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Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 10/19/2009 11:45:13 AM
Posts: 1,
Visits: 15
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Hi, I've been looking for a community for a few days now to help my wife and I with the Youth Group we lead. Before I get started with all the n00b  questions, here's a little info about myself and our Youth Group.
My wife and I were approached by our church's new pastor about starting a youth group. We had several youth attending, but nothing really for them to do. Our church had trips for the kids about 2-3 times a year and a shrinking Sunday school class, but that was the extent of youth ministry at the church when we took over.
B.R.I.C.K. -Built Righteous In Christ's Kingdom- was started a little over a year ago by my wife and I. We are members of Red River Baptist Church in Adams, TN. Red River is a small, rural church with an attendance of about 75-100 at Sunday service.
B.R.I.C.K. was the name for our group chosen by the kids. We started with 2 kids attending Sunday School and about 5 attending Wednesday nights. We've since grown to about 9 on Sunday School and 14 on Wednesday nights. We have a great group of well behaved kids that I have no problem taking anywhere. We try to have one event a month.
Our group meetings are a discussion group style with me usually just leading a discussion based on the lesson of the day. From time to time we have art and mission projects to go along with the discussions.
Here are a few questions I have:
-Our group has grown quite a bit considering we're a small church and we started with only 2, but I feel like we've hit a plateau and was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for growing the group.
-Kids from other churches. A few local churches have no youth ministry at all and we have been absorbing some of their youth. I never specifically invite kids from other churches because I feel that there are too many un-churched kids out there for me to be "taking" kids from other churches. However, I also don't want to tell them they can't come to our meetings because I know their church offers them nothing.
One of the main problems stems from the fact that our church is so good to our youth group, we have a (within reason) unlimited budget and our kids don't pay to go on trips. I've asked kids that were members of other churches to pay and find that really awkward and I think it makes them feel unwelcome. I need a better system for handling youth that are members of other churches. Something awesome has come from this "problem" however, one local church has decided to start a youth group with ours as their inspiration.
-Attendance and Events. As I said earlier our church is AWESOME when it comes to our budget. Our treasurer has made it plain that she doesn't want the kids to have to pay to go on trips. We are going to see Casting Crowns soon and the church will be paying for the kids' tickets and the hotel stay (need prayer for that, lol). Should I institute an attendance rule for events? I ask because I have a girl that has come to our meetings twice, signed up to go on the Casting Crowns trip and hasn't been back since. I need a system in place to control this type of situation.
-Paperwork. What type of forms/letters do you ask from your kids? We try to maintain an info sheet on all the kids with contact numbers, medical info, parent's info, basic stuff. My wife has mentioned we may need to get permission to treat forms in case of an emergency. And my pastor has said whenever we're crossing state lines we need a signed permission slip from the parents. Just curious what other groups do.
I have a million other questions but can't think of them right now, and I feel like this is more than enough for a first post anyways
Thanks in advance!
~Servant Leader of B.R.I.C.K. (Built Righteous In Christ's Kingdom) at Red River Baptist Church, Adams, TN.
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 11/17/2009 12:20:03 PM
Posts: 12,
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| Hi, I will tell you what we do in our group. We also are from a very rural area and run about 14 - 20 in our Wednesday night class. (We don't have a Sunday class for teenagers either). God can do alot with a small number of people, you don't have to have a huge group to accomplish what God has set forth. Let the ones from other churches come if they (the other churches)do not offer cl for them. I don't think you are "taking" them. I am that way also...I want ALL the kids from our area to come so that I can teach them of Jesus, it has nothing to do with number, just wanting them to learn of our Lord.LOL It's all about Him. You are fortunate that your church pays for your youth outings, our youth group does fundraisers to earn the money for the events and whatever we can't make the kids pay the difference. We have some that can not afford to pay and some of the adults will sponsor those kids. I do have an understanding with the youth that if they don't attend regularly then when we do have a trip they have to pay if they want to go. (I can't tell them they can't go  But in our case it is not fair to the youth that work the fundraisers if we let the other kids that don't come regularly go on the trip for nothing. For anything we do away from church property I have the youth return a permission slip signed by their parent. That just protects the church. We have traveled out of state and we have the parents sign a medical release form that gives the leader permission to have a child treated at a hospital if neccesary. I hope that this will help some what. I am sure that other churches may do their outings in other ways but this is what we have decided works for us the best at the time. Good luck with your ministry and may God Bless you and your group.
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Forum Guru
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 11/18/2009 7:13:05 PM
Posts: 68,
Visits: 218
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Wow. You are doing soooooo well. I'm thrilled to hear it.
You asked: "Our group has grown quite a bit considering we're a small church and we started with only 2, but I feel like we've hit a plateau and was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for growing the group."
I suggest, "You Can Double Your Class in Two Years or Less," By Josh Hunt
You asked: "Kids from other churches. A few local churches have no youth ministry at all and we have been absorbing some of their youth. I never specifically invite kids from other churches because I feel that there are too many un-churched kids out there for me to be "taking" kids from other churches. However, I also don't want to tell them they can't come to our meetings because I know their church offers them nothing."
For perspective keep in mind that you are not only reaching out to the unchurched but also discipling the Christian kids. Teach every kid you can. Reach every kid you can. Get a Bible lesson in every chance you get.
You said: "One of the main problems stems from the fact that our church is so good to our youth group, we have a (within reason) unlimited budget and our kids don't pay to go on trips. I've asked kids that were members of other churches to pay and find that really awkward and I think it makes them feel unwelcome. I need a better system for handling youth that are members of other churches."
I think if you explain it well they will understand. You are handling this properly in my view. We frequently teamed up with other churches for events like Acquire The Fire, etc. We paid our own way. It's only fair.
You said, "Attendance and Events. As I said earlier our church is AWESOME when it comes to our budget. Our treasurer has made it plain that she doesn't want the kids to have to pay to go on trips. We are going to see Casting Crowns soon and the church will be paying for the kids' tickets and the hotel stay (need prayer for that, lol). Should I institute an attendance rule for events? I ask because I have a girl that has come to our meetings twice, signed up to go on the Casting Crowns trip and hasn't been back since. I need a system in place to control this type of situation."
In the past I have limited the number of kids who can go on the trips to how many I can handle or facilities allow. I use attendance records to choose which kids win the privilege to attend. When I took them on a long weekend to the lake the cabin only slept six. I took the top six attendees. I let them know this up front at the beginning of the fall season so they all knew. It was good incentive and worked well.
You asked: "Paperwork. What type of forms/letters do you ask from your kids? We try to maintain an info sheet on all the kids with contact numbers, medical info, parent's info, basic stuff. My wife has mentioned we may need to get permission to treat forms in case of an emergency. And my pastor has said whenever we're crossing state lines we need a signed permission slip from the parents. Just curious what other groups do."
Listen to your wife. Get every form you can. Make sure you have every contact number for the parents and know where the nearest medical facility is. Do not wait until the crisis arises to ask yourself, "What will I do?" Disaster can strike. Be prepared so if the worst occurs everyone knows you did everything possible to protect the kids. Need an eye-opener? Read this book: "Better safe than sued" by Jack Crabbtree.
Keep up the great work. You are an inspiration to me.
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