YOUR SECRET ALLIES
When you first move to a new town, how do you find out where all the teenagers are "hanging out"? When was the last time you privately invited a small group of students to help you brainstorm or launch an outreach or a change in your youth group? If you haven't, I guarantee you're missing out on what could potentially be your secret allies.
As the years go by, I realize that staying in touch with culture requires having students continually give me feedback. I can't tell you how many times I've said, "Ok, gang, tell me if this sounds cool or not." Granted, I have learned to recognize what is pretty "cheesy," but for fresh, relevant ideas I am the last one to discredit the ideas of the students.
I think sometimes in ministry we wear ourselves out trying do it all on our own, and find our levels of creativity are not what they used to be. The truth is the more feedback you get from your students, especially your sharper ones, the more you'll find your students connecting with you. You'll also find along the journey that through taking the time to ask students for their input, you'll gain some loyal allies among your youth group who will support you through both your successes and your failures.
In the business world this feedback tool is more formally known as a focus group. In a book called, The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell, it's referred to as hosting "Paul Revere Meetings." [I discuss how to host these and much more in my book, Thriving Youth Groups.] Call them whatever you want; the important thing is that you're recruiting your own allies to give you insight into what your teenagers are gravitating towards and how you can effectively connect with the group and ultimately bring them closer to Jesus.
As the years go by, I realize that staying in touch with culture requires having students continually give me feedback. I can't tell you how many times I've said, "Ok, gang, tell me if this sounds cool or not." Granted, I have learned to recognize what is pretty "cheesy," but for fresh, relevant ideas I am the last one to discredit the ideas of the students.
I think sometimes in ministry we wear ourselves out trying do it all on our own, and find our levels of creativity are not what they used to be. The truth is the more feedback you get from your students, especially your sharper ones, the more you'll find your students connecting with you. You'll also find along the journey that through taking the time to ask students for their input, you'll gain some loyal allies among your youth group who will support you through both your successes and your failures.
In the business world this feedback tool is more formally known as a focus group. In a book called, The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell, it's referred to as hosting "Paul Revere Meetings." [I discuss how to host these and much more in my book, Thriving Youth Groups.] Call them whatever you want; the important thing is that you're recruiting your own allies to give you insight into what your teenagers are gravitating towards and how you can effectively connect with the group and ultimately bring them closer to Jesus.