Youth Ministry Topics Youth Centers, Buildings and Rooms
Ten Tips to Spice Up Your Youth Room
Paul Evans
1 - Wild Welcome Center
What is the first thing guests see when
they enter your youth room? What impression do you think they receive? Well, you
know what they say, "You never get a second chance to make a first
impression." Get a couple of your friendliest teens and station them at the
door to warmly welcome visitors. Have a table set up as a welcome area that has
resources about your group such as newsletters, class outlines, etc. Also, ask
that they fill out a card with their address so you can keep them informed of
upcoming events. Hey, while you're at it, offer some light refreshments.
2 - Youth Group Posters
Most youth rooms adorn their walls with
contemporary bands, Christian sayings, and bulletin boards that haven't been
changed since 1953. Be different. Take some photos of your group to a local copy
shop and get them blown up to poster size. To take the idea a step further, ask
the shop what software they use with their equipment. Find someone in the church
who has the same software, scan the pictures, change the background, rearrange
the people, and add your own headline.
3 - Themed D?cor
Does your group have a particular name
or a verse they love? Why not use it as the theme for your room? Let's say the
group has adopted the sermon on the mount. You could decorate the room with a
mountain theme, or maybe even like a jungle. Your praise time could be called
Jungle Jams. You could do lessons about Jesus the King of the Jungle. When you
have refreshments you can call the sodas Jungle Juice. (Okay, so it's possible
to take the theme too far. Just use common sense and make the room fun.)
4 - Logo Logistics
Use, use, use, use, use, use your logo
everywhere. Put it on postcards, visitor cards, posters, letterhead, business
cards, apparel, bulletin boards, worship sheets, class outlines, and on anything
else your group uses to be seen. You'll know you have reached logo saturation
when the church refers to the teens no longer as the "youth group,"
but by "whatever your logo is."
5 - Media Center
Parents are constantly worried about
what their kids are listening to and watching. Provide a Christ-rated
environment. Let the teens donate their favorite Christian artists and movies to
the media center and then open it at certain hours during the week for teens to
come be together for spiritual music and wholesome videos.
6 - Crash Corner
Make your room cozy by setting up house
in one corner. Arrange a couple of couches or recliners (love seats may be
risky). Create a place to relax before class begins. If space allows, think
about calling one of the soda giants to install a fountain machine. Add a
microwave and some popcorn and your crash corner will turn into a smash corner.
7 - Games
Religion is such serious business for
some that they forget to have fun. Let your teens know fun is on God's agenda by
providing games in the room to share your time together. You would be surprised
at the number of people willing to donate a foosball or pool table as well as
other fun stuff. When people volunteer their board games go ahead and count all
the pieces. And as a final precautionary note: stay away from Twister;
the church leaders never understand how it ties in with fellowship.
8 - Creative Lighting
Brighten your room with floor lamps,
stage lighting,? spot lights,? black lights, flash lights, candles,
Christmas lights, or a combination.
9 - Surprise Set-Ups
Let your room match the lesson. For
example, if you decided to study the Lord's prayer and used Max Lucado's book The
Great House of God as a reference, you could set up according to the prayer
sections. When you talk about the Lord giving us our daily bread, set up the
room like a kitchen. You'll get a lot of visitors coming to see your room. And,
who knows, they might actually listen to the lesson as well.
10 -?Teen Spice
Get your group together and put them in charge of the entire room. Give them the parameters of? what may and may not be done, then get out of the way!
Permissions
Permission to print granted by Paul Evans of Teen Life Ministries. Their goal is to produce fresh and practical resources that will change the lives of youth workers, teens, and parents for God's glory. Check out their resources for youth workers at http://www.teenlifeministries.com/index.html.
