Warning! to those who are in youth ministry; your teenagers want to know "what's the point?" We had a lively discussion last night in YG that centered around this question in the debriefing session after a game involving multiple bodies (10) and a 4'x8' entryway carpet.
I spent an hour asking questions and chasing down bold statements of defiance and frustration. I jotted notables on the whiteboard and looked for ways to help the teens discover the answers rather than give them the answers. As a closing exercise, I gave them paper and asked them to evaluate the evening. "What was the point?", etc.
I was blown away by the responses. Most of them didn't get the answer(s). Most of them didn't like being stretched by the conversation and questions. This book has got to be one of the best spent $10 for this group.
(Experiential Youth Ministry Handbook, John Losey)
My initial temptation is to write a 101 things that you should have learned from this "pointless" activity. I have mellowed out some. I believe I will call it 101 things that I learned from this activity. :)
Still loving teens (even the ones that don't get it at first),
Mike
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3 comments:
So, What IS the point, anyway? :)
Thad
Watch for more in future posts!
One of the points was that we really don't listen for other points of view once we think that we have the answer/solution. We tend to be focused on our thinking, thinking that there can be no other legitimate, let alone better, ways of handling the same issues.
Mike
I don't get it? whats the handicap symbol on the word verication ?
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