All-Nighters take me out for days. Sore muscles, foggy brain, exhausted body. Is it worth it?
I remember years ago reading a survey of thousands of teens from youth groups around the country; when it came to popular fun events, all-nighters were ahead of the competition by a landslide. Based on my experience, the results would be the same today if they did that survey again. And it makes sense; think back to when you were thirteen, fifteen years old – being able to say you stayed up all night was exciting, it was cool, it was something to brag to your friends about. It was a sort of test of endurance.
Why is it worth it? These events are over the top and exciting for adolescents. They’re cool, and the critical ministries we want kids in week after week become cool by association. Teens may not think of it in terms like that, but the over the top events like retreats and all-nighters do create a reputation of being the place to be – I want teens bragging to their friends about the events we do, I want them posting on their social media about it. All-nighters are an investment, both financially and physically, in our Wednesday night small groups and Sunday morning large group ties.
Here’s the thing, we do that same kind of attractional event for adults, don’t we? Concerts, picnics, holiday parties – we may use language like fellowship to explain their value, but at the core it’s the same, isn’t it? Our church becomes exciting to our adult crowd in part because of these concerts, picnics and parties. They may not be spelled out in the Bible, but we see the Biblical value in doing them. The same is true of all-nighters.
They’re not just about fun, there is real, ongoing value to doing them. They are a powerful investment in the critical ministry that happens in our small groups and Sunday mornings.
Matthew and Heather have been in full time youth ministry for twenty years. They have four sons ranging from 13 to 20 years old, which means the majority of their time is spent buying food and replacing broken furniture. You can find Matthew’s writing, resources, and podcast, on his website, www.MatthewMcNutt.com.
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