Resources related to the webinar
- Here is the website where Andrea Wall hosts faith formation activities and curates formation resources for her congregation.
- How to play Jackbox games remotely via Zoom from Scott Roth.
Guide to Taking Youth Ministry Online
A comprehensive guide in PDF form from Angela Gorrell, author of Always On: Practicing faith in a new media landscape.
Youth Ministry
A selection of the better things I’ve seen:
- NEW: Making Faith Sense Amidst the Pandemic: An online study for youth groups from Mennonite Mission Network
- Fuller Youth Institute resources for youth leaders navigating the pandemic
- 5 Things To Consider About Online Youth Ministry During the Coronavirus
- A Zoom beginner—Rick Lawrence!—hosts his first online youth Bible study.
- Eight games you can play on Zoom.
- A totally free and all online Bible curriculum for junior and senior youth, which is—no kidding—Anabaptist.
Youth Ministry Tips from Brooke Martin
Tips for online gatherings
- For Bible studies, use the chat feature in Zoom or Facebook live. Give youth a passage and challenge them to find a meme or .gif to respond to the verse as a comment.
- Use games available on Jackboxgames.com — remember to have family friendly mode turned on!
- Do a scavenger hunt where you ask them to get things from the house and bring it to the screen.
- Use the whiteboard feature in Zoom to play Pictionary.
Tips for connecting with junior high youth
High school youth tend to be easier to connect with online likely because they tend to already be online. Connecting with junior high youth seems trickier. Some things that have worked:
- Get parents’ permission to use the parent’s Facebook page for a Facebook Live meeting.
- As more congregations adopt and get familiar with Zoom, parents may be more comfortable allowing their junior highers to use Zoom to meet with their youth group there.
- Meeting online may not be the best option, write a note of encouragement or goofy memories and mail it. Bring back chain letters.
I’ve created a folder on Google Drive with documents for different kinds of activities, like Games, Junior High, Online Platforms and Low- to No-Tech Options. I’ve invited youth leaders to add their ideas to these documents, and you’re also welcome to visit the docs, find ideas and add your own. We’re all in this together, and the more we share, the more we will all benefit! –Brooke
