Do you realize how many kids come to youth group but are a completely different person in their home/school life? Without talks or discussions or fiery passionate sermons about the filth of the “world” and of the “flesh” kids will rarely get what you want them to out of the night.

So that’s NOT the end, laurine. Playing games is fun and does attract people, but drinking alcohol is also fun, and has a lot stronger of a pull than bowling with turkeys. Smoking and going to wild parties or substance bonfires is a lot more fun than watching someone else drink a glass of milk. You need to be able to offer us something MORE.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve noticed as my youth group went through youth pastors, the numbers changed. When we did nothing but play a silly game each time there was perhaps 10 people who came overall, but their attendance was spotty so there would end up being maybe 4 to 7 people at each youth group. When the new youth pastor came after that, he came with fire and plans for a new worship service that began with music, had a passionate sermon in the middle, and ended with some more music. Attendance skyrocketed! We went from 5 coming at each time to 200!! People thrived off of the disciplining he gave them in his sermons and how he didn’t cut corners when telling people what they were doing was wrong. During worship people sang as loud as they could and raised their hands and discussions in small groups and Sunday mornings actually happened! And flourished! He went on his way, but most of us are still around with the new pastor who keeps to the same service layout, music, sermon, music.

I think games are great and fantastic… but as a non-sunday/thursday/wednesday/etc. night occurance. Like having a youth olympics complete with prizes an hour or two earlier than the normal youth time, but then buckling down later for good discussion/whatever. Or having someone gulp a gallon of milk and throw up and then rearing up for a sermon on the disgusting gluttony of the media and how we gorge ourselves on images of sex and violence… etc, while someone in the bacground is throwing up. Pretty vivid sermon illustration, huh?

Games can have great outcomes… especially when a prize is a free trip to starbucks with the pastor and another chaperone of the same sex as the prizewinner (for liability’s sake) where they talk about the prizewinners life and school and boyfriend trouble or girlfriend trouble, peer pressure and how stupid they think their mom or dad is…

So yes. Games are fun and cool, but they are not what makes a youth group great… just like A1 steak sauce isn’t what makes a good steak great.

Not a sermon, just a thought.

Here is how I introduce the concept when we have new kids at a meeting:
“We all are bombarded daily with noise - talking, texting, parents, teachers, TV - and many times we are so busy thinking of our own responses to all this that we forget to actually LISTEN. Pows and Wows is the gift we give each other. Its the gift of listening.”

My group really embraces this concept. I think repetition is the key to success because they are more open every time we do this.

Just my thoughts - Jody