped me a ton.
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: I love the unique games you guys come up with.
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: Thank you.
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: Well, we thank you for watching and supporting this podcast, christian.
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: We appreciate it, and thank you guys for watching and listening.
• 32:25
  Speaker 2: And we'll see you next time.
• 32:27
  Speaker 2: Today we're going to talk about six trending topics of you Today.
• 32:32
  Speaker 2: Today we're going to go over six trending topics in youth ministry and see.
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: So you guys put your in your Sorry here's what All right.