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Youth Group Starts AND Where are The Students!
So this has been happening and makes me wonder if i am not alone, what someone who faced this has done to help remedy this situation...
Our youth group starts at 6:30 for students to hang out till 7 when we start our program....
At 6:55 we had like 30 people there... Then at 7:03 we had 99 people there!!!
Why might the students not come early and only show up for the progam... I think were missing some community... We do have coffee tables and a snack shop... we try to be very intentional with the community setting...
Question: 1. Have you ever had this problem.... 2. What was the cause and how did you remedy it....
- 7 Answers
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My situation is similar in that our 'hang out time" didn't seem to be accomplishing the purpose of building relationships. Kids would show up, but the game kids would be gaming and the musicians would be jammin', etc. So recently, I've started doing a structured game or activity to get kids interacting for 20 minutes or so before we go into our worship/Bible study program. When the Bible study time is over, we give them another half hour or so to hang out at the end. We also do a meal on Wed. for the kids in school actvities. If I had my choice, though, I'd rather have kids come to Bible study and skip the hanging out. It's kind of a good problem to have! |
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I had this problem as well. I talked with some students and they just didn't care to be there for "hang out" time. They just wanted the structured time. They were mostly Sr. High. Jr. High loved to "hang out". Now I give less "hang out" time at the beginning - starting our structured time earlier. Some hang out longer afterwards, but not too long because there's school the next day. I've had angered parents if their teens don't get home on time. You could try some structured games that go with your lesson to start and generate community or move your lesson earlier and give more time at the end. Of courese, the best community builders seem to come on mission trips, camping and other "away adventures". |
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I have mainly middle school so to hang out after just does not work. |
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First of all...good for you! 99 students from you community are onsite and involved with your message and event. I call that a win. You could be dealing with show up for fun and run when things get rolling. As far as the few minutes late thing. Try generating some things they don't want to miss (video, room invasions, etc) but if it just showing up late. I wouldn't worry about it too much. I love when my baseball/football players show up dirty and stinky...it means they want to be there. I even provide food for those can't get home from practice...just a thought. Sounds like you got some great things going! Bravo! Link Details: 3 years ago
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Yeah I agree with Luke. We have a "hang out" time before our service and right away it was really popular but eventually the excitement faded. We still have that hangout time but now have given more structure to hang out after the service and most nights i have to kick students out because they don't wanna leave and it's 1 1/2 hrs after our service ended. We actually structured this time the exact same as the hang out time before the service. |
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I have experienced this to some extent. I have been finding that the upcoming generations are networking generations and tend to wait till last minute to commit or participate in case there is something better that comes along. They also are involved in many other things, stretched from one thing to the other. It may also be the way you have your night programmed. They may feel the "hangout time" is not beneficial for them and don't show up until the "real" time begins. You may need to begin to re-think your fellowship time and begin to stress it more it it's that important. |
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Have you considered inverting the evening schedule? We had the same issue and we started having something structured start right at the start of the night. Usually it's something that you can easily add people to, so as students show up they just join in. |
