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Survivor Shopping @ Wal-Mart
Ok, probably not the best idea shopping @ Wal-Mart on New Years Eve for a youth ministry lock-in because there was about 2 Million people in there most likely shopping for New Years party stuff.
However, I got it done and it feels good to be ready for the lock-in on Friday. Here’s some pics to share the experience…
Ah - the Ipod Nano - a great prize to give away.
Just remember that some kids seem brave, but once they eat a lot of fun stuff like sardines and spam, they might upchuck - Yes I’ve seen it happen.
This is my beauty of a wife Erynn helping me shop for my stuff. She doesn’t do well staying up all night so this is her way of helping - thanks babe.
Time to check out which is a good feeling.
If you are over 28 and still doing this type of youth ministry, then you definitely need some of this.
Setting Up For Survivor
Hey - I’ve been taking a Christmas break, but I’m I have also been planning on doing a Survivor Lock-In this Friday Jan. 2nd in our town and so for the rest of the week I will be updating you on how it’s going.
About the end of September I mentioned to our middle school youth that we were planning a Survivor Lock-In and now it’s the week of the lock-in and so I’m trying to get as much done as possible so that I have nothing to do but the lock-in on Friday.
Last Friday, my sweet volunteers began the decorating process. Here’s pic:
It’s an old church that we have been using as a youth center. The nice part is we can pretty much work on things as we need to without much of any trouble.
So Friday from 6 - 10pm and Sunday all afternoon to get the props and decorating put together for the area and tomorrow I will be shopping for the supplies and prizes which you will get to see me in Wal-Mart.
On the wall behind me will be the Survivor Logo that we created for the activity and it will also be where I speak to the middle schoolers and MC the evening. It will be accomplished through projection and sound system.
Finding some creative stuff always helps enhance the evening experience - good thing I live in Montana with some extra skulls laying around that my friends don’t mind picking up and bringing.
Bridger Programs
Does anyone do Bridger Programs?
What is a Bridger Program?
Bridger Programs are ministries that are in place to help create a bridge over into your main youth meeting where your regular Bible Teaching and worship take place.
The point of the Bridger Program is to build some relationships with students that would stay away from “churchy” things. Once the relationship has been built and these students realize that the leaders care for them are then challenged to check out a main youth ministry program such as your weekly youth group time.
I currently do a bridger program on Friday evenings where we open up our youth center and just let the students come and hang out with no bible study or worship time that usually takes place on our Wednesday night program.
It works really well and it’s a great opportunity to reach out to those students that aren’t ready yet to step into a Christian youth program. Currently this program I run every Friday evening during the winter season and I’m always finding some one new that doesn’t yet go to our weekly youth worship program so I get the wonderful opportunity of inviting these new students week after week with out putting extreme pressure on them to show up to our Wednesday gig.
It is also my goal to have those that staff our Friday night hang time to be able to build relationships with these students and even challenge them with some general thoughts like: Have you ever thought about what would happen to you if you were to die? Is there a heaven and a hell? Is there a God? What do you think about spiritual things? How did the earth come into existence?
These types of questions may seem like we would be turning students away but the reality is that most people have these types of questions anyways. A great follow up to these questions is to say something like: Would you like to check out to discover what is true by coming to one of our meetings where topics like this are shared?
There is a fine line of feeling out where each student is at because you don’t want to burn bridges either and have students not wanting to return and label your Friday night thing just another youth group night so think through how to handle what you do and make sure that your help understands what they need to do too.
Have bridger programs worked for you? What type of bridger programs do you do?
