Every church no matter how big or how small has teens within its congregation, and with that they have a youth group. Some churches are know for having amazing youth group meetings while others can struggle. One thing that is in common with all of them is the desire to get teens “on fire for Christ.” The goal of almost every youth group is to teach teens about the Bible and Christ along with how to deal with some of the issues they are dealing with on a regular basis. There can be a game to go along with the lesson to help break the ice, some groups use music to start the meeting off, while other just jump into the meeting. No matter how you approach youth group meetings, you want to make sure your lesson is geared to the age group instead of a variety of ages as a sermon would be.
World Religions: This is a topic that is popular in my youth group. The leader asks the group to name different world religions that he or she places on a board. They can separate them into Eastern and Western religions to help the teens get an idea of where the religion originates. Then they can have a discussion each week on what that religion believes and some stereotypes. Then they could also discuss differences and similarities that religion has with Christianity. For example one week the youth group could discuss Islam and compare and contrast Islam with Christianity. This will not only teach the teens about a different religion, but it would teach them tolerance, understanding and non-judgment. It will also force the teens to think about how their faith can relate to someone else of a different faith for example Christians and Muslims pray; even if it is done differently.
Gossip: Every teenager deals with gossip in some form or another. They need to learn how to deal with gossip in a Godly way, and how to turn away from gossip. There are be a misunderstanding of what gossip is, so the youth leader could have the teens go around and give a definition of what they think gossip is, and have everyone decide on what the best definition was. Then based on that the leader can talk about how it effects each of them; he or she could do this by telling the group about a rumor that was spread about them, and have them share one that they had to deal with. Gossip is something teens will always have to deal with throughout life, and learning to deal with it at a young age will always stick with them in the future. We want our teens to learn how not to gossip, how to respond to gossip and what to do when someone gossips about them.
Sex: This is always a topic that needs to be discussed not once but several times throughout the course of a youth group. Teens are faced with sex every day of their lives whether they are being pressured into it, thinking about it or simply watching television which has many sexual based themes. The youth leader can ask the teens questions they may have and assure them that their questions will not leave the room. Then you can go into what the Bible says about sexual behavior and why one should wait until marriage. The leader can talk about disease, risks, and other things that go along with being abstinent. This will give teens the comfort to talk to their youth pastor about things, but also help them understand the values that go along with sex.
The Bible: Teens sometimes have a hard time understanding the Bible. The youth leader could list some of the things that confuses the group and spend a few weeks talking about those things to help the teens understand it better. They can have discussions about different serious topics that the Bible talks about such as abortion, sexuality, death, depression and more. These are things that teens need someone to talk to about and having a safe place like youth group will help them develop arguments, values, and stances on these topics. The youth can express problems they may have with the Bible and be able to discuss them openly. The Bible can be confusing to even the most experienced pastor let alone a teenager. Having a series of weeks where they can ask questions and discuss things will help their understanding.
Trusting God: Everyone goes through different trials, teens are no exception. They need to learn how to trust God through different situations. They can learn about prayer partners, relying on God and that it is okay to be angry at God. This is a good topic to use Job, Daniel, and others as an example of trusting God in trials. Have the teens express what they struggle with when it comes to trusting God, and have others express how they can help each other rely on God more in their life. This is not only help the teens trust God more, but also each other and feel comfortable coming to one another with help.
Peers/Making Good Choices: This can be a topic that could use an illustration. The leader can stand on a chair and have one teen try to pull them off the chair, then they try to pull the teen up. This shows that it is easier for someone to pull us down from God, instead of us pulling them up. Then have a discussion with some examples from the Bible about how choices can turn out bad like the parable of the talents and prodigal son. The teens can discuss choices they struggled with that turned out good, ones that turned out bad and then what they could have done to have the outcome be different than what it was. They can talk about peer pressure and the things they are pressured into, some could be serious like drugs and alcohol others could be simple like goign to prom but still hard for a teen to deal with pressure from a friend.
Every lesson for youth group should of course have Biblical references that the teens can look back on. Examples and illustrations are a great way to help teens learn what the Bible is teaching them. Youth groups are a great way for teens to come together and express what they believe and grow with people their age. They need lessons that would help them through life and keep them interested in coming to the group. If all it is is fun and laughter some may feel like they are getting nothing. This is why many use ice breaker games to give a little entertainment, but turn the game into the lesson. There is nothing wrong with fun and games as long as there is a purpose to it. Sometimes the fun can go too far and just end up not teaching anything or helping the teens with their growth.
