Page 75 - Youth Discipleship Student Textbook

I told them that we were going to have a special event in a cabin in the woods. Fake cops would be out
to get them an put them in jail, but they could sneak into the building, being careful not to get caught.
We were going to have a giant pie-in-the-face competition. Each student had to dress in a costume of
the 1920’s in the US. We had all kinds of exciting events planned. We also planned on presenting the
gospel to everyone who attended. The catch was that to come, you had to bring a visitor to youth group
who had never come before. They would be turned away with out visitor!

After that event, youth group went from 13 to 30 almost overnight, with over a dozen young people
receiving Christ as Savior and entering our discipleship program. Using similar events, our youth group
grew from 13 to almost 200 in about two years. The students became highly motivated to get together
for youth events!

Sample Events that motivate youth.

1. Divide your weekly meeting time into three segments.

A. The first is a fellowship time. It could include skits, athletic events or competition, games, any
kind of competition that involves the youth in some enjoyable activities.
B. A time of Intensive Bible Study. You could have a lesson taught by the youth pastor, then break
into smaller groups to discuss how to apply the lesson in group or personal lives.
C. A time of worship and prayer together. This could include music, testimonies, and prayer
requests.

2. Plan a special monthly event for the purpose of evangelism and growth. Be creative and make it an
enjoyable event that will be remembered for a lifetime.

3. Plan youth retreats at a camp. This does not have to be expensive. Getting the students away for a
weekend and planning various events can really bring the group together.

4. Take the group camping or on a hike to a remote location. We took 45 students and hiked to the top
of Mt. Olympus in Washington State. We backpacked for three days and it was an amazing experience
for the group. Be sure to have plenty of chaperones along with you and establish important rules before
departing.

5. Take your youth group to historical sites. Preplan a fun facts quiz for them to find out information
about what happened at the historical site.

6. Take the older youth to “college days” events at Christian colleges in your area. If students plan to
attend college, encourage them to consider obtaining their education at a Christian college. The facts
are plain. Between 65 and 80% of Christian kids who go to secular colleges in the US will deny their faith
by the time they graduate from that college or university. Secular or state colleges are filled with
professors who are highly trained to challenge the faith of any Christian student. Since most Christian
students have little or no defense, they buckle under the pressure.

7. Invite guest speakers who are a proper roll model for the youth. Perhaps having a guest missionary
tell of his exciting experiences on the mission field would motivate some of the students to consider a

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