Ideas for Christian Youth Group Activities
- Get youth group members involved in the life of their community.Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
Serving the community doesn't have to be dull. Let the group members take the lead in brainstorming, organizing and executing to really engage them. They could host a Fun Day for the kids of a local orphanage, with games, crafts, snacks and a Bible study. Alternatively, divide them into teams and let each team pick an area of town and pick up trash. They can solicit donations from home improvement stores and give away a home makeover for a needy family each month, or organize an after-school program for at-risk kids with snacks, tutoring and Bible study. - Enjoy a water-balloon toss on a hot summer day.Digital Vision/Valueline/Getty Images
Step away from the textbook or Bible and have some fun with your youth group. Get outside; if the weather is good and you have space, play capture the flag or flag football. Hold a mini carnival; divide members into teams and hold impromptu competitions, such as an egg toss or three-legged race. Split members into two teams and tell each to design a scavenger hunt for the other team. The first team to solve all the clues wins a prize. - Money can be a great motivator for young people.Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
Fundraising activities help teach kids to work hard for money. Hold an auction during church and "sell" each group member's talents or services. Perhaps a young pianist could offer lessons to a congregant's young son, or a Hispanic member could give Spanish lessons to the older church members. Offer cleaning and errand-running services for the elderly at heavy discounts, or put on an elaborate play and charge a dollar for admission. - Get your youth group thinking about how it can reach out to others.Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
Whether your group is church-focused or not, they can still teach and learn a lot from others. Start a pen pal program and assign a different country to each youth group member. Discuss how different each pen pal is and what the group likes about her. Start a mentoring program. Announce it during church, at school or in the newspaper. Parents can sign up young children to be mentored by an older youth. You could also initiate an elderly outreach program. Each group member can commit to spending three hours a week with a lonely or sedentary elderly person, helping around the house, running errands or just listening.
