Starting the Fall Off Right!

By Ronald|2023-08-07T08:55:53-07:00August 7th, 2023|Youth Ministry Ideas|3 Comments

Fall is finally upon us, and if you’re anything like me, you’re buzzing with excitement for what this new season holds for your student ministry. There’s something inherently invigorating about the start of the school year – new faces, fresh enthusiasm, and endless opportunities for growth in faith. So, how do we harness this energy and create an unforgettable fall kick-off for our students? Let’s dive into some tips to help you make the most of this exciting time!

Seize the Moment: Plan a Memorable Kick-Off

The start of the school year is a golden opportunity to create a memorable kick-off event. Whether you’re dedicating an entire evening or even an entire month to the kick-off, make it a big deal! Organize engaging activities, games, and maybe even a theme that resonates with your students. This sets the tone for the rest of the season and builds anticipation.

Set the Course: Reset Goals and Cast Vision

As you welcome both new and returning students, take the time to reset your goals and cast a clear vision for the year ahead. Ensure that everyone in your student ministry knows the ‘why’ behind what you’re striving for. This could involve sharing your ministry’s purpose, goals, and values during the kick-off event. A strong sense of purpose can fuel enthusiasm and commitment among your students.

Facilitate Connections: Highlight Opportunities to Engage

Fall is all about restarting and building new routines, so emphasize the various opportunities for students to connect and get involved. During the kick-off, make it crystal clear how they can plug into small groups, service projects, worship teams, and any other activities your ministry offers. Provide sign-up sheets or online forms to streamline the process and ensure everyone can find their place in the community.

Capture the Magic: Document the Kick-Off

In the whirlwind of events, it’s easy to forget to capture the special moments. Make an effort to document your fall kick-off with plenty of photos and even videos. Not only do these mementos serve as heartwarming reminders for the students, but they can also be wonderful to look back on as they move up or graduate in the future. Plus, sharing these memories on social media can help build a buzz for your ministry and attract even more students.

Nurture Lasting Relationships

Remember, a successful fall kick-off isn’t just about the event itself; it’s about building lasting relationships. Encourage your leadership team to be intentional about forming connections with both new and returning students. Whether it’s through one-on-one conversations, mentoring programs, or casual hangouts, creating a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere can help students feel valued and supported.

So there you have it, fellow youth pastors – a roadmap to creating an amazing fall kick-off for your student ministry! This is a season of renewed energy and eager hearts, and by implementing these strategies, you can set the stage for a year full of growth, community, and spiritual development.

Remember, each student who walks through your doors is on a unique journey, and your role is to guide, encourage, and inspire them as they navigate their faith. Have an incredible fall kick-off, and may this season be one of transformation and abundant blessings for both you and your students.

Need a game to kickstart your fall?

Get your group up and active in this classic game that will have students grouping up and performing festive actions.

Have your students up and milling around. You will show a number and a school-themed action on the screen. Participants then need to get in groups (aka “clumps”) that match the number and perform the action displayed. If you play it as an elimination game, the last group to form, or without enough people to form the group, is out.

Click here to download and play!

4 Tips to Create Event Hype!

By Ronald|2023-01-19T06:41:10-08:00January 19th, 2023|Uncategorized|7 Comments

We all know how hard it can be to get our students excited for upcoming events like retreats and dance parties and whatever else you might have on your calendar for the year. Whether it’s because there are a hundred other things on their calendar or they haven’t checked their email, social media, bulletin, or the youth room announcement board, students can sometimes lack the hype we’d love for them to have.

Here are a few tips to help get your students motivated and participating!

1. Get them involved in the planning process. Encourage your students to come up with ideas for the event. Have them help plan activities, pick a theme, and design promotional materials. To get them involved in the planning process, you could start by having a brainstorming session with your students. Let them come up with ideas for activities, themes, and promotional materials. You could also have a voting session where they can vote on the ideas they like best.

2. Create a “Countdown to the Event”. Have your students track the days leading up to the event and post photos or videos on social media. You could create a countdown calendar for your students to follow. You could also have them post pictures or videos on social media of them getting ready for the event with the hashtag #countdown2event.

3. Have fun and be creative with promoting the event. Have your students create fun videos or memes to share on social media and with their friends. To get your students excited about creating promotional materials, you could offer a prize for the best video or meme. You could also have them post the promotional materials on their own social media accounts to reach more people.

4. Share stories. Have your students share stories of past events and the experiences they had. Hearing stories of past events will help get your students excited for the upcoming event and give them something to look forward to. You can also ask your students to think of ways they can make the upcoming event even better than the last one.

We hope these tips help you get your students excited and ready to participate in your upcoming event. We can’t wait to hear how it goes!

Need to generate some hype right before an event? Check out this Dancing Beast Countdown from Matthew McNutt!

It’s a hairy beast dancing for five minutes to fun music. What more could you want in a countdown video?

Gold member’s got this for free this month! Want to check out what all you could get by going Gold? Click here to see all the great member perks INCLUDING some sweet new Co-Leader credits!