Abingdon Youth

By Chip Borgstadt

Youth learn more and remember it more consistently if they have immediate, personal contact with what is being taught.

The numbers are in. We remember only 5 to 10% of what we hear. Pretty depressing, isn’t it? All those nifty lessons we’ve prepared for youth – forgotten. But if we see something, we can increase our memory to 20 or 30%. Still not very memorable. Roleplay and simulation help, leaving us with up to 60% retention. To be truly effective, learning must involve direct experience. Over 90% of what is learned through such experience will be retained over time.

So how do today’s youth learn? The answer is simple: by directly experiencing the issue or topic. They learn more and remember it more consistently if they have immediate, personal contact with what is being taught. Lectures typically are met with blank stares at best and self-entertaining mischief at worst. Worksheets and paper-oriented projects are often viewed as busywork. Even games and simulations grow old. But active engaging experiences are a different story!

Youth ministries that have a great impact on youth incorporate great amounts of direct experience so young people will grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. At one time in our culture we could get by with discussing faith issues to promote spiritual growth/ The discussion was sufficient to connect social expectations and behaviors with the reasons related to faith. This faith orientation was found in movies and literature – even commerce was shaped by faith rationales.

But learning in our culture has changed. Christianity is no longer the center of our society. The task of forming a “people set apart’ now needs to be done experientially. Impacting youth ministries recognize this need – and provide youth opportunities to learn through spiritual development, small groups and service to others.

Spiritual Development
When youth exercise their muscles, they get physically stronger. Spiritual exercise promotes spiritual strength, too. Intentional practice of the following spiritual disciplines will give life in abundance to young people.

•Young people need to know someone is praying for them. Even if you have to keep a list, be sure you drop a card to each youth that says, “I’ve been praying for you.” Or when you call on the phone, tell the person, “When I was praying for you, I thanked God for your sense of humor (or your kindness or any other trait).”

•Youth grow when they have the experience of praying with another. Before, during, or after a youth ministry function, be sure the young people pray as a group or in pairs or in threes. Encourage them to ask for God’s blessing on their efforts and to give thanks for the opportunity to grow through he function. Remind them to pray for those who are unable to be with the group, too.

•Community is built when young people pray for one another. Provide opportunities for young people to bring prayer requests for themselves, friends, family, and other group members.

Scripture Study
Each ministry will have distinctive needs in terms of Bible use and study. For ministries with many new members, a brief devotional focusing on one key idea will build the identity that this is more than a social organization. As the community grow closer, more extensive Bible study is appropriate. A word of caution, however: Don’t make any scripture study a lecture. Keep everyone actively involved through lively discussion in pairs, growing to foursome and groups of eight.

•Periodically, agree with youth to read a series of Scriptures together over a week-long period. Determine the order and give everyone a list of scriptures. Discuss insights together at the end of the week.

•Provide a Scripture journal for young people to record questions and insights from their own reading. Show its value by asking youth to share impacting implications they have identified through personal reading.

Reflection
Don’t ask for a schedule of young people’s activities. You’ll be worn out reading it. (Imagine their parents.)

•Provide periodic solitude for young people to find a quiet place. Start by tackling 60 seconds – and work up to four or five minutes.

•After youth have grown in their ability to find solitude, encourage them to contemplate Philippians 4:8 or another short scripture. Debrief by asking for their insights.

Small Groups
Young people have a deep need to belong. Families provide partial fulfillment of this need, but being part of other groups is vital for the personal and spiritual growth of youth. Peer groups and small groups have contacts with adults and complement the family in building relationship skills and fostering faith.

•Use small groups whenever possible for planning and implementing impacting youth ministry activities. Small groups that meet on a regular basis for an agreed time period allow trust to develop and cooperation to grow so that deeper sharing and coordinated projects are possible.

•Introduce small groups with specific responsibilities and measurable completion points. At the beginning, negotiate times when new people can join the group, and set the expectation that it will remain open to new members.

Service to Others
Giving oneself for others is one of the strongest experiences for people. Service to benefit another’s life brings about the deepest understanding and the most significant change in the servant.

•Plan realistic and challenging service projects. Youth can do more than pick up trash or collect recyclables. Visit nursing homes to develop ongoing relationships with residents. Raise the funds to pay for materials youth use in painting and restoring an older adult’s house.

•Reach out to people of all ages and life situations. Organize, promote, and implement a gift drive for children of prisoners. Bake cookies, and take them weekly to shut-ins. Read the Bible and pray together during the visit.

•Declare a week “Youth Service Week.” With the youth identify ways they can serve others in their daily routine. Remember that service need not be spectacular. Jesus said, “A cup of cold water in my name…” At the end of the week, come together to discuss how each person felt doing the service and what affect it had on others. Make a list of what was learned throughout the week.

Small groups, spiritual development, and service are three strategies to provide direct experience with impactful images. Use these strategies to help young people remember what they’ve learned.

B>Brought to you by your youth ministry colleagues at Cokesbury.