{"id":252299,"date":"2023-11-29T13:53:38","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T20:53:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dare2share.org\/?p=252299"},"modified":"2024-06-10T19:45:25","modified_gmt":"2024-06-11T01:45:25","slug":"youth-group-games-with-a-purpose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dare2share.org\/gospel-advancing-ministry\/youth-group-games-with-a-purpose\/","title":{"rendered":"Youth Group Games with a Purpose\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
When you\u2019re trying to disciple students, every moment counts. So, why not add more value to your youth-gathering game and activity time? These seven proven youth group games with a purpose<\/strong> are all memorable ways to reinforce important lessons.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Also, don\u2019t forget to check out our ultimate list youth group games<\/a>, featuring 19 games with instructions!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Purpose:<\/em> Helping students understand God\u2019s given them a mission. Students are more likely to stick with their faith if they understand that being a Christian is more than just church and youth group attendance. This game will help them understand that the Great Commission applies to them just as much as it applies to adults, and that they\u2019re needed for the Kingdom of God!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Here\u2019s an example of a list (feel free to modify based on your needs, but the idea is to keep some of them vague so they can work together to make decisions). Remember to take pictures to document all these things.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Segue with:<\/em> \u201cJust as you were given a mission tonight, Jesus gives us all a mission in life,\u201d or \u201cjust as you were given a mission tonight, Peter was given a mission,\u201d or whatever fits your lesson.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Purpose:<\/em> Learn to tune into the right voice. We live in a world of noise. It can be hard to decipher when God is trying to speak to us. In the Minefield Relay game, your students will learn to block out the distracting voices so that they can clearly hear what God wants from them.<\/p>\n\n Segue with:<\/em> \u201cIt can be hard to know what to do when we have a lot of voices or opinions coming at us. And for a lot of teenagers, none of the voices you\u2019re hearing are helping you know truth or avoid harmful obstacles. Tonight, we\u2019re going to talk about how to tune in to God\u2019s voice.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Purpose:<\/em> \u00a0Learning to wait on God in the midst of our busy lives. Waiting for God to answer our prayers can be hard, and this game gives a launching place for a discussion on that.<\/p>\n\n A list of things students will bring you. Here’s an example of a list:<\/p>\n\n Divide students into 2\u20136 teams (ideally at least 4 people per team).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Segue with:<\/em> \u201cThat was fun, and a little wild! To win this game, you had to be in a hurry. We live in such a fast-paced culture, it can really be difficult to wait. Sometimes when we have to \u2018wait on God,\u2019 it can lead to disappointment and distress. But even when God doesn\u2019t answer our prayers when we want Him to, we can trust that His will and His timing are always best.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Purpose: <\/em>Learning how to admire, care for, and have godly conversations with people. Relational evangelism means that we show people we care about them in a relational way. A part of building relationships is getting to know people, and Get to Know You Web helps your students learn to do just that!<\/p>\n\n Segue with: \u201c<\/em>It was fun to learn more about each other and hear some encouragement given out. It\u2019s great to be noticed, listened to, and admired. Today, we\u2019re going to be talking about some good ways to have discussions like these (without the yarn) that will not only help us learn about others, but also lead to conversations about God.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n *See the free curriculum Takeoff to Touchdown<\/a> for more details on this process of starting a conversation with asking questions, building a bridge by admiring something about the person\u2019s beliefs, and transitioning to a conversation about God.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Purpose: <\/em>Understanding how important the Bible is to our lives. Navigating the world God created without the Bible is like starting a project without the tools or a manual. This game leads to a great night talking about how the Word of God is a light in this dark and confusing world.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Segue with:<\/em> \u201c<\/strong>This activity was a good demonstration of how things work best when used according to their design\u2014the way they were intended to be used. We all know from experience that things work best when used according to their design. Not only that, but things also work best when used according to their instruction manual. God\u2019s Word or the Bible helps us understand how we are designed and the purposes He has for us.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Purpose: <\/em>Understanding the power of motivation. Bank Robbery helps students talk about what motivates them in life and how their motivation impacts their spiritual walk with God. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n Segue with: \u201c<\/em>Imagine if these were real lasers and you knew they\u2019d trigger an alarm that launched an instant flood of people aiming to kill you. You\u2019d be a lot more motivated to be careful. Also, imagine there was a real box of gold or a diamond necklace at the end. That would also change your motivation. Today we\u2019re going to be talking a lot about motivation, because it truly drives many of our choices and decisions in life.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Purpose: <\/em>Help students see that God has a bigger perspective on things. Not knowing God\u2019s plans for our lives or even our day can be stressful. God teaches us to trust Him, even when we find ourselves in situations we don\u2019t understand because He sees the bigger picture. Group Pictionary helps your students begin to understand this complex subject.<\/p>\n\n Segue with: \u201c<\/em>Great job, everyone! That was a lot of fun, and always good for some laughs. This game can be difficult because the person drawing already knows the answer, but those guessing can\u2019t always see and understand the picture at first. Today, we\u2019re going to look at a passage where Jesus had a plan, but His followers couldn\u2019t \u2018see\u2019\u00a0the big picture, and things just didn\u2019t make sense at first.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n We understand that for many youth leaders, the point of games is to reinforce the message they\u2019re going to give. Looking for fun games is easy, but finding youth ministry curriculum can be difficult, especially if you\u2019re on a budget. If you\u2019re interested in focusing your ministry on evangelism and discipleship, consider becoming a Gospel Advancing leader! Not only will you receive free resources made just for youth pastors, such as curriculum, but you\u2019ll be a part of a growing and thriving network of like-minded youth leaders who want everything, including their games, to focus on the Gospel!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n1. You Have a Mission\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n
What you\u2019ll need:\u202f<\/h3>\n\n
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2. Minefield Relay<\/strong>\u202f\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n
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3. First One\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n
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4. \u201cGet to Know You\u201d Web<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n
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5. The Right Tool\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n
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6. Bank Robbery<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n
What you\u2019ll need:\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n
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7. Group Pictionary\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n
What you\u2019ll need:\u00a0\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n
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From Games To Curriculum And Discipleship<\/h2>\n\n
The Dare 2 Share store is stocked with youth ministry curriculum<\/a> that\u2019s biblical and encourages evangelism and discipleship. Curriculum ranges from one-time lessons to weeks’ worth of bible studies. Topics include everything from theology about who God is to hard questions teenagers have today about gender and identity. Best of all, Dare 2 Share curriculum is always free and accessible to any ministry!<\/p>\n\n