Student Leadership Training Network


		Here's What Worked for Us! This page is for you and it's free! Here's your chance to share with the whole world the good things God has been doing in your group! Tell about events, activities, or happenings that really worked for your group. If you have a neat strategy for accomplishing better youth ministry, this is the place to tell about it. If you have a neat idea, tell us about it in an email to sharing (at) sltn (dot) com. Someone, somewhere will really appreciate hearing about your good ideas. Perhaps you discovered: A great way to reach out to new youth A great way to hold onto older youth so they don't drop out of church Some helpful ideas for bringing youth and their parents together Good fund raiser ideas Or many more outstanding ideas for leadership with students Then you'll want to share this with other leaders! Click on the links below to read about the cool ideas from other youth leaders. Fundraisers 1. Fundraiser for Missions: Stock Option 2. Mystery Dinner Theater fundraiser 3. Skeet Shoot Fundraiser 4. Fundraiser Ministry Project Wednesday Night Ideas 1. Wednesday Night Themes 2. Wednesday Night Attendance Accountability 3. On-Site Bible Study Worship and Prayer 1. Tuesday Morning Prayer Meeting 2. Progressive Worship Mission and Ministry Projects 1. Coffee Talk Ministry Project Outreach and Evangelism 1. Christian Concert 2. Salvation Testimony Chain 3. Kidnap a Kid Teaching and General Leadership 1. Regular Programming Ideas 2. Mystery Retreat 3. The Jesus I Never Knew Bible Study 4. Video Discipleship 5. Ongoing Parent Ministry Ideas Fellowship and Recreation Ideas 1. X-treme Weekend 2. Special Events Ideas 3. Flamingo Bowl 4. Enter Mission 5. Crud Night 6. Scavenger Hunt 7. Woman-less Beauty Pageant Publicity Ideas 1. Email Newsletter and Coupon 2. Publicity Ideas
		Fundraisers
		1. Fundraiser for Missions: Stock Option top
		We put a picture of the student missionary on a flyer.. The flyer contained the mission trip information. It also included info on how the "investor" (Grandma, Grandpa, neighbor, etc.) could buy shares of stock in the student for #10 a share. It worked on the basis that the return on the investment would be greater than any stock purchase in the stock market. Following the trip, we held an "Investor's Banquet" where all the participating investors came and heard of all god did in the life of the student they invested in. (Donnie Hatcher, West Mobile Baptist Church, Mobile, AL)
		2. Mystery Dinner Theater fundraiser top
		Have a "Mystery Dinner Theater" and serve courses between acts. (JoLynn Prochaska, First Baptist Church, Aledo, TX)
		3. Skeet Shoot Fundraiser top
		Since we have a lot of men who like to skeet shoot, we had a Skeet Shoot fundraiser. Everyone paid a fee to enter and we had a nice price (donated). (Jonathan Crosby, Dumas Baptist Church, Dumas, TX)
		4. Fundraiser Ministry Project top
		Have a fundraiser for a need (we did it to help a student buy a wheelchair). Sell tickets to a very nice dinner for about $20 a plate. The youth serve as the waiters and waitresses. We raised $11,000 to go to the cost of the chair. (Ryan Hall, Fort Worth, TX)
		Wednesday Night Ideas
		1. Wednesday Night Themes top
		One year, I planned out a one year preaching calendar which consisted of several 4-8 week studies. Each would have a theme such as "Survivor," "WWF," ("Wrestling With Fear, Frustrations, Freedom, etc."), "UFC" ("Ultimate Fighting Championship" as you talk about spiritual warfare). Each theme would include decoration, stage set-up, games, etc. to go along with the theme. This works well as it gets students excited and keeps things interesting throughout the year. However, this does require some preparation and pre-planning. (Donnie Hatcher, West Mobile Baptist Church, Mobile, AL)
		2. Wednesday Night Attendance Accountability top
		A card is given for each person to fill out. It has a place for name, address, phone number, email, something interesting, Christian or not, church they attend, and comments. Sometimes the individuals fill this out on themselves, and sometimes they interview someone else. This gives us a god opportunity to keep up with who is there on Wednesday nights. (Larry Morrison, Fort Worth, TX)
		3. On-Site Bible Study top
		For a Wednesday night Bible study have the youth pile on the church bus and go to an unknown destination (school, local business, bank, graveyard, woods, etc.) for the Bible study. Environment relates to the theme of the lesson. (Sheri Pape, Fort Worth, TX)
		Worship and Prayer
		1. Tuesday Morning Prayer Meeting top
		We have a Tuesday morning prayer meeting each week. Parents drop off their kids at the church before school. We serve donuts and juice and chocolate milk. We have a little devotional time at the start and then the students share their requests and have someone log them down in a book to see answered prayer take place before their eyes. The youth minister then takes the kids to school in the church van. (Robert Clay, First Baptist Church, Cedar Hill, TX)
		2. Progressive Worship top
		We had a progressive worship service like a progressive dinner. (Ryan Hall, Fort Worth, TX)
		Mission and Ministry Projects
		1. Coffee Talk Ministry Project top
		Coffee Talk is a monthly mission project. It's a way for teens to evangelize the homeless by taking coffee, donuts, muffins, and bagels to the homeless with the intention of sharing the message of Christ through both their words an actions. (Matt Cornelius, Fort Worth, TX)
		Outreach and Evangelism
		1. Christian Concert top
		One-Way Christian alternative concert as an alternative to Halloween. It provides an evangelistic message to teenagers and their friends. (Matt Cornelius, Fort Worth, TX)
		2. Salvation Testimony Chain top
		Recognize people who have been saved as a result of someone else and allow them to testify to God's work. Begin with one person leading a second person to the Lord. That person then shares about leading someone to Christ, and the chain goes on. (John Opiyo, Fort Worth, TX)
		3. Kidnap a Kid top
		Used in a summer youth revival. Go out and kidnap friends or youth members that didn't come. We had a pizza and watermelon party to get them to come. If you came every night, then you were rewarded on Saturday by attending a banquet on a party boat on the reservoir (which at out church was a big deal). (Sheri Pape, Fort Worth, TX)
		Teaching and General Leadership
		1. Regular Programming Ideas top
		For Sunday School Teachers, I give them one Sunday a month off. They can attend a Sunday School class with their family or other adults. I like to have a time of testimony about what God is doing. "Afterglows" following retreats, camps, mission trips, ministry projects, and revival services are always good. We also have a "SALT" (Student Action Leadership Team). Shawn Goldner and Thomas Ramey, Fort Worth, TX)
		2. Mystery Retreat top
		We had a weekend retreat that was a mystery to the kids. The parents knew where it was going to be. The retreat lasted from Friday afternoon through Sunday. We had a guest speaker and praise leader. The Saturday afternoon games included hockey with a tennis ball on a grass field and skiing with 2 x 4s as a team through an obstacle course. (Chris Alston, First Baptist Church, Burleson, TX)
		3. The Jesus I Never Knew Bible Study top
		Take various videos depicting the life and ministry of Jesus (Jesus Video, Visual Bible, The Miracle Maker, The Greatest Story Ever Told, etc.) and show each video clip. Ask the students to reflect on what they saw and what they thought about the videos. Read the Scripture passages and start a discussion about the differences and similarities. (Shane Garrison, Fort Worth, TX)
		4. Video Discipleship top
		We showed four different videos of Jesus' life and then had discussion about His life and the director's interpretations of Scripture. (Lucas Biggs, Highland Baptist Church, Denton, TX)
		5. Ongoing Parent Ministry Ideas top
		Beyond our monthly volunteer meeting., I email our volunteers weekly with devotionals, updates, prayer requests, fun stuff, surf reports (good websites, of which this is definitely one)... (J. D. Tomlin, Keller, TX)
		Fellowship and Recreation Ideas
		1. X-treme Weekend top
		This took place in January as a kick-off motivator for the first of the year. Since parents just dished out a lot of money for Christmas and we didn't want to put a burden on them, we did this. We picked out a weekend trip to New Orleans as the X-treme weekend trip. We divided our students up into 6 teams and gave them opportunities for 6-7 weeks to earn points for their team by bringing their Bible, attendance, bringing a friend, etc. At the end of the 6-7 weeks, the group who had the most points got to go on the trip for free. As n option, you could allow the winners to go for free and the rest to pay if they wanted to go. (Donnie Hatcher, West Mobile Baptist Church, Mobile, AL)
		2. Special Events Ideas top
		Messy games then present the Gospel. Talk about degrees of messy and relate this to sin. Have a Hoe Down with Pig Picken. We have had 5th quarters community wide. (JoLynn Prochaska, First Baptist Church, Aledo, TX) 7-Up Party. Have a 7th grade promotion party to welcome the new 7th graders. Decorate in yellow and green with 7-Up drinks. (Kristi Poole, Center Point Church, Fort Worth, TX) Have Wednesday night meetings at different locations. Keep it a secret once a month and take everyone in the bus. (JoLynn Prochaska, First Baptist Church, Aledo, TX)
		3. Flamingo Bowl top
		We had a Saturday afternoon flag football game between the guys and gals. The guys had to play with only one leg, hopping around like flamingos. (Brent Lightsey, Normandale Baptist Church, Fort Worth, TX)
		4. Enter Mission top
		We meet the first Saturday of each month in our church youth/fellowship hall. We have a game show at the beginning, movies, have snacks and free time afterward. Youth can play ping pong, board games, card games, basketball, and other activities. Enter Mission is a safe environment for youth to bring there lost friends. Have sign in cards and fellow-up letters. (Brian Foshee, Pleasant View Baptist Church, Fort Worth, TX)
		5. Crud Night top
		This is good for ending a Disciple Now or mission trip. Several teams each has a tarp that they throw all varieties of food and then it's watered down. Each team goes through each tarp doing something different. At the end, present the Gospel through degrees of dirtiness. All are unclean, it doesn't matter the extreme. (First Baptist Church, Booker, TX)
		6. Scavenger Hunt top
		On a scavenger hunt we went to the town prison and broke in the back door (this was in a small town and was pre-arranged with the police). Once the youth got in the cops came out and locked them up and then called the pastor and youth minister (waiting and laughing!!). It was funny because we really scared the kids. (Sheri Pape, Fort Worth, TX)
		7. Woman-less Beauty Pageant top
		Have a woman-less beauty pageant for a fun fellowship or fundraiser. Be sure to have the pastor as a contestant. (Sheri Pape, Fort Worth, TX)
		Publicity Ideas
		1. Email Newsletter and Coupon top
		Send an email newsletter with a coupon at the bottom of the page. Receivers can print out the coupon and cash it in at the advertised event. (JoLynn Prochaska, First Baptist Church, Aledo, TX)
		2. Publicity Ideas top
		Flush Flash - put a newsletter in the bathroom stalls with the note, "You had to go, so now you know." Put "Thanks 4 coming" signs in guest yards Monday morning after they visit your church. (Kristi Poole, Center Point Church, Fort Worth, TX)