It is an unusual ‘tween or teenager who doesn’t see herself as the center of the universe. In fact, it’s a fairly human trait. I remember hearing a sobering story from a friend of mine who taught fifth grade in an affluent private school. A guest speaker had come in to talk with the class about disadvantaged children in third world countries. The class was bored and inattentive until the speaker asked them to list all of the things in life they felt were “not fair!” The young people became animated and shouted out injustices in their lives as the speaker wrote them on the black board. The answers ranged from not being allowed to have a cell phone to an older sibling being able to stay up later at night to having to attend school every day.

Then the speaker then began to talk about what is unfair in the life of an African child who has to walk 10 miles a day to get drinking water and who is not allowed to go to school because he is needed to work in the fields. The fifth graders became quiet and focused.

That’s why teaching about the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be an important part of my work with youth in the coming school year. I will begin with handing out “One” bracelets from the The One Campaign to make poverty history, and including games with an earth ball. I hope these two concrete objects will serve as reminders throughout the year that we are all connected as part of one planet and we can all be part of the solution to the world’s problems. See ^www.e4gr.org  for more ideas about including MDGs in the life of your congregation.

Many churches all over the country are marking the start of a new school year by blessing back packs. I have found this to be a meaningful way to tangibly connect church with something important in the lives of the youth in our congregation. We publicize the event well in advance, send reminder post cards, and have a brief service in church on the first Sunday back in Sunday school. This is the important part -- people of all ages are invited to bring forward briefcases, messenger bags, PDAs, back packs, and other symbols of returning to work after summer vacation. The youth will happily participate along side the little kids if adults are participating too. (Otherwise, it can become an occasion for cynical eye-rolling among the teen set.) . After the blessing, key chains are distributed to everyone as a reminder of the congregation that supports them. See the US Toy Company  for a large selection of inexpensive key chains. One idea is to give each person a photo frame key chain with a picture of your church. Other possibilities ripe with symbolism are fish, butterflies, footprints, and light bulbs. See the Youth Files and Forms part of this site for promotional paragraphs to advertise the service in your Sunday bulletin or newsletter. Suggested texts for the service are also in the Youth Files and Forms part of this site.

A trip or gathering at the end of the summer is a good way to build relationships in your youth groups. Whitewater rafting may not be the best idea for young youth groups, but you could go canoeing or maybe boating if someone in your congregation has a watercraft available.

Since this is the first summer in my church job, I plan to start really small -- with a swimming party at someone's home.  The young people will have a chance to reconnect after a year of summer vacation.Parents will also be invited to attend so they can learn about youth group plans for the coming year.

For a copy of the invitation I will send out in early August, see the Youth Files and Forms section of this site.

Persuading Parents to bring their youth to church:

● Start now, in late July and early August to plant the seeds.

● Give parents a copy of Eugene Peterson’s book, Like Dew Your Youth. His chapter “I don’t

Want to Go to Church!” lists good arguments for young people who are resisting this.

(This book makes an excellent gift for parents of children who have a “Rite 13.”)

● Use Gospel Light for generic posters, brochures and fliers that list compelling reasons for

parents to make time for regular church/Sunday school attendance. (Or make your own.)

On the Gospel Light web site, Type in Sunday School Promo Pages in the search area.

(ISBN number 0830715894) There is a special internet price when you order the book.

● Send a post card, brochure, letter, or flier to parents. Summarize some of Peterson’s ideas.

● Make an attractive bulletin board in a hallway or meeting area of your church, inviting folks

to Sunday school/youth group-- and list reasons why they should come. Use photos of happy

young people as part of your display. I see people at our church linger over photos of youth

on our bulletin boards.

● Mix church and play. Encourage parents to have their child’s youth group friends come to their home after church or after school on a weekday. Building relationships outside of church makes it more likely that youth will want to come to Sunday school to see their friends.

Saturday overnights work well, too. (Maybe one friend at a time!) After a night of staying up late, youth group friends will be there in the morning -- and they can go to church together.

More than ever, our culture offers enticing activities on Sunday mornings. Young peoples' lives are so heavily scheduled with school, sports, and enrichment activities like piano and art lessons that it is tempting for parents to use Sunday morning as a day to let the children and youth sleep in. “Family together time” is important, and there is so little of it.

I think those of us who feel called to a ministry of Christian/Spiritual formation need to take the competition seriously. I concentrate my efforts on two fronts: Today I suggest some ways to entice young people to give youth group a try. The next entry will be about persuading parents to bring their youth to church.

Persuading youth to give church a try:

● Send a graphically snappy post card or letter to each young person in mid August. Make it  a bit mysterious, hinting at enticing things happening

    in your youth group in September. See Church Marketing Sucks for ideas and critiques of brochures and fliers.

● Send young people, by internet or snail-mail, a survey form asking about their preferences.

● If it is in  your budget, send the young people a small package a couple of weeks before Sunday school/youth groups begin to meet in the fall.  Tell them to bring the item to church to discover how it will be used in your group. It almost doesn’t matter what you send. Receiving and opening a package that arrived by mail is a rare pleasure for us all.

   Possible items to send youth by mail:

● a smooth stone or glass bead that will be used in a meditation exercise

● a CD of a song that you will play and discuss in your group

● a compass that might signify your groups search for something (ex: “Finding Peace.”)

● a map of your city or town on which you can later indicate a field trip/s your group  will take

● a dragon’s eye lens to show that your group will learn new ways of looking at the world

Other ways to create excitement about your youth group:

● Have a picnic or pool party the last week in August to kick off the new year. Build in some ice breaker activities to help the youth begin to “bond” with each other.

● Put extra effort into making the first couple of meetings especially fun or interesting. Scavenger hunts are a hit. So are field trips of any kind.