Tag Archive for: YL101

We hope you find these resources useful.

Once you have completed the YL 101 course, you’ll have access to it as well in the Lesson: Resources.

Please note that these resources are Copyright to Young Life Australia; this means that you can use them for your use as a Young Life leader, but they can not be distributed to other youth or church organisations without first seeking approval from the National Office.

Download – Young Life Club Talks & Campaigner Lessons

All our young people attending club should be registered on Care Monkey, which your Area Manager will allocate access for.  If  a child attending is unable to complete a Care Monkey profile, one of these forms must be completed by their parents / guardians. Your local Area Manager will collect the completed forms.

Go to the Young Life Leaders Blog for some great ideas on each of the components discussed below!

Effective Announcements

• Announcements are the vehicle we use for communicating upcoming attractions. Many of these events are key to our relationship building and proclamation. Therefore, announcements should be heard, remembered and ignite enthusiasm.
• Typically, there is one “Big Event” a team is selling. It is good to preface the announcement related to this event with a short run‑on or skit that motivates kids to want to find out the details.
• To get kids to remember dates, it is helpful to make up a rhyme or slogan and ask them to repeat it each week, i.e., “August 3‑9, I’m There!”
• Create a sense of urgency to respond to your invitation soon.
• Sometimes momentum can be generated by prompting Campaigners to raise their hands in response to the question, “Who’s going?” following the announcement of an event.
• “So what?” is also a good question to answer. Tell them the benefits of their participation.
• Since kids will forget most of what is announced at club, it is helpful after the speaker closes in prayer for him or her to highlight any announcements that require attention after club like singing up for something, picking up a brochure, filling out a club card, etc.
• Sell things far enough ahead to build momentum, but not so far they are uninterested.

Effective Icebreakers and Mixers

Since a club is made up of kids from a variety of groups who may or may not know each other, it is sometimes helpful to incorporate a mixer or ice‑breaker into the club program.

A mixer is a game in which everyone participates and demands each kid interact with at least one other, if not everyone in the room. This “connection” with the other participants creates a feeling of safety for what will follow. They feel like they are all in this thing together.

An ice‑breaker is a quick, funny way to defuse the crowd and put everyone at ease. In this case, kids don’t have to interact with others, but instead share a common laugh.

• Though not essential, sometimes it can be helpful to have a team of student leaders kick off club with a mixer. Since they are initiators rather than the volunteers, other kids may feel more free to follow their lead. Obviously student leaders must be the right kids.
• Make the activity more fun than threatening.
• Be sure the instructions are clear and well‑heard; otherwise, no one will want to participate for fear of failure.
• Test the idea yourself before doing it so you are sure to lead it effectively. Be sure to have the right props.

Effective Walk-Ons

A run‑on is a short skit that interrupts the flow of club. It can be a one‑shot deal or a skit that is built on for several weeks running. It can be used to sell an event or just get a quick laugh. A continuous run‑on creates an air of anticipation for what is coming as kids look forward to the next act.

Weekly Run-Ons

• The characters should be clearly defined and easy to stereotype.
• Some of the dialogue should be repeated each week so the kids can say the lines along with the characters.
• Each episode should build toward a finale.
• It is effective, where desired, for the underdog to experience victory in the finale.
• Don’t drag it out ‑ either by over‑milking individual episodes, or by carrying it out for more than six or seven episodes.
• Pick an appropriate theme song to kick off the run‑on so kids know its coming and get quiet for the dialogue.

One-Time Interupters

• Come in suddenly, unannounced, even interrupting a song sometimes.
• Be well‑rehearsed: A few well‑chosen lines are better than rambling dialogue (often a consequence of inadequate preparation).
• Be short: Quit while they are wanting more.
• Dazzle them with visuals: either some memorable costumes, I‑can’t‑believe‑they‑just‑did‑that antics, a goofy face, or by using humorous props (i.e. a bucket of water that’s really confetti).

Effective Skits

Historically, the reasons we do skits at club are as follows:

• laughter helps break down barriers;
• skits show humorous side of leaders;
• kids up front invites participation for all;
• they focus a diversity of kids on a common experience;
• done well, they portray a commitment to excellence, which communicates caring.

Introduce the skit with a creative idea that gets everyone’s attention (funny costumes are good for this). You want kids excited about the skit before it ever takes place.

Involve a cross‑section of the kids in club (don’t use the same ones each week). Limit the number of Campaigners in skits.

Be crystal clear to the participants and the audience what the point of the skit is, and how it will run. A prerequisite of this is thoroughly thinking through the best way to run the skit.

Make sure every member of the audience is involved (cheering for their team, letting them in on the punch line, judging).

Never bore the audience. If you have props to set up or costumes to put on the participants, do it during a song. Don’t allow for any “dead” time.

Be sure the MC is loud and speaks to the audience, not just to the participants.

Be certain everyone in the room has an unobstructed view of the skit.

Protect the floor, walls, and participants’ hair and clothing from damage. Damage is never funny, always distracting and doesn’t depict excellence.

Honour the participants with a funny prize, or at least a round of applause. Make all participants feel like winners!

Be creative ‑ make audience say, ‘Wow”

Thinking through Skits

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10

• Skits need to be in good taste.
• The whole purpose is to have fun!!
• Usually short: 5 to 7 minutes.
• Keep them moving ‑ don’t let it drag.
• Never crude or in poor taste.
• Never make humorous references to the spiritual aspect of club.
• Skits help to break down barriers.
• Use many different kids.
• Be very careful about involving new kids.
• We don’t want kids to feel humiliated.
• Be creative.
• Walk through the skit in your head. Think through what could go wrong.
• Don’t become predictable.
• Let Campaigner kids take ownership.
• Teach Campaigners how to think through skits. Make them successful up front.
• Always be prepared.
• If you are going to really mess someone up in the skit, you may want to clue him or her in beforehand.
• Make up a “skit bag:” drop cloth, paper towels, emergency skit, etc.

Download – Club Components

Adapted from an article submitted by Dr Chap Clark

Young Life has always been noted for its effective communication to young people. From the early pioneers to today’s staff and volunteers, there remains a commit­ment to effective messages targeting youth. But productive communication, especially to a highly diversified and dis­interested youth culture, is becoming increasingly more difficult. In order to reach the kids of today and beyond with the truth of the Gospel in a way that they can understand and are drawn to, it is vital‑ that Young Life messages be as clear and relevant as possible.

This article recommends a relatively sim­ple, add water and stir method of prepar­ing and delivering an effective message. This approach has been handed down in one form or another for decades. There is nothing new, but the plea in this approach is for simplicity and a return to the roots of what makes a good talk. The time‑honoured speaking traditions in Young Life still provide one of the best possible methods for reaching disinter­ested kids with the wonder of Jesus Christ.

Before looking through the method below, listen to what Steve Gardner has to share on preparing your first club talk.

Method

Order of preparation

• Controlling Thought
• Conclusion
• Body (Scripture)
• Introduction
• Application
• Transitions

This order is useful every time you approach a brief message to any audi­ence where you have one point to convey. A banquet talk, for example, may require the exact same preparation method in order to stay on target and not lose focus.

Components of the Message

These are the essential six components of an effective message.

1. 1. Controlling Thought: This is your target statement. When the message is finished and someone is asked, ‘What did she say?” he should be able to repeat this phrase almost verbatim. Throughout the talk, no matter how lost or nervous you get, as long as you keep this one phrase in mind, you can­not help but communicate clearly.
   2. Conclusion: After writing down the thesis statement, the next task is to formulate a conclusive paragraph or summary. The reason I prepare this second is because it provides a framework within which the controlling thought can be couched and delivered. When the thesis is clear, the conclusion will be clear.
   3. Body: In almost every talk of this kind, the body represents the Scrip­ture which illustrates the thesis. In most preaching classes, students are taught that the controlling thought flows out of the Scripture. But for a specifically evangelical or informa­tional message, where the controlling thoughts have already been formulated and agreed upon (in Young Life, the Statement of Mission Purpose and Doctrinal Statement), the Bible becomes the tool to illustrate the truth being communicated.
   4. Introduction: The point of an intro­duction is to draw the attention of the crowd to the speaker and interest them in what you have to say. Sometimes this is a personal story, current news or school occurrence or an anecdote. It usually has some sort of natural tie to the Scripture (or sometimes the controlling thought). The danger for most speakers is a tendency to spend too much time with an illustration, thus taking away from the point of the talk and diluting the. impact and focus on the controlling thought.
   5. Application: This is one of the most neglected components of Young Life messages. We will communicate life­ saving truth to students and then leave them without an avenue to implement the information. An effec­tive talk must always have a clear and simple application that can be both understood and carried out. For example, after a talk on the identity of Christ, ask kids to answer the question for themselves, “Who do you say that I am” or challenge them to complete this statement on their own: “I believe Jesus is ______ because ______.”
   6. Transitions: Perhaps the biggest mis­take that is made by speakers is the lack of attention given to transition statements. Between every point there must be a sentence or phrase that bridges the gaps between thoughts. It can be smooth (And if you think I was hurting, let’s look at a woman who once lost everything she had,” and turn to Mark 5:21) or rather abrupt (Enough about school, let’s get into some real exciting stuff . Last week we saw how Jesus…”). The point is to make sure that each tran­sition makes sense and maintains continuity and flow from point to point, making sure that the thesis statement is the objective.

Trouble Shooting: Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Overuse of Illustration: The point of a talk is to lift up Jesus Christ and not ourselves. We must keep in mind that every illustration is simply a tool to get into the Scripture, which in turn high­lights the thesis. If an illustration goes beyond this purpose, it will often over­shadow the thesis, which would cause a reaction like: “Great message! I’m not sure what was said, but it was sure funny!”

• Muddy Conclusion: Usually caused by lack of adequate preparation, where the most common mistake is to take either our favourite Scripture or illustration and force it into a talk.

• Lack of Direction or Flow: Again, often caused by preparing the compo­nents out of order, or not thinking through transitions. The key to a smooth flowing message is keeping a clear focus on the thesis and supporting it.

• Poor Use of Scripture: Scripture deserves careful attention in our messages. We must make sure that our interpretation is true to the original intent of the passage, and that we are not stretching the text to make it say what it does not intend. Every passage should be thoroughly studied and prayed through before speaking to kids in the name of the Lord.

• Poor Delivery: An effective Young Life message can be invalidated by poor delivery. It helps for the speaker to be aware of deficiencies and work on the delivery prior to speaking regularly. Such things as gum chewing, holding the Bible like a shield, speaking in a whisper or monotone and avoiding eye contact will diminish the effectiveness of a message. On the other hand, if the leader is known (and presumably liked) by kids, has a clear and simple message with a specific thesis and application and is willing to share with kids as friends, an unpolished delivery will still make a huge impact on the lives of the students.

• A wise, old sage once remarked to me, “Your message is only as good as the breath mints in your pocket.” Not a bad piece of advice as someone approaches you after a talk.

Download – Giving and Effective Message

Submitted by Fil Anderson

What is a Young Life Club?

The Young Life club is historically the most effective setting for the proclamation of the Gospel.

In some communities, it remains a highly effective tool in reaching out to a majority of a targeted adolescent community. Usually the meeting is held on a week night in a neutral place, such as the home of one of the kids. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. A club is under the leadership of men and women who care enough for kids that each meeting has maximum effectiveness in expressing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Young Life club should be a heavily prayed-for meeting. Even during the hour, leaders should cultivate the habit of praying without ceasing. Some club teams have been wise to establish prayer teams, which meet during the club hour to focus their attention exclusively on prayer for the meeting. This beautiful platform of expression, the Young Life club, may become one of the most powerful influences for Jesus Christ in the entire community.

Primary Considerations

1. In a class by itself in importance is the leaders’ relationship with Christ. Club will always reflect their attitudes. They are the ones who set the whole tone of club. They should radiate Christ in actions, words and attitudes.
2. A successful club is one in which Jesus Christ is made known. It may have nothing to do with numbers of kids, how many laughs were shared or how smoothly it was run. Club is geared to kids and where they are. Nothing is pushed or forced since Christ does not force Himself. Making Jesus known at club simply means doing things in His way, with His attitudes and His actions. The fun and games of club are all part of the nonverbal communication of Christ.
3. Young Life club is a team ministry. Christian kids and leaders living the Christian life are of major importance. They help set the atmosphere to be that of Christ’s love. Their love and concern at club build a vital believing base for the message.
4. When kids leave club, they should feel like something was different about that one hour. As they continue to come, they should find out for themselves that it was Jesus Christ’s presence that made it special. It was Christ in people, in the songs, in the laughs, in the message and in the attitudes.
5. Numbers are important! Christ’s command to all of us is to ‘go to all the world’ and to every person. We will ask God to use us to reach as many kids as we can in our meetings. Well attended meetings usually have a stronger feel of excitement and interest. Obviously, then, we hope lots of kids will show up, and we pray to this end. But be careful. Numbers, per se, do not necessarily spell success.

Preliminary Considerations

The club meeting features planned informality. The leaders are in charge, but the students feel it is their club. They sit on the floor, usually in the home of one of the participants, but it could be held elsewhere. The parents are the hosts and should be within earshot of what goes on.

1. Most clubs meet on a weekly basis, the same night each week. Continually shifting the night or calling off club will seriously impair the outreach it has.
2. Typically, in suburban situations, the meeting lasts from 50 minutes to an hour. In some urban and rural situations, the meeting may also involve recreational and social activities, and last for an evening. In places where the majority of teens experience home as a place to escape from, club becomes a safe place to be, and kids want to stay as long as possible.
3. It must be attractive ‑ should move along and not drag.
4. The meeting is designed to introduce disinterested high school kids to Jesus Christ. It should not become a clique for Christian young people; we must always guard against this as some clubs become safe Christian sanctuaries.
5. It is open to any student in the school or community. There is no such thing as membership or dues.
6. Leaders make every effort to cooperate with school activities and to help promote school spirit. We want school, church, and civic leaders to look at Young Life as an asset to the community. Always be sensitive enough to include those who tend toward being dropouts. Strive to win them also.
7. Special care must be taken not to conflict with the program of the local churches and to gently correct any teenagers who might consider Young Life their church.
8. Information, both printed and spoken, must be given to parents. This may be accomplished through a prepared brochure, personal visit, phone call, or Parents’ Night. In urban situations, it is vitally important that club leaders have a letter of introduction and explanation available at every meeting for new kids to take home. Don’t leave parents guessing about what kind of group Young Life is.
9. No club may exist under the name Young Life without the supervision of a Young Life staff representative. This means, among other things, an adequate reporting system on a regular basis.
10. Leaders are free to experiment with new features in club just as long as the Gospel is not obscured or the club does not become mere entertainment.
11. Careful records should be kept in the form of weekly club report cards and use of the informal club cards filled out by the young people themselves once a year. It is imperative that the club leadership knows what kids they are ministering to. A good club survey will reveal that information.
12. Leaders must exercise care in the protection of personal property, as well as in the conduct of the young people before and after club, particularly those driving cars. Any damaged property must be replaced and proper apologies given.
13. If at all possible, clubs should not get too lopsided with girls or guys. An even split is desirable. Each leader must be conscious of this and pray and work hard to keep the balance.
14. The message is the climax of the meeting. All that is done earlier should prepare the way for the verbal presentation of Jesus Christ.

Atmosphere of Club

1. Should be relaxed and enjoyable.
2. Picture Christ’s love flowing from you to each kid.
3. Let students know you appreciate being with them.
4. Give them as much responsibility for the club meeting as possible. Help them to feel that it is their club. Let them participate. Here are some possible ways to incorporate students into the leadership and ownership of the club:
   a. Have kids lead songs. (They should be carefully coached first.)
   b. Have them clap, raise hands, answer questions.
   c. Have them yell for their class or team.
   d. Have kids pass out brochures, give announcements, do walk-ons and skits.
   e. At certain times in the year you may want to ask kids to share their faith, lead in prayer or give the message.
5. Keep things moving. Don’t lose momentum.
6. Each of the team leaders should sit in the middle of a group of kids and give rapt attention to the up-front leader at all times. This attitude will catch with the kids around the leader.