Age Group Activities?

[Kayla]

My main concern was on the part of a personal heartbreak. I am tried of seeing good independent churches in my area of the country die because they are not reaching out to young people whatsoever. If you don't add unto the church regularly with younger people and I mean the correct way, then your church is going to die. There will be no new generation to continue the church on the right path or any path at all. But I know being a youth recently, that indeed one of the things that encouraged me on the right paths was being part of youth activities like you explained like 3 months. It was encouraging to know that we were not the only Independent Baptists out there. Many young people become discouraged because they think they are the only ones trying to do right. It is good for them to interact with other Christian young people. There is no need to go all out in this effort if your church doesn't have the resources yet setting aside a time to disciple them. Setting aside a time to allow them interaction with other Christian young people. It just seemed as if MrsW's attitude was the same as some of these churches, like youth activities are ungodly or something?

[Kayla]

Ok back on topic...what does everyone else do?

[Guest Guest]

Teens can get teaching in the same place as everyone else...the church service. Teens are well able to understand a church service, and are well able to sit in it just like they sit in a two hour long movie without saying a word. We don't need "youth activities" to keep our teens coming, they come because they want to be in church, they love church, and they know they are loved in our church. The young children also manage to learn things in church services...I can guarantee that if you asked them what they learned in the sermon they will have something to tell you...we have done that several times.

Sometimes our pastor will have a five to ten minute thing before he preaches on a Wednesday for everyone...kids, adults, teens...where he asks questions pertaining to the last month or so of sermons and he will give "prizes" which are really things like Bible marking pens, or Bible highlighters...something that will aid their Bible study. The kids answer just as many questions as the adults.

[John81]

Teens can get teaching in the same place as everyone else...the church service. Teens are well able to understand a church service, and are well able to sit in it just like they sit in a two hour long movie without saying a word. We don't need "youth activities" to keep our teens coming, they come because they want to be in church, they love church, and they know they are loved in our church. The young children also manage to learn things in church services...I can guarantee that if you asked them what they learned in the sermon they will have something to tell you...we have done that several times.

Sometimes our pastor will have a five to ten minute thing before he preaches on a Wednesday for everyone...kids, adults, teens...where he asks questions pertaining to the last month or so of sermons and he will give "prizes" which are really things like Bible marking pens, or Bible highlighters...something that will aid their Bible study. The kids answer just as many questions as the adults.

That sounds great!

[Guest Guest]

Yeah they love it. Our church is paying to send all the young people to summer camp this year.

[John81]

Yeah they love it. Our church is paying to send all the young people to summer camp this year.

:thumb

[Ashlee]

our church has separate sunday school groups for all ages ie several kids groups, teens, young adults, middle adults, and real adults.

A morning service with children 2-3 in one loosely ran group to get them used to sitting still, 4-6 in one with more rules, 7-12 in a group that is basically church with messages on their level, and 13 through alive in regular church.

The older sunday school classes have individual activities with just the age group and a married couple to keep an eye on the teens. However we also have many more fellowships with all age groups invited, and often there is mixing of the age groups at sunday school events, such as teens at young adult baseball games, and young adults at teen game nights.




btw, anyone ever played Quelf? if not try it at your next fellowship, it is amazingly funny. you can usually find it at barnes and noble

[Annie]

My friends, who are the college and career Sunday school teachers at their church, plan a yearly fun weekend trip to Pigeon Forge. In addition to this, I think their group visits the nursing home monthly, as well as having various fellowship times in church members' homes throughout the year.

My church, which is more age-integrated, still plans activities for certain age groups. The "Kindred Hearts" (senior saints) have a monthly fellowship time, usually a meal held at the church. Each year in May, the girls Sunday school that I teach (which includes all ages from eight to high school) plans and executes two "teas," one for the Kindred Hearts, and one for the ladies of the church (like a mother/daughter event, but all ladies are invited). They have SO much fun planning everything...from the programs to the music (which is really just all of the girls performing pieces they've worked up on their instruments). Our girls' SS class is also responsible for planning and making the favors to hand out on Mother's Day.

I'd like to suggest that, even in an age-integrated church, certain groups can band together to fellowship and to minister to others without hurting the overall interaction among all ages. It actually enhances the unity, and certainly adds variety, IMO.

As a side note, as one who does see the value and benefits of age-integrated corporate worship, I do believe that separate SS instruction can be valuable...and it doesn't take away from being together in the main services. IOW, you can have your cake and eat it, too! :lol (And these comments are coming from a person whose pastor is doing his doctoral dissertation on the thesis that the age-integrated model is the best way for the church to fulfill its biblical responsibilities. I agree with him completely, and I don't think that "age-integration" requires throwing the baby out with the bath water...IOW, that all ages ALWAYS have to be together) I will add that we are not always age-segregated for SS...just most of the time.

[Ashlee]

yep, when we have missionaries in a service, we have all the people form thirteen up in the sanctuary to hear them.

[deputydog530]

I teach our C&C group. We have get togethers outside of church for fellowship. We just had a BBQ. It was a blast. Our Chruch is small and I only have about 10 in my class at the most. Our youth group does all kinds of things from Bowling to sleding in the winter. Even though our specific groups have these activities, eveyone is invited to them. Our class times are fun. We are currently in the Book of Jonah. We have a blast. while learning God's Word :Bible:

[Kayla]

Thanks for sharing.

[sfspurlock]

Thanks for all the ideas gang! I just answered the call as the Youth Pastor at my church and I was looking here for any ideas. Of course my main goal is to stay Bible centered in whatever we do.