Youth Group Activities

More and more teens are getting active within their youth groups at church. There are many different activities that a youth group could do together to help the group bond together as well as make a difference. Youth groups are active within communities doing various different things to promote the group, change public image of teenagers, and generally simply volunteer through the community and strive to make the world better place.

Volunteer Work: Youth groups could do volunteer work at many different places such as the American Cancer Society, United Way, homeless shelters and more. When teens work together with their youth group at things like this they share an experience that no one would understand. They bond together when trying to make a difference and experience different things they normally wouldn't have experienced. This also gives teens a chance to talk about their faith with others and use volunteer work as a learning experience and grow into exceptional people.

Charity Walks: This one kind of goes along with the volunteer work because the teens volunteer to raise money for various causes. My youth group tend to favor the Rely For Life to raise money for cancer research because many people within our church has been effected by the illness. Other walks in March Of Dimes, heart associations, Children's Miracle Network and so many more. Teens could have a healthy competition by trying to see who could raise the most money among them, or who could walk the farthest. The youth group could wear tee shirts that match to show they are a group who are trying to make a difference.

Acquire The Fire: Acquire The Fire is a national youth conference. For two days teens will get the chance to listen to some of Christian music's top singers and bands as well as reknowned speakers. They will get the chance to talk with other teens about their faith and interests. It is something that will help them interact with people they are not used to seeing and see that there are others who share in their faith in God. They get to have seminars which will talk about some issues that teenagers experience and how to deal with them in a Biblical way. There is also the chance to volunteer to help at the event so there is something else that the youth group could do.

Silver Ring Thing: This is another youth conference that youth groups can attend. Silver Ring Thing is focused on adstence and waiting to have sex until marriage. Teens get to talk to others about some of the things that they struggle with and the pressure they have from peers as well as television. The youth that attend this event are also given a silver ring which they wear as a promise to save that aspect of themselves until marriage. It is a big step and a big commitment that teens can make together when they go with their youth groups.

Bowling: Not everything a youth group does has to revolve around their faith in God. Each month my youth group goes out and has a bowling evening where we get into teams and bowl. It is meaningful to the group because the kids talk to each other and become fast friends and almost like family. Bowling is a fun way for teens to bring their other friends to without making their friends feel pressured or trapped. It is a good way to share faith without really putting everything out there and almost preaching to their friends. It is a hit with my youth group and their friends.

Scavenger Hunts: This is another fun activity that youth groups can do together and with their friends. You can send the teens on a hunt throughout the town videoing various things like reading a children's book to a group of strangers in a book store. Teens can again compete with each other and create lasting memories that they will hold onto for years, I know when my group did a scavenger hunt I remember everything even though its been 3 years since we did it. They can take pictures and some would even make a scrap-book of their memories on the hunt and other events they do with the group.

Road Clean Ups: Road clean ups are a wonderful activity for youth groups to do. It gives them something to care about and take pride in. Road clean ups give teenagers a chance to do something meaningful to the community. This would also cause the younger generation to think twice before they litter on the ground since they send time picking it up. Others of all ages seeing youth people cleaning the side of the road would be influenced to maybe not litter or even begin to do the same thing. Teens can talk and joke around while they clean up the road. Youth leader can really get involved with this as well.

Short Mission Trips: Mission trips are life altering events. Mission trips not only give the teens a chance to experience possibly a different culture but they learn how to express their faith in more ways than speaking it. A mission trip can be as short as a few days helping at a shelter in a big city to giving relief to war torn countries like Darfur. Some places dont speak English, so the teens would have to find other ways to express their faith through actions, music and more. Mission trips are a wonderful experience for youth groups to do together and helps them grow together and bond over a new experience.

Youth groups aren't all about discussions anymore; activities are just as important. The youth need something fun from time to time to keep their minds focus and see that they can have fun and be a Christian. Different activities like volunteering, mission trips even road clean ups help show the teens that there is more to life than what they think is important like the next big dance. Sure there are teens who don't focus on that, but activities such as these help teens focus on outward things instead of on themselves. Youth group activities are amazing and make a big difference within a youth group.