Suggestions on getting young people involved in church?

At our church, especially where teens are concerned..music is the best way that I have found to reach kids!! They love music, and relaying the message about the Bible and God is easily expressed and is also favored by all children and teenagers! If it has a good beat and sounds similar to the music that they're into, then they will listen! Also, when you put kids in charge of any activity, it makes them feel needed and important!

T,

In the past, we have done a number of things. The teens can do a lot of things that will assist the younger students and can actually team-teach in some instances. I would also like to suggest that you have a couple of the young men begin going to a nursing home or extended care facility and sing for the residents at least once every month. Those people absolutely live to see the young people and it will encourage your teens to do more and more as a result. We sing, read scriptures, and pray with the residents every month. If nobody else goes then I still go and I always visit with them after we are finished singing. It is a highlight of the week for me and for them! I am encouraged each time that I am able to go. Have a wonderful New Years.

Thanks,

Eds

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The traditional methods just are not cutting it --that's why young people do not come back to church when they leave for college, and statistics back me up on this.

Churches need to meet the kids where the kids are, not try to make the kids be where the church is.

Here is a link to a magazine online, where you can explore the language, music, artwork, and issues that are exactly how the "young people" are doing church, and the churches that offer worship, fellowship, and mission in these ways are the churches with large, vibrant and growing youth memberships.

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cfm-the-one: You can preach the truth AND be cool. Jesus walked among the people, he didn't make them come to him in a certain way OR in a certain place.

Well our church has a sunday school program that uses some techniques. like they always give out many many prizes and food to the children. making them want to come. And there are many extra activities they do. Like the band for worshiping god formed by children. And as they turn into adults they will come because you know they either want their kids to have the same experience or they just got hooked onto church from a young age

I've been to churches that had amazing game rooms for kids and teens. They also did socials and things outside of church such as going ice skating and volunteering. Parties for the sake of parties and Wed or Fri night hanging out nights are fun. I've also been to movie nights - in and outside of church. Giving young people time to hang out at church without the preaching makes them want to come back and always made me comfortable.

I now attend the Unitarian Universalist church. The children and youth program there is awesome. It teaches kids to learn all they can and to question their faith.

well im 13 and these r some really cool things my church does: we have a skatepark behind the church it is so fun to chill there,every year we do this thing called judgement house wich ur church could do too(u can google it) we do really cool dramas,we have the coolest wednesday night service that really gets teens involved,they do diff series everymonth for teens and sunday church,next month we r doing a deal or no deal series and they r giving away really cool prizes,and then i think going to spring hill and camp barekel r the coolest,oh we also have lots of concerts.if u want more info u can go to brightonnazerenechurch.com

If you focus on their relationship with Jesus you will have little trouble finding them at church. That main thing teenagers are looking for is complete honesty. If you are having a bad day and they ask,, tell them you are having a bad day. Teenagers can smell insincerity a mile away.

Hope that helps.

Ask them to pretend to be atheists for a week.

Get them to write an essay proving that prayer works better than any doctor.

Show the Jesus Camp video and ask them if that fat ***** is a sadist or not.

Get each child to pray for his favourite team to win the premiership. Tally up the answered and unanswered prayers at the end of the season.

preach the truth and you will get conversions and then they will stay because they know they have found what they are looking for. you can't make church cool. the world and the church will never mix. you must preach the truth and that is the only way.

The best way to do it is not to do it if that is the path they wish to follow then they will follow it do not force it upon them for if you do it will make them bitter and hateful.