Free Youth Ministry Ideas

Welcome back to your #1 source for free youth ministry ideas! I am a little late on posting, as my plate gets more full with each day. I want to start off with a good joke I found recently:

"Growing Up" - My son Mark was only 5 ft. 8 in. when he left for college in the fall. He worked through the Christmas holidays and didn't return home again until the February break. When he got off the plane, I was stunned how much taller he looked. Measuring him at home, I discovered he now stood at 5 ft. 11 in. My son was as surprised as I. "Couldn't you tell by your clothes that you'd grown?" I asked him. "Since I've been doing my own laundry," he replied, "I just figured everything had shrunk."

I tell you what, that joke shows just how much parents have to teach their children. As for us youth leaders, many of our students don't receive the training they should and it falls on our shoulders to teach them to be responsible, godly young adults. Now on to our first resource. In the devotional I am currently reading out of daily, I have begun on the topic of "Money". Financial responsibility is one of those topics that we need to be teaching, and that doesn't just mean about tithing.

Resource #1: Combine the story of The Good Samaritan and The Rich Young Ruler. Explain that money is a blessing from God and He expects us to use that money to further His kingdom. The key to the lesson is to make money our servant not our master. Have the students briefly discuss their views and thoughts on money, if they are learning at home how to be financially responsible and so forth prior to and then after the the lesson.

Resource #2:- A couple of months ago I rented a great Christian film that recently came out, "In The Blink Of An Eye". The film has a good storyline and it gets across the point that in the blink of an eye Jesus will return and the true Christians will go to Heaven. There will be no time to make the decision once He arrives. Be sure to teach along with showing this film, the scripture of Mttw. 25:1-13 where it tells us that no one but the Father knows when Jesus will come return. The decision to follow Christ is too important of a decision to put it off until we are "older" or "done doing everything we want to do".

"Do you want a room with a view?" - During a visit to a mental asylum, a visitor asked the Director what the criterion was which defined whether or not a patient should be institutionalized. "Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup, and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub." "Oh, I understand," said the visitor, "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup." "No," said the Director, "A normal person would pull the plug." So, do you want a room with or without a view? :)

I want to take the opportunity to raise awareness for a missing college student, Bryce Tarter. He has been missing since January 31st. Visit www.bringbrycehome.com for more information. No matter where you live you can be on the lookout for his white Nissan Frontier, which has yet to be found and is the key to getting him back home. Have a blessed week and please let your fellow youth leaders know about the blog and leave your comments on what you like and don't like.