youth group stuff

8 things youth group leaders need to know about e-ministry

by Jacob Smith
posted on 2006-01-17

This post was inspired by this post over at pastors.com. by Terrel Sanders of Main Street Enterprises. I thought I might adapt the list for this audience.

1. Your target audience is more Internet-savvy than you are.
The youth in your group are on the internet more than you are and have grown up with it. It is part of their DNA. With the introduction of sites like MySpace and Facebook, not having a website is as much of a social crime as wearing headgear ala 16 Candles.

2. Your web site is the first place many members will look for information.
How many times have we seen fliers crumpled up in the trash bin on the way out the door? It’s a bit harder to do that with a server, although I’m sure some guys in my group would try. With the web you have the ability to have an always on, always accurate bulletin board.

3. Your web site may be your only existence to the community at large.
You have to get your youth in front of your congregation more. If it feels like your congregation thinks your youth program is retreats and youth Sunday then you’re not doing your job. The web can be a great place to communicate all the things you are doing to the faith community at large. Every meeting, every service event should be on there with pictures – people love pictures.

4. Youth will decide whether to come to a meeting based on your site.
If you have meeting previews on the site make sure they are compelling. Remember it’s not the bulletin so you have multiple forms of media at your disposal.

5. A whole generation exists that will seek “religion” online.
This one I’m lifting directly from Terell

In his book Boiling Point, George Barna projects that 10 to 20 percent of the population will rely on the Internet for all of their spiritual input and output by 2010.

Well that means that right now 10 to 20 percent of your youth are already relying on the internet.

6. Youth are a valuable resource in running your site.
Don’t be afraid to put the website into a youth’s or youths’ – funny how single quotes work sometimes – hands. They probably know more about what the current and up and coming technology than you do. Further it is a great way to empower a youth in your group who may not be able to excel in other things you do as a group.

7. You can’t afford a lame site.
The key to a hip site is not a black background. If you think it is do not design your youth group website, in fact put down the mouse and walk away from the computer. Ok not really finish reading the article. Youth are among the most design conscious consumers, style definitely is as important if not more important than substance. Find someone in the congregation or in your network that has some design sense and get them to put something together – or at least advise you as you build the site.

8. People are NOT viewing your current Web site right now.
The number 1 problem that must youth group sites have is they are not featured prominently enough on a church’s website. What ministries get featured where is a rather political issue – I understand that – but, your audience has the shortest attention span and clicking from the home page to ministry overview to christian education to senior high youth is not my idea of easy. Try to swing some home page real-estate or an easy URL to remember like www.mychurch.org/youth.

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