Crack-a-Grin:
A minister told his congregation, "Next week I plan to preach about the sin of lying. To help you understand my sermon, I want you all to read Mark 17."
The following Sunday, as he prepared to deliver his sermon, the
minister asked for a show of hands. He wanted to know how many had read Mark 17. Every hand went up. The minister smiled and said, "Mark has only sixteen chapters. I will now proceed with my sermon on the sin of lying."
Hot Topix:
A. Earth Day 4/22-
Read Gen. 1:31 to the group and hold a discussion about our responsibility to be good stewards of the resources and planet God has provided us with and the fact that there are simple things we can all do to help out. I would also be sure to share that there is a difference between being a good steward and being a fanatic.
Plan on having a celebration for the day at whichever meeting is closest to the day. Help the group to come up with ways they can help protect the planet at home, school, and church. Buy a Large garbage can or container for aluminum cans, newspapers, etc. for the church. Have the teens paint various pictures that depict protecting our planet.
Another idea is to adopt a stretch of road in the community that needs to be cleaned up and meet on Earth Day. Provide refreshments for the teens after the clean up and make sure to take photos. Use these photos to put together a short slideshow to show the congregation what the youth group is up to.
B. National Day of Prayer - This has been such a hot topic lately with the Presidents decision to cancel events at the White House for the day. Hold a discussion on the disappearance of the evidence that our country was founded on the belief in God and what your teens can do to get involved.
Cover items (share the history of each) such as our money saying "In God We Trust", the 10 comm. being in the court rooms, swearing on the bible in court, prayer in school, etc. Be sure to talk about the recent decision by a Wisconsin Judge ruling that the government holding an event for the day is unconstitutional and how they feel about separation of church and state. Do they believe that's part of our problem with the country being a den of sin and so forth.
On the National Day of Prayer, set aside about an hour or two after school for teens to come by the church and pray for our leaders. Be sure there are several adults present.
Stat-O-The-Week:
A. The four most researched words on Google:
1.Sex 2.God 3.Jobs 4.Professional Wrestling
B.
10% - the amount of info we retain solely by listening
25% - the amount of info we retain by being told twice
50% - the amount of info we retain by seeing
(According to Skip Heitzig on his radio program "The Connection".)
Free Youth Ministry Resources:
1. Vision Board - Bring magazines, newspapers, print outs of images from the web and allow the teens to choose images and create pieces that represent what your goals are as a youth group. Also print out quotes and provide materials for the teens to write scripture on.
2.Illustration - The bible is like an MRI. Many times we like to think that we are a good person and therefore appear that way in front of the Lord and do not need to change anything in our lives. We get in the Word of God (have the MRI test) and the cancer present in our lives is revealed. Our teens need to understand that as Christians we are on a journey of transformation until we die and that God is in the business of change. We all like to deny our faults but is we will keep our hearts open, listen to God, and do as He says, we become a better person and grow closer to God.
3. www.speakupmovement.org - this site deals with various issues for all ages regrading our constitutional rights. Use it yourself and pass along to the teens.
Encouragement For The Road:
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalms 19:14
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