I’m excited that next year we get to try something really fresh in HSM in 2008-2009. Today I announced a cool new direction for our small groups in the Fall – we’re doing them in The Refinery for 10 weeks with a unified curriculum. We’ll jump back into homes after the Christmas break, but we need to spend some time getting our arms around the program and unify and build community in our volunteers.
The nights (both Tuesday and Wednesday) will consist of a leader welcome (w/food, naturally), vision, training and encouragement. We’ll go over the night and spend a few minutes in prayer together. Then we jump into our main meeting room for opening announcements, prayer and maybe an overview of the night, then spread out all over the building for small groups. Groups end at the same time give or take, so students can mingle and play until the end of the night.
We’re also going to beta-test the first year of a 4-year small group material put out by Simply Youth Ministry. We’re in the early stages of co-creating a 4-year ideal world curriculum from freshman to senior years of high school. Couldn’t be more excited about the upcoming shift in location, community and curriculum!
JG
Josh Griffin has been in youth ministry for 15+ years and serves as the High School Pastor at Saddleback Church. [
Latest Tweet
Geoff Stewart serves the Jr / Sr High School Pastor at Peace Portal Alliance Church in Surrey B.C.
Why the format change? What was the thought process behind being in the building compared to homes? Just interested.
Don’t you just love the adventure that change brings? Sounds great!
We are changing up right now. We used to do small groups in homes on Sunday afternoons. No growth basically, same kids. Our Mid-Week youth group kept butting heads with school activities.
We moved, a couple of weeks ago, our youth group meeting to Sunday evening, we have had more students at that than we did in small groups. We are incorporating small group time into the youth group meeting.
My prayer is that some small groups kick off spontaneously in the fall in some homes on different week nights giving students and option.
I have noticed, now that I am in my 7th year at the same church, that sometimes what was perfect 2-3 years ago, isn’t working the best now and you have to make a medium to large change…Then in 2-5 years, I bet that won’t work and you end up doing something similar to what is going on now…I call it the constant energy rule.
Every time something changes and is new, new energy gets put into it, keeping your energy level at a constant push forward.
curious about the curriculum you mentioned. is that something thats out now?
@ Scott – let me post about that, good question!
@ Kenny – I love that idea – constant energy rule!
@ Lane – we’re beta testing it, then it’ll come out in late 2008 I think?
JG